Two neighbourhood police officers have started new roles in their communities.
Police Constables Stephen Piper and Dan Clarke have promised to engage with the public and respond to the key policing priorities in Rushcliffe South.
PC Piper will be covering Ruddington and PC Clarke will be the new beat manager for nearby Keyworth.
PC Piper, who has more than 20 years of experience as a response officer in the Metropolitan Police and in Nottinghamshire, said he had received a very positive reaction from residents.
“I’ve enjoyed getting out on foot and meeting people, and hope to continue this in the coming weeks,” PC Piper said.
“Being a community officer is very different to being a response officer. You get the time to engage with the community and follow jobs through from start to finish.
“I’m keen to hear people’s concerns and look forward to concentrating on key rural crime issues like speeding and vehicle crime, which are highlighted to us all the time.”
PC Piper has been out and about meeting members of the public at Ruddington Village Market, taken part in a bike marking event at Ruddington Country Park and plans to attend future meetings of the parish council.
Motorists may also have spotted PC Piper responding to concerns about speeding by hitting the pavements with a speed gun to deter nuisance motorists.
PC Clarke is also keen to tackle the key policing issues which have already been highlighted to him as he gets out and about on his new beat in Keyworth.
“Antisocial behaviour is mentioned again and again, and I’m keen to engage with the community about this,” PC Clarke added.
“I also want to break down any barriers that might exist between the police and young people in the village and have a number of initiatives to get started with that.
“This week I attended the Fun in the Park event on the recreation ground at Keyworth to meet young people and engage with them. We had a good response and a lot of the children were keen to find out more about the job we do.
“Hopefully this will the first of many similar events.”
PC Clarke has served with the force since April 2019 as a response officer and previously worked for Leicestershire Police.
When they’re not on the beat, PC Piper enjoys cycling and golf while PC Clarke is a keen walker and climber.
Inspector Rob Lawton, Rushcliffe’s neighbourhood policing inspector, said: “It’s great news for the communities of Ruddington and Keyworth to have new officers in post.
“Steve and Dan have got off to a great start and are already making a difference to the lives of people who live in those villages.
“They will be keen to hear about your concerns so if you see them out and about please go and say hello.”
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