POLICE and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer recently donned his hi-viz and joined Warrington’s ‘Tuesday Litter Team’ to tidy up part of the town centre.
Equipment for the team has been funded by the Commissioner via the Safer Streets campaign.
Organised by Tony Dixon, the Tuesday and Sunday litter teams have been meeting over the past few weeks to clean up the town centre as part of the Safer Streets initiative. So far they have collected 395 bags of rubbish over the course of 19 litter picking sessions.
Mr Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “People might ask what litter picking has to do with Safer Streets, but it actually comes down to the very basics of what makes people feel safe in their communities.
“Removing materials that could cause harm as well as keeping an area generally tidy means people will feel safer. I’m grateful to Tony and the team for their amazing effort and for their contribution to the Safer Streets campaign.”
Tony Dixon, Organiser of Warrington’s Tuesday and Sunday Litter Teams said: “People instinctively respond to environmental cues which tell them whether to feel safe and confident in public spaces. We also know that a good environment can bring out the better side of people’s behaviour.
“We are grateful to Mr Dwyer, Cheshire Police and Warrington Borough Council for enabling this to happen and supporting our groups and their volunteers, chiefly from the Tuesday, Sunday and Howley litter teams.
“It’s an ongoing process and new volunteers are welcome to join us in this mindful and positive outdoor activity! All three teams can be reached via www.litternetworks.org.”
The Safer Streets campaign was launched in Warrington in March following a successful bid for £550,000 from the Commissioner. The funding is being used for various initiatives to make Warrington’s streets safer, particularly for women and girls.
Extra street lighting and CCTV has been installed, and educational programmes have been developed for local schools and businesses on spotting inappropriate behaviour. Billboards and posters have also been put up across the town with key messages around safety.
John Dwyer added: “Whether it’s physical action like clearing up litter or installing more lighting, or educating people in order to change attitudes, there are many ways in which we can make our streets safer.
“I hope people in Warrington have seen our campaign and I want to reassure everyone about the commitment the Constabulary has to making our streets safer. I want to take what works in Warrington and roll it out across the county for the benefit of everyone in Cheshire.”
Find out more about Safer Streets Warrington at www.saferstreetswarrington.com
