Surfers watch launched at Porthcawl
Members of Porthcawl’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), Police Constable Chris Bluck and Police Community Support Officer Leighton Rees, were on a crest of a wave at Rest Bay car park recently when they spent a day pioneering a new scheme designed to help the area’s keen surf lovers called “Surfers Watch” as well as giving out crime prevention advice.
The initiative forms part of a continuing crime prevention campaign being carried out by members if the local NPT to combat the problem of autocrime in the area. Rest Bay has long been a hot spot for surfing and attracts many local surfers as well as visitors from far as New Zealand.
Surfers Watch is the first initiative of its kind in the UK and has already proved to be a success and is popular with the surfers. The scheme is an e-mail based communication channel between the Police and the surfing community which will enable the Police to issue crime prevention advice and any other relevant information via the internet. One surfer described the scheme as a “fabulous idea and I am delighted to be involved with the local policing team as this makes us feel part of the community.”
As part of the material issued by the officers, aqua packs were given to surfers who did not have the facility to store items that were of value. The aqua packs were provided by the Safer Bridgend Partnership with assistance from Hugh Murray of Porthcawl Surf and were greatly appreciated by the surfers.
PC Bluck said: “This initiative has already proved to be a great success and we are delighted with the response from the surfers. We would also like to thank our partners as without them the scheme would not have been a success.”
PCSO Rees added: “We hope to run similar events in the Rest Bay area in the coming months and we are pleased that a strong link has been set up with the surfing community.”
Porthcawl Neighbourhood Inspector Alan James said: “We have launched this initiative to reassure those who visit our beaches throughout the year, especially members of the surfing community. Our officers will continue to patrol Porthcawl beaches and car parks and will act swiftly to prevent any unlawful or anti-social activity.”