Police mingle with Barnstaple shoppers

POLICE collared numerous people outside Sainsbury s at Roundswell in Barnstaple on Friday – to ask what they want officers to tackle in their communities. The aim is to make police more available to the public in an informal setting when people are more

POLICE "collared" numerous people outside Sainsbury's at Roundswell in Barnstaple on Friday - to ask what they want officers to tackle in their communities.

The aim is to make police more available to the public in an informal setting when people are more likely to have time to stop and talk or discuss any concerns they may have.

PC Glyn Clark, part of the Barnstaple neighbourhood policing team, said it was another way of engaging with people, rather than restricting them to set times for community meetings or police surgeries.

"We find when we go to places such as supermarkets, more people are inclined to talk to us because they are there and it is convenient," he said.

"We're looking at running similar initiatives regularly in other public paces such as libraries and garden centres."

On Friday Sticklepath officers PC Richard Preston and PCSO Tony Charles were joined outside the supermarket by Barnstaple fire fighters, as well as students from the Uniformed Services course at Petroc college.

PC Preston said Sainsbury's was an ideal location because it was used by so many Sticklepath residents.

"We're asking what their crime priorities are where they live and also trying to sign them up to Community Messaging, so if something related to crime is going on in an area we can send messages by phone or email and spread information quickly.