Essex PFCC Roger Hirst Discusses Public Safety, Firefighter Mental Health, and Crime Reduction

Roger Hirst, the Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, discussed various topics, including hazardous residential buildings, the mental well-being of firefighters, and his ambition to lower crime rates across the county. These subjects, among others, were addressed during an exclusive interview with BBC Essex Breakfast presenter Sonia Watson. Mr. Hirst initially assumed the position in 2016 and was re-elected for a subsequent term in May, a result he had previously expressed being “delighted” about. The following outlines five significant points from his recent discussion. In recent years, two specific properties, Amleen House in Colchester and Joseph Rank House in Harlow, have been declared unsafe and unfit for habitation. This situation necessitated the relocation of residents to accommodations deemed “much, much safer.” Mr. Hirst stated, “we can’t allow people to continue living like this,” emphasizing that “Fire safety in big buildings has been a real focus for the last couple of years and has to be a real focus.” He further explained, “We’ve put a lot of money into helping those who own these buildings understand they are not going to be able to go on like this.” He also noted, “We have done a pretty robust review of all of the high rises around the county – a very robust review, and we continue to do that with a degree of frequency.” Additionally, efforts are being made to enhance safety in more domestic residences, leading to a significant increase in home fire safety visits. While the service conducted 3,600 checks during Covid, it now performs over 10,000 annually. Earlier in the week, BBC Essex covered the story of a former firefighter who reported resigning from the service due to trauma sustained from “horrendous” incidents. He departed from the Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS) in 2021, citing regular exposure to “the worst kind of fatalities.” Furthermore, it was disclosed that 85 ECFRS employees had been granted leave for mental health reasons within the last year. Mr. Hirst assured fire crews that support mechanisms are in place. He stated, “They will go to incidents where they see the worst and in awful circumstances.” He continued, “We have people step forward to do the most amazing jobs in firefighting and policing and the things they see can be truly traumatic.” He acknowledged, “They go to those sorts of incidents and see those brutal things and I can’t take that away. But what we can do is provide the support.” He expressed being “disappointed” that the former firefighter interviewed by the BBC “doesn’t know how to access the trauma support,” indicating, “So I need to look at how we promote it more.” He confirmed, “We do have counselling services we commission, and that support can be made available to people.” He concluded, “Of course, there will be people who are signed off because it’s an awful thing to have to go through.” A further significant point raised during the interview concerned allegations that Corringham was not receiving sufficient attention from police and fire services. The town in Essex has lacked a police station for an extended period, a situation Mr. Hirst presently intends not to alter. He asserted, “There is a real police presence in Corringham and we are not neglecting Corringham.” He clarified, “The police station was sold off before I became PFCC, so I don’t know why it hasn’t been redeveloped but equally I am not saying I am going to buy it back.” According to CrimeRate, Essex’s overall crime rate stands at 78 incidents per 1,000 residents, with violence and sexual offenses constituting the most prevalent categories. Mr. Hirst identified a primary objective as achieving a substantial reduction in crime across the county. He further stated, “My target is to get crime down by 40% overall,” and expressed, “It is my ambition to get crime down to its historic low.” He clarified, “Essex Police knows what I want to achieve but it’s not the chief constable’s commitment – it’s my commitment.” He explained, “If there is a completely new law that says ‘this is crime’ and that increases the level of crime in Essex then I am not going to fire the chief constable for having not done it.” He concluded by asking, “But, if I don’t put any figures on anything, what chance do I have?” Mr. Hirst also addressed an inquiry from a caller who reported being spiked during evenings out in Essex. The caller recounted being “unlucky enough” to experience spiking in clubs and alleged that management took minimal action when incidents were reported. They commented, “It would nice if there was more concern around safety in night clubs and night outs.” In reply, Mr. Hirst pledged increased efforts. He stated, “Spiking clearly is an issue and if you have an experience of that then the police need to know.” He added, “We take it very seriously, we have specific programmes in place to try and make sure we can stop it.” He acknowledged, “If people don’t think they are being taking seriously then that’s not the response we want to have.” He emphasized, “We are very committed to reducing violence against women and girls and that is one of the big priorities in my plan.” He concluded, “Spiking is definitely one of the elements of my plan to deal with violence against women and girls.”