Goodbye Biddenham Bobby...
The village ‘Bobby’ - once a familiar sight in Biddenham - has now become a memory of a bygone age. Changes in policing practices over the past few decades have shifted the emphasis away from bobbies patrolling the beat towards officers who are more mobile and who are able to respond quickly to incidents in a much wider area.
Although this results in a more efficient use of police resources, the downside is a loss of contact with a familiar police officer. This has been a significant concern for some residents who felt more secure in the days when the village Bobby was never far away.
Biddenham is not the only village to lose its local police officer – many other rural communities have also seen the disappearance of their resident Bobby. Fortunately, the police authorities have recognised these problems, and have taken steps to re-build links with the community by introducing regular visits of the Mobile Police Station.
...Hello Mobile Police Station!
Essentially, the Mobile Police Station is a large, fully-equipped van which can be transported around the villages of North Bedfordshire. As well as providing shelter and seating, it also acts as a focal point where residents can get together with their Beat Manager to discuss crime, policing and any other security-related issues which affect our village.
Since 2001, the Mobile Police Station has been making four-weekly visits to Biddenham and has been well-received by our villagers who have shown an encouraging interest in its regular appearances at the Three Tuns car park. The Station also calls at Great Denham Golf Club and is usually manned by one of our local Beat Managers, either PC Dave Hawkey or PC James Marshall, who are responsible for building and maintaining strong links with the community.
When the Station is next in Biddenham, do call in and have a chat with Dave or James. If you have any concerns about security or local policing, or if you have any comments or suggestions, this is an ideal opportunity to have a ‘one-to-one’ chat with someone who can listen and respond to your queries and opinions. If you think any of your neighbours might like to pop along, please pass this invitation on to them.
The Mobile Police Station will next be visiting Biddenham and Great Denham on the following dates:
08/02/05 at The Three Tuns, Biddenham at 9.00-11.00am
08/03/05 at The Three Tuns, Biddenham at 9.00-11.00am
05/04/05 at The Three Tuns, Biddenham at 9.00-11.00am
02/05/05 at Great Denham Golf Club at 1.00-2.00pm
02/05/05 at Doctor's Surgery Great Denham at 2.00-3.00pm
03/05/05 at The Three Tuns, Biddenham at 9.00-11.00am
If you can spare a few minutes, please pop down and have a chat with James or Dave. They’ll be happy to discuss any aspects of crime or local security which concern you
