More Bobbies on the beat is what we've all been waiting for - and now we have it! Here's what this actually means for Essex residents...
Since Monday 22 July 2019, Essex Police have been investing in 58 more frontline constables across 23 town centres in Essex.
In the south of the county, officers will be servicing Basildon, Billericay, Canvey, Rayleigh, Rochford, Southend and Wickford.
In west Essex teams will be based in Brentwood, Grays, Harlow, Loughton, South Ockendon, Stanford-le-Hope and Waltham Abbey.
And in North Essex constables will be assigned in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester, Harwich, Maldon, Saffron Walden, South Woodham Ferrers and Witham in the north of Essex.
And in more good news, it was announced that a further 135 Police Officers would be recruited by April 2020.
The goal for the new Town Centre Teams is to provide a visible presence in the community. They want to prevent crime by trying to intervene with suspected offenders before a situation escalates.
Southend have had their own team (known as Op Reflex) since May 2018 when Fabian Kacica was murdered by two local men in a botched attempt to steal his car.
300 arrests have been made since the Team started work. And, with five extra officers dedicated to policing the town centre, they hope to reduce violent crime and antisocial behaviour even further.
This type of proactive policing can only benefit the local night-time economy by making it safer to use bars, restaurants and clubs.
These extra officers to make up for previous cuts are good news for Essex residents. But they still can't be everywhere and have to prioritise their attendance at call outs. Intruder alarm activations at homes and business premises have fallen victim to this in the past.
When it comes to your home and family, you can raise your priority by having a monitored home security alarm with a URN.
A burglar alarm that's been installed and maintained by an accredited company can qualify for a Unique Reference Number and automatic Police response to alerts.
Blake's are SSAIB and NSI Gold accredited, and so is our Alarm Monitoring partner. Your home and family get 24 hour protection, 365 days a year! Plus you get the comfort of knowing that any alerts will be instantly noticed, checked and help despatched. Here's a guide to how a monitored alarm system works...
Your home and family are your No 1 priority. Having good home security is a great start to protecting them. Now take the next step and talk to Blake's about monitoring and police response to alarms!
