The details: Following the success of an earlier pilot in December, officers from Ipswich Central Police have been joining colleagues from Ipswich Borough Council parking enforcement on joint patrols of the Norwich Road area.
The council already conducts targeted patrols in the area every day, but the joint patrols allow officers to use police powers to issue penalties for other traffic offences.
The joint patrols have taken place every day over a two-week period this month, in addition to other neighbourhood policing duties.
During yesterday's deployment, PC Bloom and her colleague issued three Traffic Offence Reports for causing unnecessary obstruction of the highway, illegal numberplates and driving without a licence. A further two Penalty Charge Notices were issued by the council for parking on double yellow lines.
One vehicle was seized, and the owner was required to provide the correct documents and pay for the vehicle's recovery and storage until its release.
The bigger picture: The joint patrols are known as Operation Blockley and form part of the Clear Hold Build initiative, a multi-agency approach in the area. Police say the operation tackles crime while also addressing environmental factors which affect the quality of life for people living in the area.
The bottom line: The two-week operation combines police and council enforcement powers to tackle both traffic offences and wider issues affecting the community.
