Christmas is the busiest time of year for Humberside Police officers and staff.
Throughout December and into early January, there will be an increased police presence as part of the ‘Winter of Action’, which follows the ‘Safer Streets Summer’ initiative.
The summer of intensified activity saw Humberside Neighbourhood Policing Officers patrol over 5800 miles – that’s the equivalent of walking top to bottom of the United Kingdom 10 times!
Leading on policing the festive period this year is Superintendent Caroline Andrews. She said:
“Like all emergency services, Christmas is one of our busiest times of the year. As the nights draw in and excitement for the big day builds, we tend to see an increase in reports of certain crimes.
“The activity our communities can expect to see over this period is daily business for our officers, but aligning this with the national Home Office Winter of Action initiative keeps up the momentum achieved over the summer, whilst adapting to seasonal pressures in town centres such as busier retail activity, festive events, increased socialising, heightened risk of shop theft, crime and disorder as part of the night-time economy, and violence against women and girls.
“Sadly, for some Christmas is not a happy time of year and throughout December we particularly see an increase in domestic abuse, violent crime, and sexual offences.
“Reports of burglary also increase as opportunistic thieves look to target gifts under the tree. We also get more reports of drink driving as designated drivers think they can get away with having ‘just one more drink’.
“Cases of fraud also increase over the festive period, particularly in November in the lead up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday when people are getting their Christmas gift bargains in early. However, we would encourage people to remain vigilant even as we move into December.
“As a part of our promise to keep you safe, we’ll also be keeping you up to date as we continue to take criminals off the streets and look to provide reassurance that what you’re most concerned about is being dealt with by the appropriate and specialist teams.
“If you are heading out to enjoy a seasonal tipple or two, please be assured that our teams will be out and about, both in uniform and plain clothes, working with partners to make sure it remains the most wonderful time of the year.
“I ask that you please report any suspicious activity to our officers when you see them out and about, so that we can investigate and take steps to protect anyone in need of help.
“You can also learn more about your local policing team and what their priorities are for your area by heading to the homepage of our website and popping your postcode into the ‘Find Your Area’ section at the top.”
