'Beat buses' hit the road to make policing more local in all four corners of Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Police is wheeling out two new 'beat buses' to help tackle issues in "all four corners" of the county.

Two Vokswagen Crafter vehicles, funded by the Office of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, are adapted to use for regular surgeries and community visits in neighbourhoods and villages .

Local Policing Commander, Chief Superintendent Ash Tuckley, believes the move underlines Chief Constable Nick Adderley's determination to improve policing in the community.

He said: "The two new 'beat buses' will help to get our officers closer to the public and their local communities.

"They will provide a mobile office enabling officers to spend more time in different communities across their beat.

"The vehicles are smaller than our previous mobile police stations, making them more versatile in terms of where they can go. Yet they're big enough to be a visible focal point and also provide adequate indoor space where people can sit and chat to their local officers in private if they prefer.”

Earlier this year, the Chief Constable and Commissioner Stephen Mold announced more investment in local policing which will see numbers of neighbourhood constables more than double over the next 18 months, putting neighbourhood policing at the heart of the fight against crime.

Chief Supt Tuckley added: "Being visible and accessible to local people and tackling the issues that matter to them in their community is the cornerstone of neighbourhood policing.

"We want to establish a strong and useful dialogue between the police and the public.

"It's important we balance between spending time in those communities where we know there are specific issues, while also getting out to more remote areas that don't have a police station nearby to provide a visible presence and the opportunity to meet local officers even though that area may not have any particular issues that need addressing.

"However, we want to give everyone the chance to get to know their local policing team and the public are our eyes and ears in the fight against crime — you know what's going on in your neighbourhood and the information you give us about what the issues are and who might be involved, is invaluable."

The two 'beat buses' — one for North Northamptonshire and one for the West — opened up with surgeries in Blisworth and Irthlingborough on Tuesday (September 28).

Mr Adderley said: “I made a promise to the public of Northamptonshire that I will develop and lead a force that is flexible, adaptable and capable of serving all four corners of the county, from the most deprived areas in urban conurbations to the wide expanses of rural Northamptonshire.

"I also said we would become more accessible, visible, contactable and better connected to those communities so we can understand, focus and deal with the issues affecting them.

“This latest investment in a mobile neighbourhood ‘beat bus’ for each of our local policing areas will help our officers get right into the hearts of their communities, where they can talk to people, share information, find out what matters most, and focus on building sustainable solutions that improve the quality of life for all.”