Chipping Norton firefighters and police unveil new partnership at Fire Station

Chipping Norton’s neighbourhood policing team has relocated to their new base at Chipping Norton Fire Station, where they will share premises with colleagues from Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service.

Pictured at the ceremony are: West Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Police Inspector, Steve Hookham; County Councillors Ian Hudspeth and Judith Heathcoat; and Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, Rob MacDougall.

Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, Rob MacDougall, said: “We are committed to thriving communities; working in partnership with other emergency services and organisations that focus on community safety. Co-locating teams at Chipping Norton, as we have at Woodstock, makes absolute sense for our communities.

“It will undoubtedly improve relationships and information sharing between firefighters and neighbourhood police officers, making sure we are doing the very best for residents and businesses while delivering efficiencies by sharing properties.

“Being in the same building will provide more opportunities for our teams to problem solve and identify new ways to deliver our prevention initiatives in a joined-up way, whether that is reducing the vulnerability to crime, fire or other community safety issues.”

West Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Inspector, Steve Hookham, said: “This is the second co-location with Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, following Woodstock, and we look forward to taking this opportunity to work more closely with them and build on our existing partnership working.

“The relocation of the neighbourhood policing teams to this new facility ensures that Chipping Norton and the surrounding communities will continue to benefit from a locally based police presence for the foreseeable future.”