THE delivery of local policing services in Herefordshire changed this week.

All areas of the county now have a dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) comprising of police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and special police constables.

Each SNT is managed by a police sergeant, while PCSOs will now have more powers when executing their duty and be able to work later.

The SNTs in Herefordshire are:

Hereford City, Southside and Rural

This includes St Martins and Hinton, rural areas to the south of Hereford and Hereford city centre

Belmont Southside

Hereford City Northside

This includes Three Elms, St Nicholas, Tupsley and Aylestone

Hereford Rural North

This includes rural areas to the north and east of Hereford

Kington and Weobley

Leominster

Bromyard

Ledbury

Golden Valley

Ross-on-Wye

Response officers operating from patrol bases in Hereford, Ledbury and Leominster will support SNTs.

And in SNTs in areas of high demand, which includes Hereford City, Southside and Rural, there will be two police officers and four PCSOs (one of which is based at Hereford Academy). 

“People told me during my election campaign that local policing is an important way of maintaining or increasing public reassurance and it is high on my agenda,” said West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner Bill Longmore.

“These changes to the teams, alongside better use of technology and extended powers and hours of PCSOs, will ensure that officers are visible and easily accessible within communities, despite the significant reduction in police funding.”

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