Maldon’s District Commander, Chief Inspector Paul Ballard, has outlined his top priorities ahead of the summer.
With crime continuing to fall across the district, he said team are focusing on crime prevention, road safety and being as visible as possible in local neighbourhoods.
Maldon has the lowest crime figures in Essex, with fewer crimes and incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) than in any other district in Essex.
In the past year, crime is down by 7.6% and the team’s solved rate has increased. Thefts (-14.4%), and incidents of violence (-7.9%) have seen considerable drops. Since 2020, ASB is down by more than 70%.
Recently, a new Community Safety Hub opened at the offices of Maldon District Council where police and the council community safety team will work together to provide quick and effective responses to issues raised by residents.
Chief Inspector Ballard, who has been in post since November 2022, said officers are working to make sure the downward trend in offending continues:
“Maldon is very safe place to live – the safest district in Essex – but we want to reduce crime further and solve more cases.
“The district is an interesting place to police with well-populated areas like Maldon, Burnham, Heybridge and Southminster, alongside picturesque villages and some very rural areas.
“There’s a strong sense of community and our officers get a positive reaction from residents when they’re out patrolling.
“I want my team to be visible, accessible, and engaging with people in all areas of the district, making sure we understand the issues that are affecting them.
“We have a very strong relationship with Maldon District Council, who are very proactive and supportive of our work, and we both want the district to be as safe as it possibly can be.”
Ch Insp Ballard cited the work to drive out organised criminal gangs involved in drug dealing as the biggest success of his time in the job but said road safety remains a concern:
“We have a lot of rural roads, and we are doing more to raise awareness around road safety and speed awareness alongside our partners. Also, as a popular tourist destination in the summer, lots of people travel into the area, which presents challenges.”
Ch Insp Ballard’s District Commander role covers both Maldon and Chelmsford. He wanted to stress any perception that more importance is placed on Chelmsford as the more populous of the two districts is inaccurate, and that there are always officers on duty locally:
“We have officers working from our base at Maldon District Council, 24-hours a day, seven days a week responding to incidents. On top of that, we also have our Town Team and Neighbourhood Policing Team exclusively covering the district supported by specialist teams from the Roads Policing Unit and Rural Engagement Team and Operational Police Command.
“We appreciate the support we get from the public across the district and when there are issues, I’d encourage everyone to report to us either online or over the phone. We are here to help to public and the more we know, the more we can do to solve problems.”
