I therefore invite Fair Cop to answer a straightforward question:Are you proud of the outcome you are achieving ? Wiltshire Police, Pride and the Importance of Community Policing.

Wiltshire Police, Pride and the Importance of Community Policing.

Once again, I find myself publicly supporting Wiltshire Police.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2025 POST

Many of you will remember the controversy surrounding Pride in 2025, when Wiltshire Police faced the threat of legal action over their attendance at the event. I found the situation deeply concerning, particularly because I believe the police have an important role to play within the communities they serve.

Pride 2025 in Swindon was, in my view, a very good example of community policing. Wiltshire Police were present, visible and engaged with members of the public. They were doing their job, but they were also part of the atmosphere and interacting positively with the community.

Picture Wiltshire 999s

Following Pride 2025, a considerable amount of discussion took place on social media regarding police attendance. I therefore felt compelled to make a public statement for several reasons.

First, I firmly believe that the police should be involved in their communities.

Second, I believe police officers should be able to participate in and support community events.

Third, I personally experienced being the victim of a crime and a target of abuse in 2025, which resulted in an arrest. That experience reinforced for me the importance of having a visible and accessible police presence within our communities.

Pride events can attract thousands of people, and large public gatherings require appropriate safety arrangements. A visible police presence can provide reassurance, help deter violence and harassment, and ensure that people who may feel vulnerable know that support is available if they need it.

That is why I was genuinely disappointed when I attended Pride 2026 and did not see the same visible Wiltshire Police presence that I saw in 2025.

I did not attend Pride in the same way this year. Instead, I simply went down to walk my dog. During the time I was there, I saw Pride staff and Platinum Security, but I did not see a single police officer. I also do not recall seeing the police bus or tent that had been present previously.

It left me asking: What has changed?

I am not blaming Wiltshire Police for this. My disappointment is directed towards the wider situation and, particularly, the legal pressures that appear to have contributed to a reduction in police involvement.

Fair Cop's previous actions and threats of legal action against police forces over Pride attendance raise important questions about the relationship between policing and the communities officers are supposed to serve.

My concern is that legal disputes of this nature can have consequences beyond the courtroom. They can create mistrust, divide communities and make organisations more reluctant to engage openly with the public.

So I would ask Fair Cop a simple question:

Why?

Why challenge police involvement in community events when that involvement can help build trust?

Isn't the police service part of the community?

Isn't the community part of the police service?

Aren't police officers there to protect and serve the communities in which they work?

What is wrong with police officers being visible, approachable and involved in community events?

I am disappointed—not necessarily in Wiltshire Police, but in a situation where legal challenges and the fear of legal consequences can potentially create distance between the police and the people they serve.

Community policing is about more than responding to crime. It is about building relationships, creating trust and showing people that police officers are approachable and there when they are needed.

I therefore invite Fair Cop to answer a straightforward question:

Are you proud of the outcome you are achieving if the consequence is that police forces become less visible and less involved in the communities they serve?

Because if the result is greater separation between the police and the public, then I believe we need to seriously question whether that is in the best interests of our communities.

I will continue to support Wiltshire Police being visible, approachable and actively involved in community life.

Police and communities should not be separated. They should work together.

Rt Rev Father Paris Haines