12 May 2011

With speeds of up to 40 mph Norfolk Constabulary’s Broads Beat team will remain a vital element in keeping the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads a safe place this season.

Equipped with a Rigid Hard Inflatable Boat (RHIB) with a 115 HP engine the team will have the ability to respond to emergency calls on the water, deal with anti-social behaviour and provide a visible presence to the public.

With access on the waterways and very little traffic to contend with Broads Beat is able to deal with incidents out of reach from other policing units.

Only last year, officers were able to travel from Brundall to Thorpe within a matter of minutes to deal with an incident involving a knife and in Great Yarmouth the team were one of the first emergency services to respond to a boat which had lost steering and had 110 passengers onboard.

Inspector Dave Cuff who heads the unit said: “We are pleased to be launching the 16^th year of Broads Beat, which is only possible due to the continued generous support of our local partners and businesses. I am looking forward to another successful season where Broads Beat can make a valuable contribution to the policing on the Norfolk Broads”.

The team of nine officers will officially be behind the helm from Thursday 12 May until the end of October.

Broads Beat continues to rely on the support of local people and visitors reporting criminal incidents and anti-social behaviour.

The team has joined Project Kraken a national initiative to get more people reporting suspicious incidents they see at ports, marinas and on the waterways.

If visitors see anything suspicious they are asked to call 999 or 0845 456 4567 (in a non emergency) quoting Project Kraken.