http://digbig.com/4fwgq
Alexandra Wood
"THERE'S only half a dozen of them - but between them they've made huge inroads into city centre crime. According to figures out yesterday, shoplifters, beggars and drinkers have all felt the impact of the Ambassadors, a six-strong team who patrol the streets of the city centre, helping businesses tackle everything from vandalism to anti-social behaviour and litter louts. Humberside Police says the Ambassadors have been responsible for a 31 per cent reduction in crime last November and December, the city centre's busiest time of the year, with the Retail Crime Partnership putting it slightly higher at 34 per cent.
City centre manager Ken Baldwin was delighted. He said: 'They have done really well. We are all over the moon.
'I think having them there is important particularly for small retailers who don't have any back-up. They already have a list of known shoplifters, and they helped cut back on begging, illegal drinking and all the things that have been problems of late.' Insp Steve Page said officers were delighted with the dramatic reduction. 'We welcome any initiative that drives down crime and contributes towards the 8.5 per cent overall drop in crime in Humberside we have seen so far this financial year.' The six, in their distinctive black and royal blue uniforms, are being funded until the end of March as part of a £77,000 pilot project. Supporters will use the statistics to back a bid to at least double their number. " [Snippet]
