'Mini officers' rolled out by West Mercia Police in bid to tackle problem driving
You've met the 'plastic police' tackling the menace of speeding motorists - now meet the latest recruits in the thin blue line's fight against crime in the force covering Shropshire: mini officers.
The 'mini police officers' are kiddie-faced crimefighting signs and West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has just been on a passing-out parade for the latest batch of 20 signs.
Mr Campion says they are going to make a big difference to schools plagued by inconsiderate parkers and speeding motorists.
In 2019, the PCC funded and distributed 40 mini police officers across the three counties of Shropshire, Herefordshire and North Worcestershire that make up the West Mercia Police force area.
Officers from Safer Neighbourhood Teams will be placing the mini officers outside more schools that are suffering with speeding or parking problems in North Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
PCC John Campion said: “I am committed to making roads safer in West Mercia. The signs I funded in 2019 have been a real success so I wanted to see more of them in West Mercia helping to change driver behaviour."
Mr Campion said the real solution of changing long-term driver behaviour is "the only way to keep our children safe, but the signs will help in the meantime".
"I hope that these ‘mini officers’ will remind motorists to be more considerate outside schools.
"All too often people don’t respect the speed limits or think about where they are parking.”
Last summer the police used cut-out 'plastic policemen' as another way of deterring drivers from speeding.
From a distance 'Bob' the cut-out copper looks lifelike with high-vis clothing, and seems to be holding a hand-held speed camera.
But close up Bob is clearly a life-sized cut out.
