EMERGENCY SERVICES TEAM UP WITH STREET PASTORS IN NEWPORT

JHPR272009 - Published: 31/07/2009

The first ever Street Pastors in Gwent will begin helping late-night revellers on the streets of Newport City Centre on Saturday August 1.

Police hope the street pastors will make Newport a safer place at night by helping people under the influence of alcohol before they can cause trouble or hurt themselves. The innovative project, which also has the support of Newport City Council and local churches, has already been hailed a success in more than 60 other towns and cities in the UK.

Twelve church members in the city have completed a comprehensive training programme to fully equip them to respond to the needs of people they speak to on the streets. The Newport street pastors will be joined by two experienced Street Pastors from London on the first night (August 1). In the future they plan to roam the city streets on Friday nights.

The Street Pastor Scheme was initiated in Jamaica in 2001 as a Christian response to violent crime. Brixton realised the benefits of this initiative and launched the first UK scheme in 2003 to combat the urban problems encountered in towns and city throughout the country.

Safer Newport Partnership Sergeant Bernie Dawson, of Newport Central Police Station, said:
“Experience in other towns and cities have shown crime levels to have dropped where Street Pastors are operating. There is great excitement and confidence in the future of the Newport Street Pastors and I look forward to their calming influence in the city centre.  Wearing their distinctive Street Pastors 'uniform' they will engage with revellers who may be under the influence of alcohol, separated from friends, or feeling unwell, and offer support and guidance to ensure that person does not get into trouble or become a victim of crime. The Street Pastors will be supplementing the work carried out by emergency services, licensing authorities, security industry door staff and other agencies. It is unique role which benefits everyone.”

Coordinator for the Street Pastors venture Les Tuckwell, aged 63, is the pastor of St Mary Street Baptist Church in Baneswell, Newport. He said:
“Street Pastors will be out on the streets of Newport as a non-threatening, friendly presence supporting the police and other community-centred agencies late into the night.  By volunteering as Street Pastors, Christians in Newport want to show their love for people in the city and share their faith in a practical way. We hope to be able to help people at a time when they need it most and there is no-one else to turn to.”

Chair of Newport Street Pastors Margaret Smith, aged 67, from Stow Hill, said:
“This national initiative is already operating in Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea with great success and we are sure that here in Newport we will continue that success as we go onto the city’s streets. I believe that the Church needs to help the city in practical ways, living out our faith on the streets and Street Pastors is an ideal way for us to do this.”

Cllr David Fouweather, cabinet member for environment and community safety, said:
“The Street Pastor scheme has operated successfully in other parts of the UK and I look forward to them seeing similar results in Newport.  I am sure they will have a positive influence and offer appropriate levels of help and support to people visiting the city centre in the evenings.”

Plans to introduce a Street Pastors scheme in Blaenau Gwent are also underway.

More information on Street Pastors is available online at www.streetpastors.co.uk