Force back down the aisles

City of London Police is opening its second supermarket-based community policing surgery at Waitrose on the Barbican’s Whitecross St.

The spot builds on the success of the presence at Bishopsgate Tesco, which has enabled officers to speak to thousands of members of the community since the surgery was set up before Christmas.

The focus at the Waitrose store will be on speaking with residents who might be too busy to attend the regular meetings the force holds with the community. Wards officers will be on hand to talk to shoppers about community priorities, crime-prevention and combating anti-social behaviour.

Wards Policing's came up with the idea of the shopping surgeries: "Most people have something to say to their local police officers – whether it is highlighting something they would like to see addressed or asking for advice on preventing crime – but can sometimes be too busy to get to the community partnership meetings. By setting up in supermarkets we are making it is as easy as we possibly can for people to engage with us.

"The store manager believes around eighty per cent of the Barbican residents use this shop, and that makes it a great place for us to meet our community."

Wards Policing constables and PCSOs will be holding surgeries in Waitrose on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings and lunchtimes at weekends.