Local bobbies are back on the streets of Southampton, it has been announced, with the likes of Totton, Bitterne and Shirley now having their own dedicated officers.
A patch has been assigned to 99 neighbourhood police officers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, who will serve as a constant point of contact for their specific areas.
Residents can even use the phone number or email address available on the Hampshire police website to get in touch with their local police officer.
Computer Bitterne North’s new bobby is Luke Peskett.
“I’ve been a part of the neighbourhood team here for two years, so when this role as a designated officer came up, I gladly accepted,” he stated.
The primary distinction, in my opinion, will be that we will have a neighbourhood team that handles local crime in addition to responding to 999 calls. Because of the high volume of calls, many officers are frequently called away from their jobs, but I am currently shielded from that.
“Obviously, a big plus is that I can be reached directly by members of the community.”
The tenure of local police officers will be for a minimum of two years. The public can look up their details here by entering their postcode.
Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Donna Jones, responded to the public’s requests for more police presence on the city’s streets in an interview with the Echo.
“The public has told me categorically that they want to see more police officers on the beat and that they want to see police visibility growing, with crime falling down,” the PCC stated. “It has been three years since I took office.
“Today marks the beginning of our new local bobbies programme, with a named bobby for every community, based on feedback from the public.”
“This would not be happening if it weren’t for the public,” she continued.
“It’s about getting to know your local police officer on the streets and in the stores, who it will benefit most, and responding to what the public wants as taxpayers, while also increasing public safety.”
Chief Constable Scott Chilton offered the following remarks in response to the plan: “The commissioner and I have always shared the goal of reintroducing street policing.
“I really welcome this move because it’s a back-to-basics approach that will have officers based in communities, gathering intelligence, listening to what people are saying, and ultimately pursuing criminals.”
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