Police step up beat surgeries across Hucknall in bid to engage with public

Nottinghamshire Police’s Ashfield policing team said it was keen to be visible and available to talk to people.

A team spokesman said: “We are always open to changing what we do to better serve the public and are aware we can and need to better engage and increase our visibility.

“Beat surgeries are, of course, nothing new. However, historically we didn't always get the best engagement at beat surgeries with officers often not getting anybody coming to speak to them, so as cuts were made during austerity they were something that were cut back; with other competing demands for our teams time taking precedence.

Roll on 2023 and our constables – and hopefully soon police community support officers – all have laptops and, much to their frustration, with policing comes a lot of paperwork/ admin.

“With the accountability around policing, it is important we maintain accurate records so the challenge we have set ourselves is to do this admin out where the public can see us.

“You will continue to see pop-up surgeries advertising where we are, but we will be completing our admin work, which otherwise would be done at the station.

“In doing so, we will be visible to the public and available to talk.”

Planned surgeries in Hucknall include:

January 27, 11am-noon – Co-op, Emperors Way;

February 2, 11am-noon – East Side Methodist Church;

February 12, 11am-noon – Titchfield Park cafe;

February 15, 6-7pm – Co-op, Emperors Way;

February 16, 10-11am – Hucknall Library;

February 21, 11am-noon – Forge Mill tea room;

March 2, 11am-noon – Titchfield Park cafe;

March 13, 11am-noon – Forge Mill tea room;

March 15, 6-7pm – Co-op, Emperors Way;

March 23, 10-11am – Hucknall Library;

March 23, 11am-noon – East Side Methodist Church;

April 12, 6-7pm – Co-op, Emperors Way;

April 18, 11am-noon – Titchfield Park cafe;

April 20, 11am-noon – East Side Methodist Church;

April 27, 11am-noon – Forge Mill tea room.