Residents queued to get free vehicle safety equipment and advice on how to protect their cars and bikes.

Nottinghamshire Police has held two successful vehicle crime prevention events to educate people on how to better protect their cars and bicycles, thanks to funding provided by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.

The pop-up events ,which were held at Maltings Retail Park in Newark, gave people the chance to speak with police officers about their concerns around vehicle safety and how to better protect their cars and bicycles.

More than 50 residents chatted with officers and were offered advice on best practice to keep valuables safe, as well as free bicycles locks, Apple and Samsung tags, steering wheel clamps, and the chance to have their bicycles tagged, making them easier to track down if they were to be stolen.

The vehicle crime prevention events were possible after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured £3m Home Office funding for Safer Streets projects that help reduce neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as violence against women and girls.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “I’m pleased that people have responded so positively to the recent vehicle crime prevention days in Newark – with local people queueing round the block to take part.

“Safer Streets is all about making our public spaces safer and making people feel safe when they are out and about too. So it is great that this event offered

“Safer Streets is all about making our public spaces safer and making people feel safe when they are out and about too.

“So it is great that this event offered people a chance to speak directly with officers to have their questions answered when it comes to vehicle safety, as well as being able to take home some free security devices for their cars and bicycles.

“It’s also great to see entire families coming up and having the chance to engage with Newark Police directly as part of this Safer Streets event.”

Residents have also benefited from several other innovative interventions as part of Safer Streets, which is aimed at making public spaces safer. The residential areas around Mill Gate, Bowbridge Road and Barnby Gate in Newark are among the primary areas that have been targeted.

These include free security devices for vulnerable properties, such as video doorbells and motion sensor lighting, nights of action to educate people on the dangers of alcohol and cocaine consumption, CCTV upgrades, an innovative Shop Watch radio scheme as well as the launch of the Safer Gyms scheme, which is designed at tackling violence against women and girls within the gym environment.

Insp Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: “Engaging with the public and talking to them about issues that are important to them is a key part of what we do in neighbourhood policing.

“With this in mind, it was a pleasure for our officers to meet with members of the community at our recent vehicle crime prevention events in Newark.

“At the events, we were able to offer some advice to people on how to keep their cars, bikes and other vehicles safe from thieves, while also answering any other questions they had.

“Our officers were also able to hand out some free security devices to those that attended, thanks to funding provided by Safer Streets, so we’re very grateful for this ongoing support to help us crackdown on crime in our areas.”

Officers also gave bicycle owners the chance to have their bikes tagged with a unique serial code, making it harder for bike thieves to resell them if stolen. The unique identifier, which is added in a discreet location on the bike frame, is added to an app on the owner’s phone and is then used by the police if the bike were to be reported stolen.

This proved a huge success, with entire families visiting officers at the Maltings Retail Park and taking advantage of this opportunity for additional free security.

The Safer Streets programme is being delivered as part of an ongoing partnership between the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Nottinghamshire Police and Newark and Sherwood District Council, among other local authorities.

Coun Paul Taylor, portfolio holder for Public Protection and Community Relations, at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “Sessions such as this are a fantastic opportunity for residents to speak to officers providing safety services in their area, giving an open platform for them to discuss any issues they have and to share ideas for improving community safety.

“Targeting offenders of theft is extremely important in our work to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and I hope the advice and safety equipment residents were offered during these events is found to be helpful.

“We are working hard alongside our partners to create a district in which residents feel safe and reassured that their property, from vehicles to homes, is secure. It is great to see the measures we are introducing as part of the Safer Streets project continue to be well received by residents.”

For future events follow Newark Police on Facebook by visiting the following link https://www.facebook.com/NewarkPoliceUK

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