Police Commissioner commends work of officers and staff

Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has praised Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for being a strong and responsive force; one that is making progress towards becoming one of the best in the country.

The praise comes on National Emergency Services Day (999 Day), the national day to celebrate emergency service heroes.

In the latest PEEL (Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy) report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), the force was found to have no areas requiring improvement. All categories were rated as either good or adequate, making it one of only five recently inspected forces nationally to achieve that status.

Elsewhere, emergency call answering times by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have improved significantly, with 95.5% of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds as of January 2025, exceeding required standards.

Donna Jones said: “I am immensely proud of the work and the service provided by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Police officers and staff do an incredibly difficult job in ever challenging circumstances.

“On National Emergency Services Day, I want to thank all of them for their dedication, commitment, and the personal sacrifices they make every day to help others.

“Together, the new Chief Constable and I want to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight one of the safest places to live, work and visit. Our aim is clear, to drive up charge rates, protect our communities, improve support for victims of crime and get more Local Bobbies out on the beat.

“As Commissioner I am providing the force with investment in areas which enable a better public service, and I am supporting the Chief by opening more police stations and recruiting more officers.

“Our residents deserve the best of British policing; a modern police force rooted in tradition.

“But on this National Emergency Services Day, I want to thank all of our emergency services for their dedication, including Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, His Majesty’s Coastguard, the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service, and hospital staff as well as our Constabulary.”

National 999 Day of Support was founded in 2016, with around 2 million people working and volunteering across the emergency services and is supported by HM The King, HRH The Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister.