Police officers across Cumbria were on patrol during one of the busiest weekends of Christmas party season to make sure communities were kept safe.
Officers carried out high visibility, uniformed street patrols in the county’s main nightlife areas as part of the extra measures put in place over the festive period to keep party-goers safe.
The overall aim was to maximise safety for the public, offer an immediate and visible service for welfare and help reduce demand for emergency services.
Over the next couple of weeks, police will continue to show a visible presence in popular nightlife locations and provide a quick response to incidents of violent crime on nights out, Cumbria Constabulary said.
In Bowness-on-Windermere last Friday, the Welfare Hub was in place acting as a safe space for anyone who found themselves vulnerable whilst out in the night-time economy.
Officers also conducted an operation to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls over the weekend across Windermere and Kendal – Operation Vigilant.
The operation aimed to directly target predatory, inappropriate, and anti-social behaviour, particularly towards women and girls, in the night-time economy.
In Workington, Neighbourhood Policing officers held a drink drive operation on Saturday. Officers stopped and breathalysed around 20 drivers and no one was found to be over the limit.
Over the weekend, officers also carried out some engagement with licensed premises in Workington town centre. No issues were reported.
In Whitehaven, Neighbourhood Policing Teams carried out shoplifting patrols and licensed premises were visited across the weekend.
Across the rest of the county, officers worked alongside response colleagues in the county’s main nightlife areas and carried out high visibility patrols to offer support and reassurance and to act as a deterrent against crime and anti-social behaviour.
Chief Inspector Nat Jukes said: “We want people to have fun this Christmas and enjoy their nights out safely and because of this, it is important that we plan for the potential demand increase in popular nightlife areas.
“The placement of Safer Street Welfare Hubs in Carlisle and Bowness-on-Windermere means the emergency services are all working together in the same place, helping people at some of the busiest times of the year.
“Operation Enhance also continues throughout the festive period and the public can expect to continue to see additional officers patrolling hotspot areas for anti-social behaviour and violence.
“We hope that our presence in these areas and proactive work will assist those who need us on a night out, as well as acting as a deterrent to anyone thinking about committing any kind of crime.
“Please enjoy yourself and have fun on your nights out. If you do find yourself in difficulty, remember we have officers and staff on hand to provide assistance.”
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “We know that having a visible police presence brings comfort to those out having a good time and that it deters criminals from committing offences. The police and other agencies are out there to help and assist anyone needing help.
“The police are out on our streets every single day of the year but this does increase during our busy periods – such as Christmas.
“Our Welfare Hubs are a fantastic resource and I would encourage anyone feeling uncomfortable or needing help to approach the volunteers – these safe spaces are a hub for anyone needing support.
“I hope the public feel reassured seeing officers on their streets and that they enjoy their celebrations over the festive period.”
