THE region's police and fire commissioner and representatives of Thurrock Council will be fronting up to residents over local concerns about crime and community safety next month.

An online public meeting will be hosted by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst via Facebook on Monday, 12 September between 7 and 8pm.

It offers members of the public to put questions and concerns to a panel of senior representatives from the Police, Fire and Rescue Service and Thurrock Council.

Mr Hirst will be joined on the panel by District Police Commander Ch/Insp Terry Fisher, Mark Eaglestone from Fire and Rescue Service and Julie Rogers, Thurrock Council's director of public realm.

Mr Hirst says: "Being able to hear directly from local communities about any concerns they have or issues they are experiencing helps us understand what more we can do to make people feel safer.

"Our public meetings are also a great way to brief residents on how we are working together with a range of partners to deliver the priorities laid out in the Police and Crime Plan and the Fire and Rescue Plan.

"Funding for more police officers, helping those suffering from domestic abuse, protecting vulnerable people and tackling gangs and serious violence are a few examples of how we are making this happen. Attendees can also hear from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service on the excellent prevention work they are doing in Thurrock to reduce the risk of harm."

Mr Hirst is putting a positive spin on issues in the borough prior to the meeting, detailing crime tackling initiatives in Thurrock.

He says the meeting will give residents the opportunity to hear such as the ongoing work by police and partners to target nuisance off road bikes and vehicles, including the installation of physical blockades and targeted operations, adding positive results to date include successful arrests, motorbikes being seized and crushed, and a subsequent reduction in reports.

And he cites an example of positive policing being car cruisers at Lakeside shopping centre being subject to a pro-active approach 'thanks to specific partnership action that utilises the Public Space Protection Order in place in the area, and results have shown an 18% reduction in offences and calls'

Questions and comments from the public can be posted on the night at www.facebook.com/PFCCEssex or can be sent in advance to [email protected].  

To find out more about the work being done by Mr Hirst's office, check @PFCCEssex on Facebook for more information and visit www.essex.pfcc.police.uk for details of the Police and Crime Plan and Fire and Rescue Plan.

Go to https://www.essex.pfcc.police.uk/events/ for the full schedule of PFCC events.