Now more than ever it’s important that we as a police service do everything we can to maintain the trust and confidence of the people we serve.

We share the public’s horror at the monstrous actions of former police officer, Wayne Couzens, who was responsible for the murder of Sarah Everard in London, and our thoughts remain firmly with Sarah’s family, friends and all affected by this terrible crime.

I want everyone on the Isle of Wight to know that he is not a reflection of policing in any way at all. He does not represent who we are or what we do.

I will echo the words of our chief constable, Olivia Pinkney, who last week iterated that we as police officers come into this job to keep people safe, and we all do it because we care about people.

We want women to be reassured that we are here to protect them. We will continue to identify offenders and pursue criminal justice outcomes for men who perpetrate violence against women and girls.

In an earlier column over the summer, I spoke of our work to create a safer environment for all in the night time economy on the Isle of Wight after the Coronavirus restrictions lifted on July 13.

This involved meeting with staff, including door staff, at licensed premises across the Island, and the Isle of Wight Street Pastors, to encourage them to support us in challenging harassment, abuse or violence on a night out, and offering the public help where possible.

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These partners have provided us with excellent support. One of our officers just last week met with staff at all the pubs in Newport, who are running an initiative called Ask For Angela.

In simple terms, if you are out on a date, for example, and it’s not working out or someone is making you feel uncomfortable then you can go to the bar and ask for ‘Angela.’

The staff are trained to understand that this means you are feeling unsafe, and they will discretely assist you and ensure you can leave the premises safely.

I also want to highlight StreetSafe, the new online reporting tool launched by the Home Office.

The tool is not for reporting crime, but instead has been designed to allow you to report on particular locations, factors or behaviours that have lead you to feel unsafe.

This valuable information from our communities all feeds in to our commitment to keeping you safer and tackling violent behaviour.