#NeighbourhoodPolicingWeek round-up

This year’s Neighbourhood Policing Week saw our officers take part in more than 90 events and operations across the county.

Our community policing officers, PCSOs and Special Constables met with a broad range of groups from primary school pupils through to retirement home residents and everyone in between to discuss the issues that really matter to local communities.

The key themes of the activity were early intervention, problem solving, improving trust and confidence, and wellbeing.

Highlights included Basildon and Laindon CPT attending a self-defence class for girls between the ages of 11 and 16 run by Bar'N'Bus, Southend CPT’s operation with South Essex College, and Epping Forest and Brentwood CPT’s work in Loughton to improve safety for women and girls exiting the tube station.

Our officers also targeted anti-social behaviour hotspots in every single district in the county, from Canvey Island to Colchester city centre.

On social media, our footage of PC Luke Watson of the Waltham Abbey Town Team chasing down a van linked to thefts and three suspected car thieves was picked up by numerous national news outlets, and has had more than 3.3m views on TikTok.

Supt Shaun Kane, Head of the Local Policing Support Unit said: “Neighbourhood Policing Week has been a brilliant opportunity for the public to see how our neighbourhood teams work to keep their communities safe and showcase the diversity of neighbourhood policing in 2023, with so many officers, police staff and police volunteers all working to the same goal of creating safer neighbourhoods, which, importantly, feel safe.

“The activities and operations have offered an insight into the initiatives that are ongoing to make Essex a safe county by helping people, keeping people safe and catching criminals.

“People have been speaking with their local officers and telling them about the issues they are experiencing so we can have a positive impact, and I would urge anyone who has any concerns in their neighbourhoods, whether it be anti-social behaviour through to drug-related activity, to get in touch with us. We will do the rest.

“Essex Police is committed to preventing crime and will relentlessly target those suspected of wrongdoing. “

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