Sturgess inquiry will shape policing in Wiltshire

The lessons learned from the Dawn Sturgess inquiry will help shape the future of policing in Wiltshire, the county's chief constable has pledged.

Dawn was wrongly described as a "known drug user" by the force when she died from Novichok poisoning on 8 July 2018.

Catherine Roper, who took over as chief constable five years later, apologised in the wake of the publication of Lord Hughes' report in December, and has now said police "owe it to Dawn" to work towards further improvements.

"The fact we are now the third most trusted force across England and Wales, I think, has shown our efforts to make sure we are there for our communities, providing the best possible service," she said.

"And where we haven't provided the best possible service, we are really honest about it, and we apologise."

She added: "It's the least we can owe to Dawn and to Dawn's memory, to make sure we provide an ever-improving service."

Ms Roper was speaking to Radio Wiltshire as she revisited key successes from throughout 2025, such as a decrease in knife crime and an uptick in police support volunteers.

As Wiltshire Police enters 2026, it - like forces throughout the country - is dealing with funding issues and awaiting a Government White Paper which will dictate the future of policing in the county.

"We've looked at how we've managed our estates, how we've managed our fleet and of course how we've managed our people," Ms Roper said.

"It does mean we've had to have a reduction in police staff, which of course is regretful, but we have needed to make those financial savings."

Key priorities for Wiltshire Police in 2026 include tackling violence against women, clamping down on exploitation and supporting children and young people, Ms Roper continued.

"We will make sure we provide the best service across the board for all victims, regardless of crime type, and make sure we are focusing on changing the perpetrator behaviour rather than potentially victim blaming - as policing historically has been prone to do," she said.

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.