Welcome to my blog

This is a new form of communication for me but as I embark on it I am hopeful that it can become a place where I can share my thoughts on policing issues (and other subjects) here in Northern Ireland. Please give me time. Everyone has to start somewhere. So where to start? Well, September saw the beginning of a new stage for the Police Service with the arrival of our new Chief Constable, Matt Baggott. I for one was delighted to welcome him to his office, ending a short but nevertheless hectic period for me as Acting Chief Constable.

And while in that role, I continued to listen as policing was discussed and debated in many forums. I understand the fundamental human need to feel safe. I am a wife and mother, a homeowner, I am part of my local community. I understand that people want to feel safe at home, at work, in their local communities and neighbourhoods. That is what I want - for my children, my family, my friends, my community and for myself.

I recognise that policing has a central role to play in increasing people's safety and security. That is what we are working to deliver. The next question is where do we go from here?

Numerous challenges face us. I recognise that a central part of our service is a visible and personal policing presence in neighbourhoods but I would challenge what that presence should look like. I believe that it is about more than officers on the beat, about more than being seen. I believe that we owe it to our communities to ensure that our officers are tasked to deal with the issues affecting their areas. It is about listening, understanding, and importantly delivering. Being purely visible isn't enough. We need to ensure we are busy doing the right things and that we are organised to deliver the best possible service we can.

I believe we can do that. We are up for delivering this, our new Chief Constable is committed to delivering this. People need to tell us what they want, but they also need to help us prioritise, let us know what is important to them and work in partnership with us to address it. But that is another story for another day. There is much to debate and much to do. I look forward to it.

Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie