Residents from Congleton have said they want local police to prioritise tackling violence against women and girls, drugs and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in their communities, as well as focusing on cybercrime.
These were the top priorities that the community representatives voted for through the citizens’ assembly set up by Dan Price, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
Dan brought together 35 people from across the Congleton area – who were exactly representative of the local population – to talk about what policing looks like in their area.
Across three face-to-face workshops for 12 hours in total, the group heard from experts in policing, prevention and victim support. Residents were able to ask questions, bust myths, challenge views and shared their ideas. In the final workshop they were asked to vote for what they thought was most important priority for their local area.
“Congleton citizens’ assembly offered a powerful space for discussion with a true cross-section of the community – young and old, all backgrounds, with different views and different levels of trust in the police.
“Seeing people rethink long‑held views after hearing new stories and facts has been remarkable. That’s democracy in motion. It’s alive, evolving and genuinely people‑powered.”
Dan Price, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner
As with all the PCC’s citizens’ assemblies, the aim is to ensure local policing in shaped by the people who live, embedding local voices into policing priorities.
Other policing priorities that the Congleton group discussed and voted on included:
- Domestic abuse
- Hate crime
- Road safety
Conclusions from the workshops are shared with Cheshire Police so that the Constabulary can include them in their operational plans for local neighbourhood policing.
Dan Price is the first Police and Crime Commissioner in the country to hold citizens’ assemblies to form local policing priorities.
Dan’s aim is to have a citizens’ assembly in each of Cheshire Constabulary’s nine local policing units. The first one was held in Crewe at the end of 2024, the Runcorn and Widnes ones were held in the summer of 2025, with Macclesfield in the Autumn of last year and then Congleton in February and March this year. Northwich is set to be the next area visited, with planning currently underway.
Read more
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Halfway through the term: meaningful progress, clear direction
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Statement about police operation in Crewe
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