Police on their bikes
Fri Feb 10 2012 
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Neighbourhood Officers Get on Their Bikes to Promote Road Safety in West Kent

 Kent
 

Neighbourhood officers have been using pedal power to promote road safety to young people across West Kent as part of a countywide initiative by Kent Police.
   

Officers from the Mallings neighbourhood policing team were at the East Malling Big Picnic on Saturday 29 August, where they offered free security marking for pedal cycles and spoke to young people about road safety. They also gave away merchandise including reflective stickers and bands, road safety activity books and security marking pens. The mobile police station and police Land Rover also took part in this community event, where the team took the opportunity to speak to local residents about policing issues and give crime reduction advice.
Neighbourhood officers have been using pedal power to promote road safety to young people across West Kent as part of a countywide initiative by Kent Police.
 

After the event, neighbourhood officers went on cycle patrol in the surrounding area, again to offer road safety and crime reduction advice, and to give away more merchandise. The areas visited included:

  • Manor Park
  • Leybourne Play Park (Castle Way)
  • Martin Square/Larkfield Recreation Ground
  • Leybourne Lakes
  • Ditton Community Centre/Recreation Ground
  • The Avenue – Aylesford
  • Liberty Square – Kings Hill
  • Aylesford Community Centre
  • Burham Recreation Ground
  • Eccles Recreation Ground

PCSO Louise Burgess said: ‘The Big Picnic was a great event that gave us a chance to speak to young people about road safety, which is important at any time but particularly relevant now that children are going back to school and will be walking or cycling at busy times. We have had some very positive feedback from local people about our patrols, noticing that certain areas were much quieter in terms of anti-social behaviour because of the number of officers out on their bikes.’

Other West Kent areas also took part in the initiative. In Sevenoaks district local officers attended a similar event - a ‘play day’ for local children and their parents/guardians at Hillingdon Play Park, Sevenoaks, organised by West Kent Extra. PCSOs talked to the children about cycle safety and what to wear when riding their bicycles, including helmets and hi-viz clothing. In Tunbridge Wells officers who use their bikes regularly took the opportunity to stop and talk to young people that they saw when out on patrol.