Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts and Chief Constable Rachel Swann have praised officers and staff dealing with an unprecedented number of murder investigations in the county.

The PCC and Chief Constable visited crime scenes in Derby today (Friday 20 June) to thank officers for the work they are doing and to ask if there was any further support needed.

During the visit, they spoke with officers working on some of the live investigations underway. 

These recent incidents are alarming for residents and have had a devastating impact on communities. However, the force has emphasised that each incident is unconnected and occurred under unique circumstances.

Detectives continue to work around the clock to gather evidence and provide visible reassurance to our communities.

The PCC said she is being consistently updated on the progress of the investigations. 

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts said: “Our officers are working tirelessly to investigate these incidents, protect residents and keep our streets safe following these tragic events. My thoughts remain with the families and friends of all those affected.  

“The last few weeks have been extremely challenging for the force with multiple, complex and resource-intensive investigations underway at once, increasing demand and workloads. Despite this, officers have shown exceptional professionalism and resilience and have swiftly made arrests.

“It is understandable that these incidents have shaken residents and heightened fear. But I would reiterate that most people who live in our communities – and the thousands who visit our city and county every day – do not carry knives, and do not tolerate violence of any kind.   

“The force is working proactively all year long to root out violence and stop it from gaining a foothold in our communities. This includes increased and proactive use of stop searches when appropriate to prevent people from carrying and using weapons and targeting resources to violence hotspots based on intelligence. Alongside enforcement, officers are also going into our schools to educate children on the consequences of carrying knives and carrying out intensive operations to remove weapons off the streets before they can bring harm.

“Serious violence and knife crime are community-wide challenges that cannot be rectified by one agency alone – or indeed overnight. Partners across all sectors and most importantly communities themselves need to contribute to and determine solutions. It is only by working together that we will succeed in our mission to truly eradicate violence.”