Community Cohesion

A cohesive community is one where:

• there is a common vision and a sense of belonging for all communities;
• the diversity of people’s different backgrounds and circumstances are appreciated and positively valued; and
• those from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities.

We need to ensure that we fully understand the communities we serve and the public, in turn, understand what we are able to deliver. We must provide services with integrity, in a balanced and fair manner, in a way which allows the Force to be visible, accessible and accountable to the public it serves.

We will effectively lead the community in a number of key strategic areas by:

• fully engaging with our communities at strategic, tactical and operational levels and working in partnership with communities and partners through existing frameworks such as Community Safety Partnerships;
• developing new and maintaining existing community networks to ensure we use all available resources to secure safer communities;
• providing and receiving feedback from our communities through both formal and informal consultation and encouraging communities to actively participate in those decisions that affect them;
• actively identifying, monitoring and seeking to manage those emerging tensions caused by local, national and international events by working jointly with partners and communities;
• continuing to work with children and young people and involving them in the consultation and decision making process so they gain a better understanding of citizenship and their role within communities and society;
• providing our services fairly to all members of our communities based on need and not discriminating against any section of the community;
• continuing to develop policies and procedures that embrace diversity and providing protection and support for vulnerable members of our communities;
• dealing robustly with those individuals and groups who seek to victimise vulnerable members of our communities, particularly where their actions are motivated by prejudice and hate; and
• dealing firmly with crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour by using:
  • the National Intelligence Model;
  • the full extent of legislation available to us; and
  • the extended police family.

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If you have a query about this policy, please telephone 101 and ask for the Head of Local Policing.

Alternatively, you may write to West Yorkshire Police Headquarters, PO Box 9, Laburnum Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3QP, England.