Local police to use Helsby Sports Club as contact hub

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer, attended the opening of a new police contact hub which will be based at Helsby Community Sports Club.

The club have welcomed the police presence following a spike in reports of anti-social behaviour and believe the hub will provide reassurance to local residents.

Anti-social behaviour can have a devastating impact on communities and Helsby Sports Club are keen to prevent and tackle the issue in their area and provide support to local residents. Local police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have been welcomed to use the building as a place to host their surgeries, complete paperwork and meet with residents.

Police and Crime Commissioner or Cheshire, John Dwyer, said:

“As well as the visible effect anti-social behaviour has the on the community, that we see in vandalism or criminal damage, there are also hidden consequences such as the financial impact of repairs or security investments and of confidence felt by the residents going about their day-to-day life.

“I believe that forming positive relationships between the community and the local police are key to preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour. By providing the local policing team with an additional location to work from, this allows residents to feel a more prominent policing presence as well as making their local officers even more accessible.”

Sean Parry, Police Community Support Officer for Cheshire Constabulary, said:

“I am looking forward to working from the community sports hub as it will allow me to be more accessible to the local community. This will also allow me to spend more time on my beat, dealing with the concerns that matter most to the residents of Helsby.”

Simon Greensmith, General Manager at Helsby Community Sports Hub said:
 

"Our overall approach is to make the club an integral part of our community, such that the community feels proud of the facilities we are providing. Critical to this approach is to be able to invest in bigger and better facilities rather than replace existing ones following incidents of anti-social behaviour.

“As such we are confident that the police presence will reduce any anti-social behaviour but also re-enforce the message that the club is at the heart of our community."

Adam Wordsworth, a local resident, said:

"Over the past couple of years, local residents have contacted me about antisocial behaviour in the village, from the trashing of the parish play area last year to youths causing annoyance by the pond on Cable Drive.

“The Community Sports Club was keen to help improve the police presence in the area, and I am grateful to the Police and Crime Commissioner for helping to make it happen. By having the police here, in the community, rather than travelling out to Frodsham or Chester to take statements or interview witnesses, we will have a visible deterrent in Helsby, and the community should benefit from that."

Cheshire Police can still be contact via 101 or 999 in an emergency, reports can also be made on their website.

To find out about your local policing team, visit the Cheshire Police website: 

www.cheshire.police.uk/area/your-area/

For more information about Helsby Community Sports Club, visit their website: 

www.helsbysports.co.uk

Pictured - Police and Crime Commissioner, John Dwyer with Helsby Sports Hub and community representatives.