On patrol with the police
4th September 2008
Alan will be out on patrol with local police officers this weekend to see first hand how they deal with crime and disorder on a busy Saturday night.
Dr Whitehead will be accompanying two police officers on their patrol on 6th September from 10pm onwards. The patrol will cover both the City Centre and Portswood. Before going out on patrol Dr Whitehead will attend a Briefing Parade, when PCs get their orders on what trouble spots are expected throughout the night.
Dr Whitehead said:
“When setting up this patrol, I wanted to ensure I see the pressures police are under at one of their most challenging times of the week. Crime is down by 9% in Southampton over the last year, but it’s still very important for MPs to understand the pressures our police face so we can continue to support their vital work.”
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More information
- This visit is one of a series by Dr Whitehead over the parliamentary recess focusing on anti-social behaviour and how it is being tackled. Other meetings with front-line staff have included:
- A street briefing with Coxford’s neighbourhood policing team and residents on recent violence and disorder in the area
- A visit to Southampton’s CCTV control centre to defend the role of CCTV in combating crime in the face of criticisms from David Davis over the civil liberties implications of using CCTV cameras to catch criminals
- Going out and about with Southampton’s City Patrol
- Meeting 101 staff to discuss how to save the service from cuts
- Dr Whitehead’s recently produced ‘Southampton Test Anti-Social Behaviour Handbook: Your Guide to the Law’ has also been distributed to libraries and residents associations across the constituency, in addition to over 1000 constituents who had previously contacted Dr Whitehead about problems with anti-social behaviour. An online copy of the handbook is available here: http://www.alan-whitehead.org.uk/pdf/asb_book.pdf