Community Engagement Breakfast

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:00 in Community Engagement

Tags:

Dave Thomas

Where: Southampton Branch, Dialogue Society, 18 Augustine Road, Southampton, SO14 0PL
Time: 11:00
With: Dave Thomas, Chief Superintendent

Abstract

Dialogue Society is pleased to host Chief Superintendent Dave Thomas at its premises on the 12th June at 11am. The purpose of the meeting is to strengthen connections between the local police and local people such as Southampton residents, students and businesses operating in the city. The meeting will enable participants to air any concerns or views they have about local, or indeed national, policing which affects them. Please come along and give us your views on the policing issues that concern you and your community. The police are keen to listen and learn and respond to questions and concerns you have to help solve problems that affect you.

Some areas of concern and discussion might be:

Gangs & anti-social behavior
Stop & Search
Terrorism
Muggings
Assault
Or any other policing issue

All are welcome – All concerns are important

Biography of Dave Thomas

Chief Superintendent Dave Thomas has been a Police Officer in Hampshire since 1984. He returned to Southampton as Area Commander in April 2011 having previously worked in the City's Criminal Investigation Department during the 1990`s. Prior to taking up his current role he has commanded both the Isle of Wight Police Area and the Specialist Operations Department.

His policing philosophy is that strong, safe and confident communities are always found where there is a strong and constructive partnership between the public and the organisations who serve them. He would like Southampton's Local Police Teams to be known for doing the right things, for the right reasons, in the right way, where the most vulnerable members of our society are at the very core of their work.

He is a member of Southampton's CONNECT Partnership which is a multi-agency group striving to bring about improvements to city life and he currently chairs the Integrated Offender Management Group which is working to reduce offending across the Area.

Summary

The Dialogue Society Southampton Branch arranged a community breakfast to strengthen relationships between the local police force and local residents. Chief Superintendent Dave Thomas gave an engaging presentation on the work of the Southampton police before opening the floor to questions from a diverse group of attendees. The event gave local people the opportunity to enter into a direct dialogue with the police and explore issues such as gangs and antisocial behaviour, Stop and Search and muggings. Chief Superintendent Thomas emphasised that Southampton’s Local Police Teams are genuinely keen to listen to the perspectives and concerns of the local community and to build strong partnerships with local people.