Coastal crime busters: Two Bridlington police officers shed light on work ahead of this summer’s Operation Coastline
Policing the coast comes with its own unique challenges, especially during the summer - here’s what two Humberside Police officers based in Bridlington have to say about working in the town.
Police Sergeant Ben Stanyon and PC Mariusz Rusnarczyk have spoken about what it’s like policing the coast.
Bridlington born Sergeant Stanyon said he is passionate about policing the area he grew up in and making it a safer place for his children.
Sergeant Stanyon said: “I love how busy it gets in the summer months with all the holidaymakers, but this also comes with its own challenges.
"We’re a small team in Bridlington, with a large area to cover, but this also means that we work extremely closely with our Neighbourhood Policing Teams and Criminal Investigation Department to provide a well-rounded, proactive, and reactive, service to the community.
“Every day is different; one day you could be responding to a drug deal, onto a domestic abuse incident, then a missing person. All of which need a different police response.
"You see people at their very worst, and their very best, but at the end of the day, people join to help protect others and make the communities a better place to live and work.”
PC Rusnarczyk, one of the newest members of the team based at Bridlington Police Station, has lived in the town for six years. Whilst he knows the area very well, before joining the police he considers himself to have been quite naïve to the crime levels in the area. Joining the police has taught him a lot and he loves being able to police an area he is both personally and professionally invested in.
PC Rusnarczyk said: “I feel fortunate to be involved in force-wide operations like Op Coastline, which will be back for the summer holidays, as well as Clear Hold Build.
"Just because it’s summer, we can’t all see things through rose-tinted sunglasses though, and trying to turn the tide on coastal crime does come with its own challenges.
"For our patrol officers in Bridlington, it’s all about speaking and understanding people, not just telling them what to do, or arresting their way out of situations.”
For these two officers, backup from their colleagues can sometimes be more than 20 miles away, so being skilled in de-escalating situations, negotiating, and the importance of communication is crucial.
Visit www.facebook.com/HumberbeatERYN to find out more about the work of the local police team.