Filey and Eastfield neighbourhood community support operation goes virtual

Operation Cracker is led by Filey and Eastfield Neighbourhood Policing Team and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and aims to reach out to the community with advice and support.

Because of the pandemic, the usual programme of events has been put on hold and instead there will be a series of online sessions running from November until April.

The first will be a domestic abuse question and answer session in collaboration with George Pindar School, police, firefighters and domestic abuse charity IDAS.

Inspector Andy Short, from Filey and Eastfield Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone has had to adapt quickly and find new ways of working to help keep everyone safe – no more so than with Operation Cracker, where normally we would see officers, police volunteers and partner agencies out and about in the community.

“The imaginative formation of a virtual Operation Cracker, run in close partnership with Fire and Rescue, has allowed us to connect with people in a way that would otherwise have proved extremely challenging.”

Graeme Casper, Station Manager based at Scarborough Fire Station, added: “North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s collaboration with North Yorkshire Police to deliver a virtual Operation Cracker is an ideal opportunity to ensure our community is safe and feels safe in North Yorkshire.

“By working together, we can deliver the best services possible for residents, business owners and visitors to the county.

“During these worrying times it is important to keep in touch with the community to offer support and advice where it is needed.”

Operation Cracker was launched by Filey and Eastfield Neighbourhood Policing Team in December 2018 as an initiative to support and offer advice to the most vulnerable members of the community during the run up to Christmas and the New Year.

After two successful years, the decision had been taken to run the operation throughout the year, with the expanded operation planned to start in March this year. This has now been postponed until April next year.

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