On the beat with your local community cops

Feb 18 2009 by Graham Miller, Wishaw Press

COP a load of this – meet the bobbies on the beat who will be out and about on the streets of Wishaw and Motherwell.

Strathclyde Police’s North Lanarkshire Division is introducing local Community Policing Teams to make the area a safer place to live and work in.

Increased funding from North Lanarkshire Council and the Scottish Government means additional community police officers are now on the streets, policing the areas and engaging with the local community.

Superintendent Marshall Pretswell of Wishaw Police Office said: ”The face of community policing has radically changed with the most significant improvements to operational policing in decades.

“My expectations are high that this strategy will deliver a dynamic and effective service to the people of North Lanarkshire.

“It enables a collective approach to local priorities that will allow us to match services to people – putting the right people in the right places at the right times.

“The model is ambitious, customer focused and based on common principles that put people and service first. That is the level of commitment the public deserve and we are committed to making our local neighbourhoods safer and stronger.”

Councillor Jim McCabe, leader of North Lanarkshire Council, added: “This is welcome news; it continues to build on the good work being done forging trust and confidence between community police officers and the areas they support.”

The Strathclyde Police website (www.strathclyde.police.uk) has undergone a major refurbishment to include information on each individual area within every division.

By searching under “your community” and navigating through to the North Lanarkshire section, there is now a page for each ward. Within this section are pictures of the relevant community police officers and contact details, including an email address.