Southend: New District Commander outlines top priorities

Southend’s new District Commander, Chief Inspector Dave Browning, has revealed his four top priorities as he begins his new role.

Ch Insp Browning, who took on the position following the retirement of Ch Insp Jo Collins, said he was committed to increasing police visibility, continuing to reduce violence, improving the solved rate for crimes, and doing more to let the public know what officers are working on.

Crime in the district is down by 6.3% in the last 12 months with 1,215 fewer offences reported. Anti-social behaviour has reduced by 13.9% in the same period.

Ch Insp Browning has been with Essex Police for 27 years, almost all of which has been spent in the south of the county. For the past 14 years, he’s worked as a detective, mainly in public protection in Southend and Basildon with a proven record in bringing offenders to justice.

He said:

“Southend is a vibrant area and I’m delighted to be the new District Commander. I’ve worked in response, neighbourhood policing and on the town team here, so it’s a place I know well.
“There will be challenges but I want to continue the positive work of my predecessors and I’ve already been out talking to the public and community groups to gauge their views about what they think we could do better.
“We know people want to see officers on the streets and we’re already putting plans in place to increase visibility, such as changing how the Town Centre Team work to maximise the number of officers out on patrol.
“I also want us to continue reducing violence. Violent incidents are down by 9% and knife crime is down, but I understand the public perception may not reflect that. People are naturally concerned when they see serious incidents shared on social media.”

Ch Insp Browning said the relationship between the police, the council and the other public services in the district is a major strength, as is the pride local residents have in the area.

“Local people and business owners are rightly very proud of Southend and very protective of it. We will be working together to do all we can to make it the city and surrounding areas the best they can be for residents and visitors.
“We have a committed, energetic team in Southend, with almost 200 officers across our five response and community policing teams.
“In the last year, officers in Southend solved more crimes than any other district in the county but we want to continue improve on that to get even more positive outcomes for victims.
“I want everyone in the district to feel safe whether they live here or are visiting for the day. There’s a lot of work going on to help achieve that and I want to tell you more of what we do.
“At the moment, just under 50% of people surveyed say they feel well informed about what the force is doing. We can improve on that, so I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to sign up to our Dispatch e-newsletter and follow our Facebook page.
“Also, if you see our officers out on patrol, please go and say hello. Tell them if you have concerns and they will act on them. We are here to help you and protect you.”

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