Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, spent a Friday evening recently on patrol with Essex Police, alongside both PC Sawyer and PC Curtis from the new “Rayleigh Town Team”.
The evening patrol was a chance for Mark to meet the new Team, of dedicated Police Officers, whose main focus is to patrol Rayleigh Town Centre and provide an enhanced visible police presence, to deter crime and reassure residents. Similar teams have also recently been set up in Basildon, Billericay, Canvey, Rochford, Southend and Wickford.
Mark has long been an enthusiastic supporter of the Thin Blue Line, with his brother Brian Francois serving in the Metropolitan Police for over 30 years. Mark regularly keeps in contact with local police commanders and several times, down the years, he has gone out on patrol with local officers, to see the challenges which they face directly for hiself.
Commenting on the patrol with Essex Police, Mark Francois MP said:
“It was great to spend an evening with Essex Police and to learn more, at first hand, about the challenges they face. I was particularly pleased to meet with PC Sawyer and PC Curtis from the newly formed Rayleigh Town Team, which focuses on preventing and reducing crime in and around Rayleigh Town Centre. PC Sawyer and PC Curtis and the wider team have quickly built up an impressive rapport with local businesses. It really is great to see a return to proactive local policing. Thanks to our proactive Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, Essex Police has already expanded by 150 officers in the last year, and this is continuing under their ongoing ‘Fit the Bill’ recruitment campaign. With the Government’s recent commitment to provide an additional 20,000 extra police officers nationally, this should help take Essex Police back to its previous historic high of over 3,500 officers within a few years.”
