Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner goes on the beat in Mansfield.

Chris Cutland, Nottinghamshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner went on ‘Walkabout’ in Woodlands Ward, Mansfield on Wednesday.
Nottinghamshire Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Cutland on walkabout in Mansfield town centre with Sgt Colin Kirkup, Insp Neil Priestley and PCSO Craig Moore.Nottinghamshire Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Cutland on walkabout in Mansfield town centre with Sgt Colin Kirkup, Insp Neil Priestley and PCSO Craig Moore.
Nottinghamshire Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Cutland on walkabout in Mansfield town centre with Sgt Colin Kirkup, Insp Neil Priestley and PCSO Craig Moore.

She was accompanied by members of the Neighbourhood Policing Team including PCSOS as she toured the town centre to see how a partnership between the force and other town centre organisations is being used to tackle crime.

But she was unable to say how many PCSO cuts will be made in the Mansfield area as the force struggles with making £10 million cuts this year.

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She met Sarah Nelson of Mansfield Bid where she learned about partnerships being forged to help prevent crime in the town centre involving businesses and licensed premises.

She visited the Beacon Project, where manager Louisa Hillman explained how helping homeless and vulnerable people was helping to prevent crime.

Ms Cutland also toured the Folk House Young People’s Centre.

After the whistle stop tour she said: “I got a strong sense of partnership and a strong sense of people working together to problem solve.

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“I particularly picked that up at BID and Beacon, both partners recognising they were working with vulnerable people who are sometimes on the fringes of criminal activity and how to treat them as people.

“Homeless people are not just potentially committing crimes but are also victims.”

She described the youth centre was ‘amazing’.

She said: “I asked what the relationship with the police was like, with the PCSOs and the drop in and everybody is trying to work together to make things better and prevent crime in the first place.”

Sergeant Colin Kirkup, Inspector Neil Priestley, PCSOs Craig Moore and Stevie Willets joined her on her walkabout.

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But Ms Cutland was unable to say if the PCSOs jobs were under threat as Nottinghamshire Police face making £10 million of cuts this year including the jobs of a projected 70 PCSOS across the county.

She couldn’t say how many PCSOs will be cut in the Mansfield area.

There has already been a recruitment freeze and front counter closures across Nottinghamshire.

She said: “We have had to take a really hard look at the budget

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“It is a really difficult decision -PCSOs are really valuable people.”

She added: “The budget is being looked at almost daily to see if that can be lessened in other ways we are doing things .

“We will be clearer after this consultation.

“Until we gather more information it is difficult to say what the cuts will be.”

Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crine Commissioner will be on ‘Walkabout’ in Oaktree Ward Mansfield this afternoon.