There will be a new Superintendent in charge of policing from next week along with several other changes affecting policing for the Isle of Wight.
The island’s current commander, Norman Mellors, is leaving at the end of this week to take up a new post as Superintendent for the Portsmouth police district. He has been the island’s Superintendent since December 2008.
Mr Mellors will be replaced from Monday, April 4th, 2011 by Superintendent Neil Sherrington, who is transferring from his current post in Portsmouth.
The change in Isle of Wight police commander is one of several decisions confirmed this week about the future of Hampshire Constabulary:
From Monday, April 4, 2011:
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In a phased introduction, Hampshire Constabulary’s existing six territorial Operational Command Units (OCUs) will be replaced by three Areas – Northern, Western and Eastern – containing an overall total of 11 Districts.
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Each Area will be led by a chief superintendent, and Districts will be led by either a superintendent or a chief inspector.
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The Isle of Wight is one of the 11 Districts, led by a superintendent
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The Isle of Wight District forms part of the new Eastern Area.
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Chief Superintendent Nigel Hindle is the new Eastern Area commander, overseeing the Districts of the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport, and Havant
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Previous Isle of Wight OCU Chief Superintendent Dave Thomas left the island in July 2010. His post was not filled between July 2010 and March 2011 pending the outcome of Hampshire Constabulary’s ‘Force Change’ reviews.
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A full-time uniform Chief Inspector will be retained on the Isle of Wight after it was reinstated last year (May 2010) with the transfer of Gavin McMillan from the New Forest.
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Gavin McMillan will remain the Isle of Wight’s full-time Chief Inspector to supervise day-to-day operational policing across the island.
Other Force Change decisions affecting policing on the Isle of Wight:
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The Isle of Wight’s current full-time Detective Chief Inspector Bob Maker is due to leave the island on May 2, 2011 for a new post in the Western Area.
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From May 2011, there will be two Detective Chief Inspectors with responsibility for the Eastern Area including Isle of Wight. One will be responsible for managing crime investigations. The other will be managing the Eastern Public Protection Unit (PPU) including an office on the Isle of Wight.
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One long-serving Isle of Wight Inspector retired in January 2011 after more than 30 years in the police. He will not be replaced. The island now has nine full-time Inspectors (This includes uniform and CID posts).
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A successful business case was made to retain eight police civilian staff in an Incident Management Unit (IMU) ‘satellite’ unit on the Isle of Wight. This unit started work from Langley Court in Newport on Monday, March 28, 2011.
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A total of six police civilian staff employed by Hampshire Constabulary on the Isle or Wight confirmed their interest in pursuing the voluntary redundancy process in December 2010. By April 2011, all six will have left the force.
Superintendent Norman Mellors said:
“The two years I’ve spent on the island have been most enjoyable and fulfilling of my 28 year policing career so far. Personally I have relished the challenges during my time here and I owe a debt of gratitude to the team of officers, police staff, volunteers, community safety professionals, neighbourhood leaders and residents for all their hard work, expertise and support.
“Great strides were taken in reducing crime, resulting in a thousand fewer victims last year. This brought the island to a very low level of crime, which has proved challenging to maintain. If you have been a victim of crime, it is of little consolation to know that you live in one of the safest areas of the country. We’re never complacent in wanting to cut crime and I believe reductions are achieved where strong links exist within the community.
“A quarter of recorded assaults on the Isle of Wight are domestic related. We take our responsibilities at domestic disputes very seriously. Considerable partnership activity is directed towards support for victims and the rehabilitation of offenders. Criminal damage and anti-social behaviour also remain policing priorities for the island with substantial resources focused on tackling these issues.
“Most burglaries on the island take place at unsecure premises, and I would like to take this opportunity to remind residents about taking sensible security precautions for your personal property. If you reflect on how much money it costs to service your car or how much you invest in sports or leisure membership, and compare that to your investment in home security last year, you could conclude that security lights or upgraded locks should be considered this year.
“Please try to assist us in solving problems whenever you can: You can join one of our new Local Action Groups, which decide policing priorities. Become a Special Constable or police volunteer, join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, help support a youth activity or suggest your employer supports a community safety initiative.
“My successor Neil Sherrington is an extremely experienced and skilled senior officer. I have no doubt he will make a significant contribution to community safety on the island with your support.”
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