A NEW senior policeman has asked people to work with his officers to help beat crime in Oxfordshire.

New Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said residents needed to trust and talk to officers to help Thames Valley Police learn more about what criminals were up to.

He said: “Policing is something everybody has to get behind, it needs people to talk to the police, tell us what’s going on.

“I would also say work with us. Trust in us. We are there to help assist you.

“It’s a joint effort. We cannot do it on our own. We need the help of everybody in the county.”

Mr Shead’s main responsibility is operations for both the Thames Valley and Hampshire forces. This role puts him in charge of large police operations surrounding big events including music festivals. He is also in charge of traffic policing, firearms, and the police horse and dog units.

Last month, seven members of an organised gang were convicted of grooming and sexually abusing vulnerable girls as young as 11 in Oxford. The abuse lasted for eight years despite some of the victims reporting it to police and social services.

Mr Shead said the “complex” and “challenging” Operation Bullfinch investigation had taught the force the importance of working together with the social workers and schools.

He said: “As a professional organisation we strive to learn from an experience we have whether it be good or bad.”

And he said the force had done well to achieve the convictions.

The ACC said crime fighting priorities in the county were the same as across in the region as laid out in police and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfeld’s police and crime plan. The four-year plan wants to see domestic burglaries and violent crimes against individuals fall by two per cent.

But he said a challenge for policing in Oxfordshire was the “sheer size” of the county, adding: “There is a big rural community in Oxfordshire. There is a lot of country areas to police geographically.”

He said he wanted to see a bigger police presence in those rural areas as thieves targeting farms was a concern, adding: “It is something I will be keeping an keen eye on.”

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “I am delighted to welcome Chris to the chief officer team.”