Colchester: Extra officers on patrol to keep people safe during party season

Officers from our public protection team will be on patrol in Colchester on the busiest nights of the Christmas party season again this year.

Operation Sled will see officers who specialise in preventing sexual offending providing a highly visible presence into the early hours of the morning in the most popular areas of the city to reassure the public and protect anyone who appears vulnerable.

In 2022, the team’s proactive approach saw sexual offences fall by more than 30% during the period of the operation. Over the past 12 months, sexual offences in the district are down by 13.8%.

These officers are in addition to the members of the local and community policing teams who will be on duty and attending incidents as usual.

Operation Sled is coordinated by Detective Inspector Fred Tomkins. He said the officers are there to protect women and girls and help anyone who looks in trouble:

“We want people enjoying a night out in the centre of Colchester to feel safe and stay safe. The operation is about being a visible presence and recognising risks associated with the night-time economy.
“We’ve identified places where offending can potentially occur, such as the taxi rank. The officers are there to provide public reassurance and intervene when necessary.

“We will be patrolling around the alleyways and less-frequented spots that don’t get as much foot traffic to make sure no stragglers are left out alone.”

The officers will also be talking to local security teams and door staff to explain the focus of the operation and asking them to point out anyone they’re concerned about.

DI Tomkins added:

“Last year, we stepped in when we saw people under the influence of alcohol who weren’t in a position to make decisions about who they might have been going home with. We also spoke to a number of individuals in the city centre whose behaviour concerned us.
“During the Christmas period, you get a lot of people out in town who may have a drink or two more than they do at other times of year. You might get up to 100 people in the taxi queue so we’ll be there asking people if they’ve had a good evening, if they’ve got somewhere to go and if they know how they’re going to get there.
“The public response last year was excellent. People were pleased to see us and we were happy to help those who needed us. We hope everyone feels safer knowing we’re there looking out for them.”

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