Warden scheme axed due to ‘lack of police support’
ACOMMUNITY warden scheme set up after a crime spate has been scrapped after a few weeks - with police saying they cannot support it.
Set up by Glen Andrew, Littleborough Community Wardens had been operating nightly patrols in the town, as well as the Smithy Bridge, Stansfield and Hollingworth Lake area, since mid-December as we reported earlier this month.
However, Glen, 32, has stopped the group after a leading Rochdale police officer wrote to him saying the police do not back his patrols.
He said: “I’m disgusted and downhearted. All of the volunteering work I’ve been doing has been with the best of intentions and I’ve had wonderful feedback from dozens of residents.
“I’ve swapped intelligence with the local police patrols and the letter from the inspector came out of the blue. I’ve also had a notice that my car insurance will be revoked in a week’s time because of this and I doubt whether I’ll be able to replace it so I’ve had to stop.”
One resident of the Starring Way estate, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was ‘disappointed’ at the decision.
She said: “Glen is genuine and sincere in doing this and keeps everybody informed. I find the police attitude very disappointing as Glen’s efforts have left residents, many of whom are elderly, feeling safer.”
Inspector Robert MacGregor, of Rochdale East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We recognise that people are keen to assist in keeping their communities safe and we really appreciate the fact that many people want to help.
“However, these activities have not been organised in conjunction with police and we cannot advocate people taking the law into their own hands. One of the options we are considering is to set up a StreetWatch scheme where volunteers would dedicate two hours each month to provide a physical reassurance, similar to existing Neighbourhood Watch schemes. They would not interject in incidents but would be there to provide a physical deterrent, to report concerns and work directly with officers.
“As part of GMP’s Citizen Contract, we are keen to facilitate greater involvement of the community in actively coming together and to keep their area safe. As the StreetWatch scheme is not currently in place, we would kindly ask that residents refrain from engaging in community action groups whilst we put a full proposal in place. We currently have specific operations in place to address crimes in the area including youths causing anti-social behaviour.”