TROWBRIDGE Police Station has welcomed a new deputy sector head to the team, who believes community visibility of officers is at the forefront of everything the new pilot scheme aims to achieve.

Sergeant Louis McCoy took over from Pete Sparrow earlier this month and was previously based at Chippenham as a response sergeant.

“I’m only two weeks into the role but I am absolutely loving it and I’ve got a lot to learn,” he said.

“Trowbridge is different to Chippenham and so it is about learning the local information and area.

“The transition has been a lot smoother than I thought and I’ve been impressed by the can-do attitude they have here. All police officers can find change a bit scary but the new pilot has been managed really well here and the positive attitudes they have is effervescent.”

Since joining Wiltshire Police 13 years ago, the 37-year-old has also worked at Swindon but said the new pilot which has seen the dissolution of neighbourhood policing teams in place of a community team, is paving way for policing in the rest of the county.

“For me at the moment it is about getting the most out of what I can bring to the job and what I might do different that works and just learning as you go along.

“Within the title of deputy sector head, I am the direct line manager to the community coordinators as well as being the inspector’s right hand man and supporting him in his role to develop the sector.

“One of my principle roles is also the health, welfare and fitness of the officers and so it is about making sure everyone is fit for duty. We need to look after the team as they look after us but also the public too.”

Sergeant McCoy added that within the pilot, technology changes have allowed officers to go out onto their beat – something which he hopes to increase.

He said: “Times of austerity have changed things but it is nice to be visible in a community and I think with this new technology it allows us to be a lot more mobile. I’m always looking to new ways of working and we are working on how to develop our visibility in towns and to increase it.

“We are making these changes so that we can better serve the public.”

Sergeant McCoy is also working on his inspector qualification so he can move up the ranks in years to come.