Warrington Local Policing Unit is officially rolling out Project Servator following its trial in the town centre.
Project Servator is a policing tactic used to disrupt a range of criminality, including terrorism, while providing a reassuring presence for the public.
Cheshire constabulary first trialled the tactic in Chester in 2019 and following on from its success in the city centre, officers from Warrington have now successfully implemented the policing tactic in the town centre .
These highly visible deployments are deliberately unpredictable and use specially trained uniform and plain clothes officers to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may have criminal intent, such as gathering information that may help them plan or prepare to commit a crime.
Officers are supported by colleagues in other specialist roles including the dog section, firearms and CCTV operators.
These officers can be deployed across the whole of Cheshire so you could see a deployment in your town. The aim is to make Cheshire a hostile environment for criminals while ensuring the public are safe and enjoy places of entertainment, shopping venues and other publicly accessible location.
Chief Inspector Neil Drum said:
“We’re really pleased we have now been given the green light from the National Project Servator Team, which is based at City of London Police to officially roll out this tactic. We’ve already seen the benefits of carrying out the deployments over the last several months, including a drugs arrest on our first deployment, and some interesting finds in the run up to the Creamfields festival.
“During deployments, officers encourage the public, including people working in local businesses, to be extra eyes and ears, and report suspicious activity. The aim is to build a network of vigilance made up of business and community partners and the general public.”
Warrington Local Policing Unit sergeant Graham Robinson said:
“When my officers were told about Project Servator and what it involves, they were totally on board, keen to get stuck into the training, and were raring to get out into the community to try this tactic out.
“Ever since, we have carried out a number of deployments and have been talking to people about Project Servator and how they too can get involved in keeping their communities safe by reporting anything they see that doesn’t seem right.”
To report suspicious activity, call the police on 101. Suspicious activity is anything that seems out of place, unusual or does not seem to fit in with day-to-day life. If it is an emergency, always call 999.
Guidance on how to help, including what suspicious activity to look out for, and confidential reporting is available at www.gov.uk/act.
For more information about Project Servator, visit the Cheshire Constabulary website page https://www.cheshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wsi/watch-schemes-initiatives/ps/project-servator/
