New Staffordshire Police chief wants beat bobbies to forge much stronger links
Staffordshire's new Chief Constable says he will draw on his experience of working on the streets of Belfast to build community relations across the county.
Chris Noble has now officially started his role as Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, having previously served as commander for Belfast City Policing District in Northern Ireland.
And he says the time he spent in Ulster will help with a "key component of successful policing" – forging strong links between the force and communities.
In a police career lasting more than 25 years, Mr Noble also served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and was most recently the chief officer responsible for specialist crime and operations in Humberside.
He said: "My vision is to deliver a truly local police service in which communities develop solid relationships with their local police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) so they know who they can turn to in their time of need.
“This will support us to prevent and reduce crime and ensure we provide an excellent service to the people of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
“I am also committed to ensuring victims of crime and vulnerable people get the right support at the right time.
“Connecting with communities is a key component of successful policing and is something that I have advocated throughout my career, in particular when I served as commander for Belfast City Policing District for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.”
Mr Noble, who has served as an officer at every rank, has called for the public's help and support to achieve his primary purpose of "keeping people safe and protecting our communities".
He also vowed to work closely with partner organisations across the county.
“We will work with our partners to become engrained in our communities, delivering problem-solving initiatives to create resilient, self-serving communities which are in a better shape than when we arrived," he said.
“I’m looking forward to becoming part of the Staffordshire community myself and I promise to continually engage and consult as many members of our community and partners as possible, listening and understanding how our service can respond to their needs.
“Working together, we can truly keep Staffordshire safe.”
As part of his role as National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for protests, Mr Noble has supported police forces nationally on how to manage protests on the M25.
