New e-bikes for Safer Streets in Birtley
Police in Gateshead are now able to respond quicker to crime and anti-social behaviour incidents after we provided funding for new electronically assisted pedal cycles
Through the Safer Streets initiative, two new cycles have been given to Northumbria Police for use in the Birtley area.
The cycles will help the officers to vastly increase the mileage that they can cover on a tour of duty and allows them to go off the beaten track where vehicles don't have access.
As well as being a nifty means to search inaccessible and hard to reach areas, the bikes are helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the cops on duty and also benefit their mental health and wellbeing with exercise.
The funding for the cycles came following a recent World Café event in Elisabethville, during which feedback suggested that they would help officers get to incidents quicker.
Inspector Kevin Ashurst, of Northumbria Police, said: "Having the electronically assisted pedal cycles for our officers means they are able to cover a distance several times as much as they usually would on a normal pedal bike.
"We will also be able to quicker access areas which we would not be able to get to as speedily using patrol cars or on foot.
"The bikes are not only great from a practical point of view, but they are also excellent for the physical and mental health of our officers and really helps their wellbeing. It also reduces our carbon footprint.
"Overall, this is another great example of partnership working through the Safer Streets scheme which will help us as a Force to tackle crime in Gateshead."
Specifically targeting Birtley and Lamesley, Safer Streets in Gateshead sees our housing and environmental health services, teaming up with Northumbria Police, and local mental health support services, to address issues with community safety in three priority areas: Reducing anti-social behaviour, crime, and its impact on local communities, improving environmental and housing standards in the targeted areas, and improving community facilities and access to support services.
Councillor Angela Douglas, Chair of Gateshead's Community Safety Board, said: "Crime and antisocial behaviour have no place in Gateshead.
"The bikes are an innovative solution to tackling local issues and a fantastic example of how we're working not only with our partners, but also with our communities through Safer Streets to make a real difference for our residents.
"The new bikes mean officers can patrol antisocial behaviour hotspots more efficiently, so incidents and concerns can be dealt with quicker and their increased visibility will hopefully act as a deterrent to the small minority that behave irresponsibly and cause problems for others."
If you live in the Birtley or Lamesley area and would like to share your thoughts on community safety, come along to meet the Safer Streets partnership team at Kibblesworth Millennium Centre (10am to12pm, 4 September).
Police in Gateshead are now able to respond quicker to crime and anti-social behaviour incidents after we provided funding for new electronically assisted pedal cycles
Through the Safer Streets initiative, two new cycles have been given to Northumbria Police for use in the Birtley area.
The cycles will help the officers to vastly increase the mileage that they can cover on a tour of duty and allows them to go off the beaten track where vehicles don't have access.
As well as being a nifty means to search inaccessible and hard to reach areas, the bikes are helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the cops on duty and also benefit their mental health and wellbeing with exercise.
The funding for the cycles came following a recent World Café event in Elisabethville, during which feedback suggested that they would help officers get to incidents quicker.
Inspector Kevin Ashurst, of Northumbria Police, said: "Having the electronically assisted pedal cycles for our officers means they are able to cover a distance several times as much as they usually would on a normal pedal bike.
"We will also be able to quicker access areas which we would not be able to get to as speedily using patrol cars or on foot.
"The bikes are not only great from a practical point of view, but they are also excellent for the physical and mental health of our officers and really helps their wellbeing. It also reduces our carbon footprint.
"Overall, this is another great example of partnership working through the Safer Streets scheme which will help us as a Force to tackle crime in Gateshead."
Specifically targeting Birtley and Lamesley, Safer Streets in Gateshead sees our housing and environmental health services, teaming up with Northumbria Police, and local mental health support services, to address issues with community safety in three priority areas: Reducing anti-social behaviour, crime, and its impact on local communities, improving environmental and housing standards in the targeted areas, and improving community facilities and access to support services.
Councillor Angela Douglas, Chair of Gateshead's Community Safety Board, said: "Crime and antisocial behaviour have no place in Gateshead.
"The bikes are an innovative solution to tackling local issues and a fantastic example of how we're working not only with our partners, but also with our communities through Safer Streets to make a real difference for our residents.
"The new bikes mean officers can patrol antisocial behaviour hotspots more efficiently, so incidents and concerns can be dealt with quicker and their increased visibility will hopefully act as a deterrent to the small minority that behave irresponsibly and cause problems for others."
If you live in the Birtley or Lamesley area and would like to share your thoughts on community safety, come along to meet the Safer Streets partnership team at Kibblesworth Millennium Centre (10am to12pm, 4 September).
