Tackling knife crime and 'endemic problem' of violence on females priority for new police chief

Alexis Boon took over the reins of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary on August 4 after his predecessor Scott Chilton resigned following a gross misconduct probe amid allegations of a relationship with a junior member of staff.

The new chief constable joined the force from the Metropolitan Police, where he led commands in local police, specialist crime and counter terrorism after beginning his career in a county force - with him “delighted” to return to his roots. Now he is relishing the task of tackling crime across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Speaking to The News at the force’s headquarters in Eastleigh, he said: “My priority is to make sure the public feel like we are on their side and policing is there for them with us fighting crime that is important to them and their communities.”

Less than a month in the hotseat, chief constable Boon has now set out his ambitions for the force, as he reinforced a desire to listen and work with the public in the fight against crime while delivering a visible presence on the streets.

He said: “There has been a real focus this summer on town centre violence and anti-social behaviour. We’ve worked hard to make our town centres safer which they have been and we’re also really focused on making sure rural crime is targeted and dealt with and rural communities feel we are on their side and we are going after criminals that are impacting them the most.

“I’m very keen to make sure we remain focused on knife crime - every knife taken off the street saves a life. Every knife crime disrupted is really important to us and communities.

“Finally, violence against women and girls is an endemic problem in the UK and we in the constabulary will remain focused on making sure women and girls feel safe in their homes, open spaces and going about their daily business.

“These are some of our top priorities and I really look forward to meeting communities and talking about their priorities as I’m out and about across the counties.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said earlier this month of the new chief constable: “I’m delighted Alexis has begun his new role as chief constable. The constabulary has gone from strength to strength in recent years. That progression has been highlighted in the recent PEEL report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and I’ve tasked Alexis with continuing those improvements.

“We are a large force but we are still under capacity for the amount of officers we have for our communities. Recruitment is a major priority and I’ve urged Alexis to ensure the officers I have already funded are on our streets as quickly as possible. The new chief constable is joining us at one of our busiest times of the year. His wealth of experience running police operations for the Metropolitan Police will be a huge advantage to us.”