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Help where it's needed: Community safety gets mobile

Police and community safety officers will now be able to do even more to help improve community safety, thanks to the launch of a new mobile unit.

The community safety vehicle, complete with state-of-the-art CCTV equipment, allows a flexible approach to safety surveillance and crime reduction.

The vehicle has been jointly funded by the Borough Council, Norfolk Constabulary and Freebridge Housing Association.

It will be used by the partners for a wide range of activities, including helping to assure crowd safety at events, assisting the management of major emergency incidents, tackling anti-social behaviour and compiling evidence for the successful prosecution of fly-tipping, breaches of trading standards and traffic offences such as illegal on-street parking, as well as helping to raise the profile of community safety in the area.

Stuart Smith, Neighbourhood Warden, Freebridge Community Housing, said: "The flexibility and diversity provided by the Community Safety vehicle will greatly enhance joint partnership operations and objectives to the benefit of the wider community.  The vehicle was recently deployed in response to a joint Freebridge and police investigation into anti-social behaviour on a local estate.  It provided CCTV facilities, that would not have otherwise been available, to evidence what was taking place.  This in itself underlines the benefits partnership working and stakeholder involvement brings to such projects."

Cllr Alistair Beales, Cabinet Member for Community, said: “The great advantage of this vehicle is that we can take it where it is needed, when it is needed. In a rural borough such as ours this means that we can target key events or problems.

“We hope the vehicle, which is clearly branded, will help to reassure residents, as well as acting as a deterrent.”

Neighbourhood Inspector Chris Spinks said: “This is an excellent acquisition for the King's Lynn and West Norfolk district, for all the agencies involved in dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour and for those communities affected who would otherwise not be covered by CCTV.

"It will be used to provide high visibility public reassurance in targeted areas but can also be dispatched as an emergency CCTV vehicle at major incidents. This is a valuable additional resource enabling police and other agencies to work together to address community issues."

The vehicle has already proven its worth, finding and returning a small child to his parents at the Fawkes in The Walks, Bonfire Night event.

As well as monitoring CCTV, personnel can coordinate operations from on board, liaising with colleagues on the ground and other agencies to deal with incidents, swiftly and effectively.

The vehicle will be operated by specially trained borough council staff and police personnel.

The vehicle will be dropping into community events across the borough in the coming months to give people the chance to find out more about what’s being done to help make their local area a safer place to be.