Council's special
constables hit the borough beat
Making the streets of Newham
safer is Newham Council's top priority and two committed council
workers are at the forefront of the campaign.
Stacia Blackford, a Children's Information Services
Officer, and Rita Ajidagba, an Area Support Officer have each
clocked up more than 50 hours on the beat as Special
Constables.
They are part of a council scheme called BoroughBeat, run with
the Metropolitan Police, that trains council staff to volunteer as
Special Constables in addition to their day jobs.
The two officers are released with pay at least once a fortnight
to carry out their policing duties. They have the advantage of
local knowledge and expertise making them best placed to address
areas of serious local concern from dealing with drug dealing to
fly-tipping.
With the same powers as regular officers and wearing similar
uniforms, Special Constables are everyday people who are prepared
to give up their spare time do something positive for themselves
and the community.
Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: "We listen and talk to
local residents on a daily basis and they tell us safety remains
their top concern. We are dedicated to making Newham a safer place
to live and work in and have several initiatives to achieve
this.
"We were the first London borough to buy police officers from
the Metropolitan Police to ensure we have the resources to respond
to local concerns. The BoroughBeat scheme takes this commitment one
step further. These are ordinary people who want to make a
difference in improving the quality of life for their community;
they are a credit not only to the council but to society as a
whole."
Stacia's family are very proud of her. She said: "I live in the
borough, work here and I'm raising my family here. I want to make
it a safer place for my daughter to grow up in. There are a lot of
good hardworking people throughout Newham but it is the very small
minority who make life difficult for others."
Rita's reason for joining BoroughBeat was to make a difference
to society and help police tackle crime. Being a Special Constable
has changed her life. She said: "Whether I'm in uniform or not I'm
a police officer 24/7. I'm protecting the streets, doing my job and
need to be ready for anything."