Police invite public to 'ride along' with frontline officers

The ‘Ride-Along’ scheme allows anyone over 18 to get to know their local policing teams better and opens up a window on the world of policing.

It also allows police to learn from their communities.

In a session which usually lasts for a minimum of four hours, observers will accompany a frontline officer and will be able to see activities such as arrests, dealing with victims and offenders, statement taking, questioning and stop and searches.

Superintendent Rob McCaffray said: “We are delighted that the public have been taking up these sessions with our officers and are keen to continue to extend that invitation. We welcome anyone of the age of 18 to apply and would encourage members of the public to get involved to help us and communities build a better understanding of each other.

“Bedfordshire Police is committed to being as transparent as possible about its work and the Ride Along Scheme is one way to help us achieve this. We welcome any feedback from ride along observers and will use this to help inform our policing approach moving forward.”

The safety of the public is considered at all times. For more information about the ride along scheme and to apply, please visit the advice section of www.bedfordshire.police.uk