Having served the area on patrol as a PC and a sergeant, Hull East’s new neighbourhood policing inspector is delighted to have returned.
Inspector Alisha Dixon recently took over from her predecessor, Insp Hinch, in the area that includes Longhill, Bilton Grange, Marfleet, Drypool and Stoneferry.
Bringing a wide range of experience gathered over the past 15 years, Insp Dixon is looking forward to working alongside the public and partners to make the communities a better place to live and work.
“I have been very fortunate in my career to work in numerous areas of policing, ranging from emergency response to intelligence, custody to serious and organised crime,” said Insp Dixon. “I have also worked on both sides of the Humber so have built up an understanding of what sort of communities make up our force, and which issues can emerge in each one.”
Each of the areas Insp Dixon has worked in has presented their own different challenges, and neighbourhood policing is no different. “It gives us the flexibility to dedicate resources to specific issues and deal with victims on a more personal level, allowing the team to be totally involved in solving those problems,” added Insp Dixon.
“I am looking forward to being able to own those issues and concerns. It’s a very rewarding feeling when you can go home knowing you’ve made a difference and helped someone overcome an issue that was affecting them. I don’t think there’s any better place to do that than from within neighbourhood policing.”
It is that feeling of being part of the community that Insp Dixon is keen to harness.
“Please always feel like you can come and talk to us. To be truly effective, we need the cooperation and trust of the public to help make a difference. We need the public to come forward and let us know about issues affecting them and our communities.
“We have a fantastic team at Hull East that works tirelessly to keep people safe and help solve issues within the communities and they are only too happy to speak with you. So if you see us out on patrol, please feel free to come and say ‘hello’.
“One of the best parts of neighbourhood policing is the partnerships we form with residents and other agencies while we’re working to solve the issues that are harming our communities. Problem solving is not something the police can achieve alone. It takes a real team effort, not only from the police but across the community, including the public, to come together to help overcome these issues and make the area a safe place to live, work and visit.
“As with any area across the country, anti-social behaviour is a concern for our communities and I am aware of the problems we had last year on Elmbridge Parade. These had a negative impact on local residents and business owners, but we had success with the action undertaken by the officers and it continues to be an area where we will work with partners to keep under control.
“Issues such as burglaries, violent crime and domestic abuse – to name but a few – will always be a focal point, but we do understand that other issues will emerge. We understand that these issues will cause concern to our residents, and this is why we will always ensure we remain flexible and maintain the ability to change our priorities and adjust our focus where necessary.
“My focus is to make our communities safer by upholding the law fairly and firmly; preventing crime and anti-social behaviour; keeping the peace; protecting and reassuring communities; investigating crime and bringing offenders to justice.
“I want people to allow us to help and to know that their Neighbourhood Policing Team will always work hard to deliver a fantastic service right across our area.”
You can call our non-emergency number 101 to report an issue, but always call 999 in an emergency or to report a crime in progress.
There are many other ways to keep in touch with your Neighbourhood Policing Team. You can drop in to a police station and ask to talk to one of the neighbourhood team, or sign up to a local Independent Advisory Group to have your say on policing in the area.
“I would encourage everyone to sign up to My Community Alert. This allows us to directly send information to you about issues in your area and what we are doing about them. Often people don’t think about crime or anti-social behaviour in their area until it affects them.
“We will also be out and about conducting Humber Talking. This gives people the chance to meet their local officers and tell them about the problems they face. It allows us to then target those issues.
“Put simply, I want people in east Hull to feel safe, to trust us and know they can talk to us so that we can detect and prevent crime and help to resolve the issues which matter most to them.”
To find out more about the local issues facing your area and to keep in touch with your local team, head over to their local website.
