The principle of policing by consent has long been at the heart of British policing. It recognises that police powers are not sustained by force, but by the consent and confidence of the public. For this model to thrive, communities must feel assured that the police act fairly, ethically and in the best interests of all.

As the person responsible for representing the public’s voice in policing across Gloucestershire, my Office plays a vital role in understanding how people feel about their police service. I firmly believe listening to communities is not optional, it’s essential.

Across England and Wales, national studies have shown that public trust and confidence in policing have declined in recent years. They also highlight that experiences and perceptions of policing can differ significantly depending on a person’s ethnicity, gender, past interactions with the police, and even how police actions are portrayed in the media.

These insights make it very clear: to improve trust, we must first understand it locally, accurately, and in detail.

To achieve this, last autumn we launched a 365day Trust and Confidence Survey. By collecting feedback over a full year, we hope to gain the most comprehensive picture yet of how communities across Gloucestershire feel about their police service.

We are encouraging as many people as possible to take part. Every response helps.
The more voices we hear, the better the data and the stronger the foundation for meaningful change.

The survey is based on the College of Policing’s definitions of trust and confidence, using a methodology recognised nationally as best practice for research of this kind.

Building trust and confidence is the new priority of my Police and Crime Prevention Plan. I am clear that we achieve this objective only by listening to the concerns of communities, taking meaningful action on what we have been told, and then showing people what has been done as a result. Each of these steps is as vital as the last, and they cannot be done in isolation.

This survey underpins that process and gives me the tools I need to hold the Chief Constable to account for how safe you feel in the County, and what the police and partners like our local councils are doing to improve that.

By taking part, you’ll help ensure that the voices, concerns, and experiences of everyone in Gloucestershire are heard and that they directly influence the work of my Office, Gloucestershire Constabulary and everyone else who is working to make the County safer.

Scan the QR code to fill out the survey.