Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone visited Brackley town centre yesterday (August 21) alongside Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, as they discussed matters affecting the town centre.
Danielle and Ivan met with Sergeant Micki Simons at the police station on St James Road, before walking into the town centre to visit Market Place to speak with retailers about how police are working with the local retail crime partnership to keep visitors and businesses safe.
They also heard about the growing issue of county lines crime, with criminals using the major roads that go through Brackley and the surrounding areas, and how this can be tackled using ANPR.
During the walkaround they also visited Brackley Town Football Club, where Micki spoke about the work Police do to ensure that relevant intelligence on potential matchday disruption and anti-social behaviour is informing policing operations to mitigate the impact on residents who live near the ground.
Danielle added: “It was great to hear about the community work that takes place at the football club, and also to hear that there is great partnership working between police and the Town Council to drive forward environmental improvements in some areas to curb anti-social behaviour and drug use.”
Since being elected in May, the Commissioner has also made it a priority to meet with rural residents and businesses to understand the issues that affect them. Yesterday she met with the owners of the Barn Owl Farm Shop in Evenley, where they discussed concerns about growing drug use in rural communities and dangerous driving on country roads.
Danielle added: “I have been going out to our county towns in recent weeks, but it’s also important that I understand what is happening in our rural areas so that I can ensure my upcoming Public Safety Plan focuses on keeping people safe in both urban and rural areas.
“We also need to be investing more in our young people, and I am hoping that the new Government’s Young Futures programme will benefit Brackley.”
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet added: “It was fantastic to spend the afternoon in Brackley yesterday and see for myself how our local police team are working to keep residents safe. We had some incredibly positive feedback about the excellent work they are doing, but it is also important that we reflect on the resources they have so that we can build on the excellent work they are doing.
“We know how key visible neighbourhood policing is in rural areas as well so that they don’t feel isolated, and it was really valuable to hear the concerns of some rural residents as well, particularly when it came to safety on our roads – so we can work with Speedwatch and our local policing team to take a look at that.”
