POLICE on bicycles gave up their own time to patrol an area of Spalding so elderly residents could get a night’s sleep without worrying.
Pensioners in Sezanne Walk had been staying up until the early hours to catch the milkman because bottles had been stolen from their doorsteps.
Insp Chris Davison said: “My community support officers volunteered to go out in the wind and rain on their bikes for no extra pay to provide reassurance for the elderly.
“That is the level of commitment from my team.”
Since taking charge of the Spalding area six months ago, Insp Davison said keeping the streets safe had been challenging, but not as bad as it often appears because it is a ‘relatively low crime area’.
He said: “Lincolnshire has the poorest- and leanest-funded force in the county, but we have exceptionally committed Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and record numbers of Special Constables.
“They come from all walks of life and bring with them a vast amount of experience.”
In response to public concerns, Operation Trunk was launched last week in Spalding and Holbeach to target anti-social behaviour and drinking on the streets.
Insp Davison said: “We have already been successful in dispersing groups and this will be ongoing until May. This is in response to public concerns, but we are not talking about dealing with insiduous drinkers here.
“In any agricultural region where people work shifts you are going to get groups of people gathering in the afternoons. But sometimes they are doing just that – and often we find what they are drinking is just an energy drink.
“However, we appreciate that some people feel threatened and respond to their concerns.”
Easter Day was again the quietest day of the year, but police were busy over the Bank Holiday dealing with 48 cases of anti-social behaviour, 11 concerns for safety, 24 traffic incidents, 33 suspicious circumstances, 13 domestics, seven abandoned 999 calls, two alarms and two cases of inappropriate use of fireworks.
Insp Davison said: “We are hoping our six new bicycles will make us more visible and the public feel safer.”