Jo joins Police on Friday night beat

9.38.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 3rd Apr 2006

Jo was given a taste of law enforcement when she went out on the beat with local police

Jo Swinson MP has been given a first-hand taste of East Dunbartonshire law enforcement - by going out on the Friday night beat with Strathclyde Police.

Given the opportunity to tour the communities which she corresponds to the police about, Jo was very keen to see the problems for herself. She was accompanied by Chief Inspector Keddie, local Deputy Sub-Divisional Officer, and visited all of the areas which are a cause for concern to local residents.

Commenting on the experience, Jo said:

"The policeman on the beat is the classic image everyone has of the police at work. Modern day policing continues to advance to meet the changing face of crime, but the fact that they do a heroic job of keeping crime and disorder off our streets has not changed.

"Given the situations that policemen and women can be involved in, they must be disciplined while sometimes putting themselves at great personal risk.

"The link between crime and alcohol is all too obvious on a Friday night beat, and not just among young people. Our drinking culture creates a multitude of incidents for the police to deal with."

CI Keddie commented:

"Jo has a very good local knowledge, which she gained pounding the streets on the campaign trail. She is very aware of the issues which challenge the police and getting a chance to see these problems personally is obviously helpful.

"The main policing problems in East Dunbartonshire are quality of life issues such as anti-social behaviour, which we are tackling with other agencies, and getting support for our efforts from the local elected members like Jo is really important."

Related Link:

Strathclyde Police: Glasgow North and East Dunbartonshire Division