An Evening Out With The Street Pastors

I had the opportunity to spend an evening out in the town centre and in Bedford Place with the Street Pastors on Friday.

I had heard very good reports about the work of the Street Pastors beforehand, however on seeing them in action I think they are doing a tremendous job.

I certainly feel that the team made a big and positive difference to the lives of several people that evening.

I was also very impressed by how interlinked the Street Pastors are with other services; the Police and the CCTV control room. Also there seemed to be an excellent relationship with the door staff at the various pubs and clubs. I noticed too how helpful it was for the Police to have the Street Pastors deal with the low level disturbances, which then frees the Police up to deal with more serious instances.

The public really value the work and the presence of the Street Pastors. Despite only being up and running in the city for a short time they have a great deal of recognition and are making a huge impact.