PCC Sarah Taylor accompanies The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP and Home Office officials in double visit to Norwich

Sarah Taylor, Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk (PCC), joined Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP in her visit to Norwich earlier this month, as they visited Bethel Street Police Station to further understand Norfolk Constabulary’s approach to meeting the Government led Safer Streets Summer Initiative.

 

Whilst at Bethel Street Station, the district Superintendent briefed PCC Sarah Taylor and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP on the work taking place in Norwich through the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, as well as hearing about the constabulary’s neighbourhood policing offer.

 

Following the briefing, PCC Sarah Taylor and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP were taken on a walkabout with police officers to key areas in Norwich, where the officers explained their role in making Norwich a safer place to live, work and visit.

 

Notably, the officers took PCC Sarah Taylor and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP to Chantry Place, where they met with members of the security team who work very closely with local officers to keep the shopping centre safe all year round.

 

To finish up, the officer escorted PCC Sarah Taylor and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson MP to Norwich Business Improvement District, where they discussed the concerns that businesses in Norwich have regarding crime and policing, and how their concerns can be better supported going forwards.

 

Last week, PCC Sarah Taylor and Norfolk Constabulary welcomed a small group of Home Office representatives, who similarly visited Norwich to understand what work is being done in Norfolk in relation to their Safer Norfolk Streets Summer Initiative.

 

To kickstart their visit to Norfolk, the drones policing team hosted PCC Sarah Taylor and the Home Office representatives at the Drone Training School in Hethersett Old Hall, showcasing the equipment they use to assist with tackling anti-social behaviour in Norwich city centre.

 

Following this, PCC Sarah Taylor, the Home Office representatives and members of the drone policing team headed down to Chantry Place, where they met with the Chantry Place Security Manager and a representative from Norwich Business Improvement District (BID). An initial roundtable took place discussing the partnership work between the police and Norwich businesses to help prevent anti-social behaviour in the city centre, and how that partnership can be improved. The group was then escorted to the roof of the building to watch the deployment procedure of one of the police drones.

 

The second half of the day was spent at Chapelfield Gardens in Norwich City Centre to meet with Norfolk County Council’s Targeted Youth Support Service team, who work to provide local young people a safe place to socialise and take part in activities across Norfolk.

 

To end the day, PCC Sarah Taylor and representatives from Norfolk Constabulary, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council and the Home Office met at Bethel Street Police Station to further explain the work happening in Norfolk to the Home Office, whilst also reflecting on how things can be improved to offer more to the county.

 

Sarah Taylor, Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, said: “Over the last couple of weeks, along with colleagues from Norfolk Police, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, Norwich BID, and Chantry Place, I was able to showcase the sheer amount of work that is taking place across Norwich and the wider county to keep it a safer place to live, work and visit.

 

“We were able to show not only the role of the police in reducing crime in the city centre, but also how the police work with local businesses and other authorities to achieve this goal. Working together like this perfectly sums up what our Safer Norfolk campaign is all about and I'm looking forward to more opportunities to showcase Norfolk's work to the Policing Minister and Home Office again in future.”