LOCAL police have teamed up with Montrose YM to provide a new surgery service for the public.
The YM launched its community cafe in October last year and, given its continued success, community liaison officer Constable Derek Mitchell spotted its potential for reaching sections of the community he might not otherwise encounter.
The month
ly surgeries, which begin on Thursday, March 18, will be used primarily to help promote personal safety and security to older people, but the sessions will be open to all.
Inspector Gordon Cryle said that while similar schemes have been run in other burghs, this will be the first time they have been held regularly in Montrose as an extension of the force's community engagement.
He said: "Engaging with people we don't always come into contact with can sometimes be difficult. The YM seems pretty busy at lunchtimes and I think it's a good opportunity to get views that we don't always hear as well as get messages across about safety and security.
"It will be very informal and Derek will be there on hand to answer any questions anyone has. I think there will be other places we'll be doing it, as well as the YM, throughout the year but we've been heavily involved with the YM over a number of years.
"They've been very supportive of a lot of things we've done and we do appreciate that support."
YM manager Val Cooper also said she is enthusiastic for the cafe to be used as a venue as many of its customers would benefit from the advice offered and the opportunity to raise their concerns directly with an officer.
She said: "Derek pops in quite a lot to the YM and came in one day the cafe was running. He noticed the age range of the client base and said there were all kinds of initiatives they could benefit from.
"It's also been suggested it could be widened out to include trading standards, who could distribute information about the likes of cold calling, as well as other organisations. I think it's a great idea and a way of making sure that people who might not usually come into contact with the police have the information they need to help keep them safe.
"I think it'll be an asset to the cafe. We said it was for the community and it needs to be different and if this is another service we can provide it will be great."
The surgery will run monthly at the cafe, in the YM's Murray Street building, between 11am and 1pm.
