Cops in shops ... this week around Barrow

Local cops will be in Co-operative food stores around Barrow this week to speak to shoppers about policing in their neighbourhoods.

On 13 February 2013, officers from Barrow’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be speaking to shoppers and asking them to highlight the issues they want tackled in their communities so that local officers can focus on the problems that are most important to local residents.

The initiative has been arranged as part of Cumbria Constabulary’s ‘Community Policing Week’ which runs from 11 February –15 February 2013. The purpose of the week-long campaign is to highlight the work that goes on in neighbourhoods across Cumbria 24/7, 365 days a year to keep people safe and reduce levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Several police officers will be located within their local Co-operative food stores between 2–4pm on 13 February 2013. Members of the public will be able to pop into their Co-operative to catch up with their local police officers whilst doing their shopping.

Co-operative food stores in the following areas are taking part: Roose Road, Harrel Lane, Island Road, Plymouth Street, Oxford Street and Ainslie Street in Barrow and the Co-ops in Dalton and Askam.

Inspector Ian McClymont said “We are very pleased to be working with the Co-operative so that our local communities can get to know their local policing teams at a convenient time and within an environment that best suits them. This is a fantastic opportunity for communities to tell us what concerns them. When we have carried out these 'copinashop' events in the past the feedback has been very positive.

“We want to speak to as many local people as we can so that we can get a clear idea of the issues that matter most to each neighbourhood.

“People lead very busy lives and it is often hard for people to get to community meetings that we hold, visit police stations, or join our web-chats, so we are going to a local supermarket at a peak shopping time to make sure that as many people as possible get the chance to meet us.

We are always looking at new, convenient ways to speak to our communities and when we approached the Co-operative with our idea, they were very happy to help us. I would like to thank them for making this possible.”

Tony Pickford, Local Operations Manager for Co-operative Food for the area said “The Co-operative is a community retailer and all our store teams are committed to playing a real role in local life. We are proud to be able to support Barrow’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams and look forward to hosting their community surgeries next week.”

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes said “Finding out from local people about their policing priorities is very important. I will be in Barrow at the end of the February to find out what local people would like the police to focus on as part of a county-wide community engagement to influence the overall policing strategy. Please visit www.cumbria-pcc.gov.uk for further details.”