West Lindsey policing plan

Working together to make the district of West Lindsey the safest place to live, work and visit.

The district of West Lindsey covers the area immediately north of Lincoln and forms the northwest gateway to Lincolnshire. It covers an area of 447 square miles bordering north Lincolnshire and northeast Lincolnshire to the north, East Lindsey to the east, North Kesteven and the City of Lincoln to the south and the county of Nottinghamshire to the west. The district is predominantly rural and is the 17th most sparsely populated area in England, with a population of around 95,000.

The district comprises 128 parishes with 78 of those served by a parish or town council.

The three largest towns in the district are Gainsborough, Market Rasen and Caistor with West Lindsey District Council located at the biggest of the three, Gainsborough.

Unemployment rates in Gainsborough are higher than the rest of the district and there are Wards in Gainsborough that are among the most deprived in the country. Other areas in the district, for example Nettleham and Welton, are among the least deprived in the country which shows the diverse issues Lincolnshire Police face policing the district.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) for the district operates out of Gainsborough, Welton and Market Rasen Police stations. The NPT are supported by the response team that operates 24/7 from Gainsborough and Market Rasen. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Response Investigation Team (RIT) both based at Gainsborough and Lincoln provide our investigative capability. Additional teams, such as the Road Policing Unit and the Tactical Support Unit are often in West Lindsey to provide additional support for policing operations.

The former RAF Scampton site is set to be used as an asylum centre. This represents a challenge for local policing, and we seek to manage the local and national concerns that this has caused. A small, dedicated team has been assigned to support local officers in managing tension and addressing any policing issues that arise from the development of this site.

I have been in post as the West Lindsey Inspector for just over 14 months and I am incredibly proud of the work our officers do day in and day out to support our local communities. In the last 14 months the teams in West Lindsey have conducted more than 30 warrants taking dangerous weapons and drugs off the street. We have also increased the amount of Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) for the district by 33%, CBOs have a wide variety of conditions which limit the behaviour and actions of individuals, reducing their ability to commit offences and impact on the community.

We will continue to work hard and with the help and support of key partners and the West Lindsey community I am confident that we can make West Lindsey the safest place to live, work and visit.

Download the full West Lindsey policing plan below.

Inspector Michael Head
Neighbourhood Policing – West Lindsey