Over 600 police officers are now either recruited, in training or already out taking the fight to criminals and each borough of Lancashire once again has access to at least one police station open to the public.
The hybrid model of policing has now ended which means that all areas across Lancashire have dedicated neighbourhood and response teams rather than officers who are performing both roles.
These changes mark a return to proactive and dedicated neighbourhood policing, a key priority for the Commissioner in leading the fight against crime.
Mr Snowden said: “It is a real privilege to serve as Police and Crime Commissioner for my beautiful home county. I am really grateful for the support I have received over the past couple of years, not only from the public, but from my office, the Chief Constable, police officers and staff as well as partners and stakeholders across Lancashire.
“I’m really proud of the achievements and changes I have been able to bring about in my role. As pledged, each and every borough of Lancashire now has an open police front counter again and together with the end of the hybrid policing model this is exactly what the people of Lancashire have told me they want to see.
“The Constabulary has exceeded its recruitment target which means that the force has now recruited an additional 612 officers to strengthen our frontline and bolster the response to anything from antisocial behaviour (ASB) to serious and organised crime.
“We have made great progress against the priorities set out in my Fighting Crime Plan for Lancashire. My office has been successful in securing an additional £2m from the Government to tackle ASB and a new, specialist anti-social behaviour unit will launch this summer to bolster the Constabulary’s response which will mean extra patrols and officers where they are needed most.
“Op Warrior, which is the Constabulary’s response to my Police and Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime, continues to deliver results with an average of 17 organised crime related arrests each week and scores of drugs and ill gained cash seized every single month. A large scale Op Warrior media campaign has led to a 29% increase of drug related intelligence from members of the public which is fantastic and will help officers take the fight to organised crime.
“Thanks to uplift funding and the council tax precept I have been able to fund dedicated rape and serious sexual offences teams. More than 90 detectives are now dedicated to investigating this type of crime which will see better outcomes for victims and will help bring perpetrators to justice. My office has also secured £8m to strengthen local domestic abuse and sexual violence support services to ensure that victims can access the specialist support they need and deserve.
“Op Defender is cracking down on burglary and robbery with over 1,000 arrests made for burglary and robbery over the past 12 months by deploying a consistent and co-ordinated approach across the Constabulary. My office has also supported successful bids for Safer Streets funding from the Home Office which supports projects to deter acquisitive crime through measures including alley gates and home security packages.
“We have also made huge strides in targeting dangerous drivers over the last year. Operation Snap has seen over 2,500 submissions of dashcam footage from members of the public with 60% of them leading to action taken against irresponsible and dangerous drivers. A targeted operation in the run up to Christmas led to 350 drink and drug driving arrests, 275 vehicle seizures and over 1,300 reports for other driving offences over just 6 weeks. Overall, the number of traffic offence reports issued by officers is up by 40% compared to last year, a clear sign that officers are out on our roads and targeting offenders on our streets.
“I firmly believe that all areas of Lancashire deserve a strong and dedicated policing service and I have invested 700k to bolster the Constabularies rural taskforces. Lancashire now boasts one of the largest rural policing teams in the country which has resulted in hundreds of arrests, £2.7m worth of stolen equipment being recovered and close to 250 stop and searches carried out to intercept and deter criminals in rural areas of the county.
“All of this is just a snapshot of the work that has gone on to ensure that Lancashire can continue to build on its position as one of the top forces in the country. With the biggest investment into the force in living memory now underway I am committed to ensuring that Lancashire Constabulary has the tools, resources and facilities to stay one step ahead of criminals. In leading the fight against crime, I will continue to work closely with the Chief and our partners to ensure that Lancashire residents feel safe and protected and receive the policing service they deserve.”
