CABBIE WATCH
HOPES FOR CLACTON CABWATCH IDEA TO BE EXTENDED
Business leaders hope to extend a taxi watch scheme to cut crime across Essex. The initiative, currently in place in Clacton, aims to use the knowl- edge of taxi drivers to improve safety. Essex Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) spokesman,
Glenys Chatterley, told the Clacton Gazette: “Taxi Watch is very similar to the Neigh- bourhood Watch scheme. Members receive information from Essex Police about incidents which are relevant to them. “Taxi drivers have a superb knowledge of
their patch and really are the eyes and ears of the community, assets which can be used to help the police. “This scheme is in its early stages, but Essex FSB is keen to get more taxi firms involved, and for similar schemes to be launched across the county.”
WESTMINSTER ATTACK WITNESS SOUGHT
Police in Westminster are appealing to trace a key witness, who may possibly be a taxi driver, following an alleged assault in cen- tral London.
On Saturday 29 Janu- ary at 19:30hrs the victim, a 42-year-old man, was driving
home on Park Street, approaching the junc- tion with Oxford Street, W1 when he was “cut up” by a black cab driver going towards Portman Street.
Both drivers stopped and got out of their cars and an altercation took place, during
which the victim was allegedly assaulted. PC Nick Howard said: “We believe another taxi driver was a wit- ness, if you were at this incident, please contact us on 020 7321 9382.” There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.
GATESHEAD CABBIES AND DELIVERY DRIVERS SET TO HELP POLICE
Cabbies and delivery drivers are being asked to help police by being their eyes and ears. Drivers from six com- panies have agreed to help police in Gates- head by watching out for suspicious goings- on as they go about their everyday busi- ness.
Officers working in the Whickham, Swalwell, Dunston and Teams areas have enlisted the help of drivers from national and local companies to be the eyes and ears of the community.
The initiative aims to act as a kind of Neighbour- hood Watch scheme on wheels. And police have issued 200 credit card-sized prompt cards to drivers to
remind them to report anything they see. PC David Tweedle, who helped get the drivers on board and design the crime reporting card, told the Newcastle upon Tyne Chronicle: “This new partnership is based on the fact that many good arrests are as a result of the public reporting suspicious activity to the police. “Because the drivers are regularly running around local neigh- bourhoods they get to know the areas well and can spot if some- thing’s a bit unusual. “The prompt card is like an aide-memoir so the drivers can tell us what they’ve seen and to take note of basic things like time and
date and any descrip- tions of people or vehicles.
“The drivers are sup- porting us in reporting crime and giving us an opportunity to catch offenders in the act or build up a bigger pic- ture of criminals’ activities.
“It’s a simple voluntary approach, but with this sort of support we can continue to take robust action against criminals and those involved in anti-social behaviour to make Gateshead an even safer area.”
The drivers participat- ing are employed by six companies includ- ing Dean Taxis, Whick- ham Sunniside Metro Taxis and Swalwell Taxis.
MARCH 2011 PHTM
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