PCC Annual Report highlights progress in Making Wiltshire Safer

Improved emergency response times, increased neighbourhood policing and continued investment in supporting victims and safer communities are among the progress highlighted in Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson’s Annual Report for 2025/26.

The report reflects the first full year of delivery against the Police and Crime Plan 2025–2029 and sets out progress towards the PCC’s mission of Making Wiltshire Safer, while recognising areas where further improvement is needed. 

During 2025/26, emergency response continued to improve despite increasing demand, with 999 calls answered in an average of five seconds, compared with seven seconds previously. Immediate and priority response times also improved during the year. 

Investment in neighbourhood policing has helped increase visibility and engagement across Wiltshire and Swindon, with neighbourhood teams recording 8,891 engagement activities, mobile police stations operating on 250 days and 24 grant-funded officer posts added to neighbourhood policing teams. 

Public confidence remained a comparative strength, with the latest available Crime Survey for England and Wales data showing overall confidence in Wiltshire Police increasing from 70.2% to 71.3%. A separate national measure found 58% of people believed Wiltshire Police were doing an excellent or good job, compared with 49% nationally. 

Mr Wilkinson said: “This Annual Report shows encouraging progress in many of the areas our communities have told me matter to them, whether that is being able to contact the police and receive a timely response, seeing visible neighbourhood policing or knowing that action is being taken on the issues affecting them locally. 

“I’m particularly pleased to see public confidence remain strong. We need to build on that by continuing to listen to our communities, ensuring their priorities shape policing and delivering the service they want and deserve as we continue Making Wiltshire Safer.” 

Supporting victims and reducing violence and serious harm also remained a significant focus. Horizon Victim and Witness Care supported 23,674 individual victims, while commissioned domestic abuse and related services supported 5,873 people. Prevention work included targeted programmes for those at risk of violence and exploitation, with evaluated programmes showing significant reductions in offending. 

Work to make communities safer included a 5.6% reduction in recorded anti-social behaviour, alongside continued road safety activity and the work of 80 Community Speed Watch teams supported by more than 630 volunteers. 

The year also saw progress towards securing a six-acre site near Salisbury for the future Southern Policing Hub, supporting the PCC’s commitment to ensuring policing has the infrastructure it needs for the future. 

While the report highlights progress, it also recognises where more needs to be done. The latest HMICFRS assessment identified continued challenges around investigation quality, victim care, safeguarding, crime recording and vulnerability. 

Mr Wilkinson added, “While there is much to be positive about, I remain clear that progress needs to continue and there are areas where the service our communities receive is not yet consistently at the standard I expect. 

“My role is to continue holding the Chief Constable to account, recognising improvement but challenging where further action is needed, particularly around the quality of investigations and the experience of victims. 

“We have stronger foundations to build on, and I will continue working with Wiltshire Police, our partners and communities to deliver against the Police and Crime Plan and keep Making Wiltshire Safer.” 

The Annual Report provides further detail on progress across the four priorities of the Police and Crime Plan 2025–2029 and the work of the PCC, OPCC, Wiltshire Police and partners during 2025/26. 

Read the PCC’s Annual Report 2025/26 and see the key developments from the year  
wiltshire-and-swindon-pcc-annual-report-2025-2026-accessible.pdf 

Find out more: Annual Report 2025 - 2026: Making Wiltshire Safer