One of my more memorable moments as a councillor will certainly be the night shift I did with our local safer neighbourhood team (SNT) this week. My ward colleague, Simon Brew also took part in a shift a few weeks ago!
Picked up by our local Sgt Tony Brown at around 9.30pm, I joined Tony and his two colleagues, Joe and Donna in driving around the Purley, Woodcote and beyond. During the shift, we also covered Kenley, Coulsdon Town and Old Coulsdon and stopped a few vehicles on the way. A core focus was also searching for a couple of stolen vehicles linked to the area.
Whilst I'm pleased to say, nothing untoward took place and it was a fairly quiet evening, I found the experience incredibly informative and it was a fantastic opportunity to ask questions, highlight issues residents have faced and seek updates on certain issues. I was also able to update them a little bit on work happening in the Council and things I'm working on as a ward councillor.
Our police locally do an incredible job. A common complaint is they don't see the police and I'm passionate about defending their role in our community. Much of the work takes place behind the scenes in unmarked vehicles and late at night. I was also impressed with how much ground they covered during the night, from the multi-storey car park to the Webb Estate.
I’ve previously blogged about crime issues, including how to report and how to get involved in the Purley & Woodcote SNT ward panel, which I strongly encourage residents to be part of.
Dropped home just before 2am, although I was a little sleepy the next day, I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity. Many thanks to Tony, Joe and Donna!
Cllr Samir Dwesar
