George Armstrong Posted September 5, 2016 Report Posted September 5, 2016 Picked this up off Tracy's Facebook Page: "Went out last night on patrol with West Mercia Police Officers in Hereford. Part of my role as a County Councillor is being a representative on the Licensing and Regulatory Committee so I saw first hand some of the checks carried out by licensed premises staff, met Street Pastors who do an amazing job tending to vulnerable people, to ensure they are safe and looked after and seeing how Hereford night time economy operates. Also, did some taxi enforcement and went out with a police officer in an unmarked and very fast vehicle. It has to be said the officer was a hell of a good driver !! As well as explaining to me what she was doing and why, she dealt with members of the public very professionally and courteously, even in sometimes difficult situations. She gave me a real insight into the workings of the police on a Friday and Saturday night it a city centre! I also met lots of licensees, door staff and members of the public. The door staff were very good, explained issues and answered the numerous questions I asked of them, all with a smile on their face! They all agreed the city has been transformed in an evening and is completely different to how it operated just a few years ago. I have to say it was a very worthwhile exercise and I think all councillors, especially those in licensing should go out there and see how things really work. Last night was memorable for lots of reasons and I hope I have a little more understanding of how the city and the people working in it operate." Nice work, Tracy.
Colin James Posted September 10, 2016 Report Posted September 10, 2016 Having worked on the doors in Hereford for over 16 years, I can say I have seen it all but well done Tracey, I am sure this little exercise opened your eyes.
Glenda Powell Posted September 10, 2016 Report Posted September 10, 2016 While I was a Cllr and member of the regulatory committee I went on patrol with the police every month on a weekend, and it was an eye opener not only with the party goers / drinkers but also the antics of the taxi drivers.
Tracy Bowes Posted September 12, 2016 Report Posted September 12, 2016 Thank you. It was a very valuable experience and it just goes to show what can be achieved when working as part of a team. One of the door staff explained that Hereford has a lot to be proud of, it has completely changed over the last few years and all for the better. It was certainly enlightening seeing how Licensees, door staff, Police Officers and street pastors interact. I was completely unaware of the great work carried out by Street Pastors, who are all volunteers and do a fantastic job of trying to help vulnerable people to ensure that they are looked after and safe. I saw how they operated, the kits that they take out with them and the triage area. Everyone was very forthcoming when answering the many questions that I had and I believe that all Councillors on the Licensing Committee should go out and see what happens on a weekend in the County. It is also vital that we continue to work with Taxi drivers, Licensing Officers, Police and companies to ensure compliance and safety. I had the opportunity to thank one of the Officers involved on Friday night before her shift and I was kindly given permission to take a photograph with my step children, which I have attached. I didn't get chance to catch up with everyone but I would personally like to thank them all. I look forward to visiting the CCTV monitoring office in the near future and increasing my knowledge further.
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