This week marks my sixth in office, and I have spent much of that time receiving briefings from various parts of Wiltshire Police, familiarising myself with criminal justice partners and perhaps most importantly, meeting with residents who I was elected to represent.

What’s become clear to me is that there is a widening gap between public and police priorities and closing that gap is something that I very much consider to be my responsibility as your Police and Crime Commissioner.

That’s why, later this month I will launch a public consultation to understand the concerns you have about crime in your local area and your experiences with the police and wider criminal justice system.

It’s really important to me that this consultation reaches as many different people, and community groups as possible to ensure that I gain a representative understanding of public feeling and can work towards developing new policing priorities for the force, and my office alike to make sure people in Wiltshire feel safe, and are safe.

I have heard the concerns raised by women and girls over the past week and I’m pleased that following discussions with the Chief Constable the force immediately took some practical steps to help the public feel safer when interacting with officers, by introducing a verification process.

Change must be immediate and start from within and I’ve also asked the Chief Constable to review vetting procedures and management processes to ensure that nothing like what happened to Sarah Everard can ever happen in Wiltshire.

Since the election there’s also been some excellent progress made by my office, including a successful bid for half a million pounds in partnership with Swindon Borough Council which will see practical safety measures introduced in the town to help prevent crime.

Spearheaded by my office alongside the NHS, courts, probation and Turning Point we have also introduced an additional specialist mental health treatment requirement for magistrates to use at sentencing, to ensure that offenders are not just punished for their crimes, but also offered the most suitable pathway for rehabilitation.

This initiative will see offenders compelled to engage with mental health services, and where needed drug and alcohol services as well, with the aim of reducing the risk of them going on to commit further offences, meaning fewer victims and safer communities.

I’m not a man to rest on my laurels and I hope my initial few weeks in the job have demonstrated to you that I can be held on my word and I will deliver what I say.

My police and crime plan will play a really important role in setting the direction of policing in Wiltshire and I need your views and lived experience to help me do that.