Police '˜pop-up shop' proves to be a success in Chesterfield

Officers from the Chesterfield Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team and community safety unit joined forces with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, Neighbourhood Watch and local council community safety partnership for the event on Thursday, June 9.

Sergeant Kara Butler, of the police community safety and vulnerability unit, said: “It’s great that so many shoppers and residents took the time to come and see us.”

“Increasing awareness and offering advice of current safety issues is always important to us and we are glad that together with our partners we had the opportunity to highlight them together at a one stop pop-up shop the busy town centre.”

The ‘pop up shop’ was set up on Vicar Lane in Chesterfield and opened as a crime prevention hub, and to help raise awareness about staying safe during the summer time period.

Shoppers and local residents were offered advice, information and support around a number of current safety campaigns, including:

Project Zao- countywide knife amnesty;

Home security- advice around keeping homes and gardens secure while on holiday, or in the warmer weather;

Fraud and cyber-crime;

Domestic violence;

Doorstep traders and cold callers;

Vehicle crime

A number of local residents called in to the pop up shop on the day and gave positive feedback about the event.

Cherilyn Reed said: “This is a good initiative, offering some very helpful information. It would be worthwhile to hold a similar event again in the future, with particularly useful crime prevention giveaways, such as the personal attack alarms.”

John Clark said: “It’s a really good idea and a great way of bringing the community together and makes the police approachable.”

Following the success of the pop up shop, it is hoped the team will organise similar events in the future.