RESIDENTS have been told they can expect to see high-visibility patrols and unannounced road checks by the police this summer.

Essex Police’s Safe Summer in Essex campaign will gather teams from across the force to deal with the increase in demand that comes with the summertime.

There will see an increase in patrols and “unpredictable” road checks, while officers will be sent to specific parts of the county to tackle troublemakers.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: “The NHS describes winter as its busiest season but for

policing summertime brings with

it a big increase in demand for our help.

“Summer is a time when we have more people go missing, more people whose behaviour worsens after too much alcohol and simply tens of thousands more people in the county coming to enjoy Essex but sometimes needing our help.

“The work we’ll be doing over the summer aims at making a safe county even safer. This year we’re launching a specific operation to target people who we know are involved in

crime.

“We are bringing together a number of different teams that serve the entire county including the Operational Support Group, our dog unit and the roads policing unit to add to the capacity that local policing teams offer.

“People can expect to see highly visible patrols on road networks and on foot in our streets targeted between Thursday evening and Sunday night when we know we are busiest.

“We are putting those resources – not more officers but a different approach to deploying them – where they’re most needed.” 

 Chief Supt Paul Wells highlighted the “unpredictability” of the summer policing operation.

He said: “High visibility patrols are designed to deter criminals and reassure the public but please don’t think that just because you can’t see us, we aren’t there.

“There will be people intent on criminal behaviour this summer – drug dealers and burglars included – about whom we’ve been building evidence and intelligence.

“For them they are much more likely to see us coming through their door at 3am in the morning than patrolling their high street.”

Anyone with information about criminals using the road network to come into Essex or about those carrying knives should contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.