New community policing lead wants to make positive changes in the way people view Nottinghamshire Police

Chief Superintendent Sukesh Verma, who has already won national recognition for his work to increase the number of officers recruited from minority groups and increasing youth outreach opportunities, is now looking to build on that success by overseeing and making positive changes in the way those same communities view the police and interact with officers.

Mr Verma, the son of a former police officer, said: “Public trust is our most valuable resource, because it is that trust that gives us the legitimacy we need to police by consent.

“While trust in the police remains high overall, we must also recognise we still have work to do, particularly in minority communities, who we know are less likely to seek our help when they need it, or to share valuable information with us.

“Even since I joined the force two decades ago, we have come a very long way in this regard. We have greater diversity than ever before and are also doing more proactive outreach work, particularly with young, vulnerable people.

“However, the fact remains that nationally, research suggests 45 per cent of young black children would not call the police to report a knife incident.

“Such statistics really concern me. This is not just a local issue but it is important that we continue our work to build legitimacy with all our communities. We serve without fear or favour.”

Mr Verma is the former head of contact management at Nottinghamshire Police, responsible for overseeing the running of the force control rooms, the vulnerability hub, and all initial interactions with the public.

He said: “I am a second generation officer and passionate about the job, because I see the good our officers do in our communities every single day.

“However, I also recognise that a lot of people, particularly people in other BAME communities, don’t share those views, often because of high-profile incidents that have nothing to do with Nottinghamshire Police.

“We can only change these opinions and build the legitimacy we need by getting out there and interacting with those people who do think differently about us.”