A MAJOR shake-up of the district’s community policing teams means towns and villages now have their own dedicated officers.

Sgt Tom Bastendorff is leading the revamped Braintree community policing team which has split from Uttlesford in a bid to make policing in the district more localised.

The community police teams, which are made up of junior PCs and PCSOs, are largely responsible for conducting patrols, tackling antisocial issues and addressing crime trends in a specified area.

Recent changes mean there is now a team of four community officers in charge of Braintree and the surrounding villages.

The team is made up of PCs Claire Bailey and James Draper, and PCSOs Sally Milton and Jo McMillan.

A different team of four is meanwhile responsible for Witham and nearby rural areas.

This includes PCs Caroline Marsay and Andy Crow, and PCSOs Dave Endersby and Stuart Stranger.

Sgt Bastendorff says the changes will see the force return to the old style of neighbourhood policing and hopes it will increase interaction between the public and his officers.

He said: “My concern has always been that residents do not know who their local officers are and the community policing team has become in some cases a faceless entity.

“The numbers of officers on the team are small, however I also have some of the best officers available, who want to give the best service possible to our residents.

“It’s not the same as the community policing we had six or eight years ago, but we are trying to get back to that so people have that key contact in the community.”

The community policing teams will work closely with Braintree Council, Witham Town Council and parish councils in an effort to increase their presence in the area.

Along with changes to its community teams, Essex Police has also invested in new technology which Sgt Bastendorff says will help to free up officers.

He added: “The investment in mobile technology is going to make our lives a lot easier and has been a breath of fresh air.

“Officers can now upload and log incidents all on one device which makes a massive difference. They all have body-cams as well now, which are really helping in court cases and means you aren’t relying on written statements.

“The technology means officers can be out on the streets as much as possible and visible, which is what so many people want to see.”

Community officers will work alongside the more traditional local officers, which are largely responsible for responding to 999 calls.

Both teams are in line to receive extra officers in the New Year, with five local and four community officers being split between Braintree and Uttlesford.

Anyone looking to get in touch with the community policing team is urged to email BraintreeandUttlesfordCPT@essex.pnn.police.uk.