Neighbourhood policing teams consulted

Consultation is continuing about the re-design of our website and the most recent part involved local policing teams.
The digital media team questioned them about how online communication and social media features within their roles and the neighbourhood policing websites.
These results will help the consultation process considerably and we feel several areas were particularly interesting:

Local policing teams and how they engage with their communities

An overwhelming number stated that the way they preferred to engage with their communities is face-to-face or via the telephone, ensuring a personal connection is made.  However many understand the importance of websites, email and social media to keep in touch with their communities and use it on a day-day basis alongside making personal contact.

Content of neighbourhood policing websites

Neighbourhood policing teams actively promote their neighbourhood sites in their communities.  They feel the information they include about contacting their local policing team, neighbourhood priorities and local meetings is relevant and appropriate for their communities and is included on their web pages.
Just over half (54%) of officers said their communities have reported crimes on line and antisocial behaviour is the main type of crime reported on line.

Social media

While some local policing teams are actively engaging social media, (Facebook being the most popular), others are a little more reluctant and felt that for their communities this wasn’t the best way of reaching them. 

How can local policing teams improve their website?

Local policing teams were asked to decide whether the ideas we had come up with to improve local policing sites would be useful to them. One suggestion of a list of non-policing priorities and who to contact to resolve them, for example, if there is an issue with dog fouling and local council contact numbers would be extremely useful. This will certainly be considered.
The consultation with this group has been very useful and allows the digital media team to understand firsthand how/what they use their websites for and this can only inform our re-design of the website.

The next step

The next stage in the process is to visit schools and look at the websites aimed at younger people – jnrspace.info (aimed at 6-10 years) and yrspace.info (aimed at 12-17 years).  Not only will we understand how these sites are used by young people but also how they are being accessed and where - at home or in schools.
If you have used the sites above please email us your thoughts on how we could improve the site.