Street pastors on patrol
7:30am Fri Jul 09, 2010
A scheme in which church-goers on late-night patrols help drunken revellers could start in Newark.
Churches in the town have agreed to take part in the Street Pastors project.
When the scheme is up and running groups of three or four volunteers wearing high visibility jackets will go out on Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm-3am looking out for people who need help because they have had too much to drink.
They will offer water to help sober them up; flip-flops to girls struggling to walk in high-heeled shoes; bottle tops to prevent drinks being spiked; advice on how to get home and they can also administer first aid.
Newark and Sherwood community safety co-ordinator Lisa Lancaster said they were looking for volunteers.
The project will be run by a local co-ordinator with the help of the Ascension Trust, which started the project, the district council and police.
Volunteers will be trained in conflict resolution and first aid.
The scheme has been set up in others towns and cities.
Lisa Lancaster said violent crime had fallen in those areas. She said in Lincoln violent crime had fallen by 15% and in other places it had reduced by up to 60%.
The scheme was started in London in January 2003 by the Rev Les Isaac, the director of the Ascension Trust.
The project was outlined to a meeting of Newark Town Council planning committee on Wednesday.
Town councillor Mr Dean Hyde said he liked the idea and, because the Street Pastors were volunteers, people would feel less threatened by them.
A designated public place order could also be brought in covering the town centre.
The order would give police extra powers to deal with problems fuelled by alcohol by allowing them to order people to stop drinking and to confiscate alcohol or issue on-the-spot fines when appropriate.
An order is already in place covering the grounds of Newark Castle.
Lisa Lancaster said it would not stop people having a sensible drink at events such as the Christmas Market but would help police deal with people who drank and caused problems.
Mr Hyde said it might help ease the situation in the park near Newark Parish Church where groups of people gathered to drink.
Mr Chris Gangel said he had first-hand experience of the late-night culture in Newark through his work as a taxi driver.
He said there was a binge drinking culture, with people drinking at home then coming into Newark at about 10pm.
He said it was common to see youths urinating in public and throwing cans and bottles.
He said the best way to deal with the situation was to have more police horse patrols in Newark between 10.15pm and midnight.
