From left are Commissioner Angus Macpherson, Wiltshire & Swindon Neighbourhood Watch Association Chairman Gywn Comley, Neighbourhood Watch volunteer Ian Mace, Malmesbury Town Community Beat Manager Rachel Webb and area sergeant Martin Alvis.

People in the Malmesbury area can now sign up for free messages – by email, text and voicemail – about policing and crime matters in their neighbourhood by joining Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging.

Wiltshire Police, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon, Angus Macpherson and Wiltshire & Swindon Neighbourhood Watch Association have initially launched this new two way communications tool which you can sign up to at www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk.

Malmesbury is one of four neighbourhood policing areas going live on Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. The others are Pewsey, Swindon West and Warminster.

People who live or work outside these areas can still sign up and they will receive messages as and when their area neighbourhood policing team starts to use Community Messaging.

PCC Angus Macpherson, who is commissioning this new initiative, said: “Both myself and Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Pat Geenty are committed to involving communities in the prevention and reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour, in line with priorities in my Police and Crime Plan and the Force Delivery Plan.

“Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging is an exciting new system allowing the police to send emails, texts and voicemail messages to those signed up. It means we will be able to share information quickly and efficiently with our communities, including Neighbourhood Watch coordinators and members.”

People signed up via www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk will be able to receive messages about policing and crime matters in their area, such as community policing news and events, appeals for information and crime prevention advice.

They will also be able to reply to messages, feeding back information to their local neighbourhood officers to help them in policing their local area.

Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Pat Geenty said: “This is additional tool with lots of potential for us to use to engage, inform and involve our communities in policing and crime matters. This is in line with our ethos to see pro-active, preventative policing becoming a permanent feature within Wiltshire Police and involving communities and more volunteers in policing and crime related issues.”

The Office of the PCC, Wiltshire Police and Wilshire & Swindon Neighbourhood Watch Association have been working together to set up Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. It is part of a national system called Neighbourhood Alert, which is used by national Neighbourhood Watch and 12 other police forces.

Wiltshire & Swindon Neighbourhood Watch Association Chairman Gwyn Comley said: “We are really looking forward to using this new messaging system, which will mean we have a central database of our coordinators and members. During the sign up process, people are also asked if they wish to be part of or start a new Neighbourhood Watch scheme and I would encourage people to do so. The aim of Neighbourhood Watch is to bring neighbours together to create strong, friendly, active communities where incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour are less likely to happen.”

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging is being commissioned by the PCC in line with his priorities in the Police and Crime Plan and his commitment to involving  partners, communities and volunteers in the reduction and prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Joining Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging is quick, simple and free. There are no contracts, costs or obligations of any kind for anyone who signs up.

To join Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging or to find out more visit www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging will NOT be monitored 24 hours a day. People should always call 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency.

Claire Woods
Communications Officer – Community messaging
Wiltshire Police