New Chief Inspector for Gloucester City
Written by Shaun Moore on April 13, 2010
A new operational Chief Inspector has started work in Gloucester city centre today and says he is eager to work with local people to ensure the area remains a safe place to live and work.
Chief Inspector Richard Burge, who has held uniformed and plain-clothed roles at every rank from Constable to Chief Inspector in Gloucestershire Constabulary, joined the police in 1984 and is moving from his current post in the force’s professional standards department.
He spent the first years of his career on the beat in the city and in Barton Street. Later on, as a Sergeant he led the Gloucester proactive policing team dealing with burglaries, robberies, car crime and drugs, and was also involved in a number of major investigations, before being promoted to Inspector for Gloucester South in 2004.
Chief Inspector Burge said: “In my role in professional standards I have spent time dealing with complaints from the public and have built up a thorough understanding of how we, the police, can occasionally fall down. I will be using this knowledge to enhance the service we are currently giving to the people of Gloucester.
“I have always been a practical and proactive police officer and will continue to be so in my new role. I passionately believe all those people who live in, work at or visit Gloucester should do so without being fearful of being a victim of crime or subject to anti-social behaviour and I will work with my colleagues in Gloucester to make sure criminals and those who engage in anti social behaviour are dealt with and that the public can be confident that we will act where necessary.
“I do not want people to sit in silence and if they are being victimised to have the confidence to come forward and tell us – and quite rightly they should expect the police and our partners to do something about it and hold us to account if we don’t.
“Over the next couple of weeks I will be out and about in Gloucester with my colleagues meeting the public and looking at how we can address any areas of concern.”
Those who wish to find out more about neighbourhood policing in Gloucester should visit www.gloucestershire.police.uk and click on ‘Neighbourhood Policing’.
