A higher-profile Police presence is set to be introduced on the streets of Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge as part of a raft of changes, it has emerged this week.
Neighbourhood Police Sergeant for Sedgemoor, Joe Piscina, told town councillors at a meeting on Monday evening (October 1st) that new Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are being recruited by the force for the Burnham area.
“Several changes are taking place that will see the PCSOs working a lot more closely with officers locally. It means that when a problem occurrs we will be able to quickly target them,” he said.
“So if we see a spike in the anti-social behaviour in part of the Burnham area, or a large encampment of travellers, we can send resources directly to the scene.”
Joe, pictured, added: “We are battling austerity but by looking closely at the budgets, a recruitment drive has been possible. We will get Police into the areas where they are needed.”
He added: “Areas that have suffered with cutbacks in recent years will see an increase in patrols.”
Town councillor Janet Keen said: “This is very welcome news – any increase in police is good news.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens recently said: “PCSOs make a real difference to our communities by working to tackle the crimes and anti-social behaviour issues that matter to local people. They help promote community safety and reduce the fear of crime with their proactive and visible presence.”
“Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of our communities and is essential to ensuring Avon and Somerset remains a safe place to live and work. Local people continually tell me how much their local neighbourhood policing teams, which include PCSOs, mean to them. It’s also the reason I am committed to protecting neighbourhood policing numbers.”
