Representing Yeovil and South Somerset communities
PCC Clare Moody with MP for Yeovil Adam Dance, Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Yeovil Roseanna Green, and members of the Yeovil Youth Crime Reduction Team – Gareth Williams, Darren Williams, and Rob Koranyi
Representing Yeovil communities
I was in Yeovil on Friday (25th July) holding a community meeting alongside local MP Adam Dance, checking on the progress of the Yeovil Police Station refurbishment, and meeting with the local branch of the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service.
The day provided an opportunity to hear directly from you about issues affecting local residents and businesses, as well as the vital work being delivered to support survivors and victims of domestic abuse.
Yeovil community roundtable
After I was contacted by several people with concerns, I organised a public roundtable with local MP Adam Dance to ensure people could raise issues face to face – with a local police officer present – ensuring you have a direct voice in policing.
The meeting deepened my understanding of community concerns including around local incidents of anti-social behaviour, road safety, shoplifting, and police resourcing – which will help inform my future discussions with the Chief Constable and other partners, to deliver against my Police and Crime Plan priorities locally.
I also met with the Youth Crime Reduction Team to listen to their key areas of concern and discuss how joint working needs to be strengthened to deliver results for the community.
PCC Clare Moody and MP Adam Dance hosting a public roundtable meeting in Yeovil
Yeovil Police Station
A key theme raised at the community meeting was concern around local police resources.
I am pleased that a refurbishment of the Yeovil Police Station is underway, which will be a major step in helping to address these concerns.
I visited the site with MP Adam Dance to check on the progress of the refurbishment – expected to be completed next year – which will modernise the station and bring it back into full operational use for Avon and Somerset Police following its closure in 2019.
The station will operate as a policing hub for Yeovil and the surrounding area, providing more visible policing and representing a significant investment in Yeovil.
PCC Clare Moody (centre) MP Adam Dance (right to the PCC), and members of TCi (GB) Ltd, who have been appointed to deliver the refurbishment project
The Somerset Domestic Abuse Service
I visited the Yeovil office of the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service, which provides free and confidential support to adults, children and young people affected by domestic abuse – delivered by The YOU Trust, Somerset Counselling Centre and Alongside, on behalf of Somerset Council.
I met support staff to discuss the importance of early intervention and partnership working, as well as the impact of non-fatal strangulation on victims of domestic abuse – an issue I have been raising awareness of across the region.
The visit also highlighted the strong partnership between the service, the council, and Avon and Somerset Police – such as a recent initiative to visit victims of domestic abuse alongside police officers, following World Cup football matches.
In partnership with Somerset Council, I am pleased to be helping fund some of the incredible work being delivered by the organisation.
PCC Clare Moody (right) met with staff at the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service
Delivering on priorities
All three visits have helped me better understand and represent the Yeovil public within policing.
The day cut to the heart of my Police and Crime Plan priorities – strengthening visible policing, supporting victims, preventing crime, and reducing male violence against women and girls. These priorities cannot be delivered in isolation; they are closely interconnected and require a collaborative approach across policing, local authorities, support services and communities.