COME and have a chat – that’s the message from a new team of beat officers patrolling East Oxford.

Sgt Felicity Parker is one of three officers now leading crimefighting initiatives in the area.

She is working alongside Acting Sgt Lewis Boyce, Insp Marc Tarbit and a number of community beat officers, including Pc Sugra Hanis.

Sgt Parker said: “Acting Insp John Linsdell and other officers have moved to cover other areas, so we have a new East Oxford team in place.

“We are patrolling the area on foot or on bikes so that we are available if people want to talk to us.

“If you see us in patrol cars that means we are probably taking someone into custody.

“We want people to talk to us to tell us what the important issues are and then we can build up trust.

“We don’t want there to be any barrier which stops people feeling free to approach us.”

Sgt Parker said three major priorities for the team were tackling antisocial behaviour, drugs, and combating parking problems.

She said: “There are lots of students living in East Oxford and we have to monitor the night-time economy and ensure that people getting drunk don’t cause a problem.

“There is an ongoing problem with street drinkers congregating in St Mary and John churchyard off Cowley Road and that is a problem we are trying to address.

“We have been working with Canact, the city council’s crime and nuisance action team, and a number of drinkers have been given Acceptable Behaviour Contracts.

“These people are part of the community and cannot be banished from East Oxford, but we don’t want them intimidating Joe Public.”

People are also being warned that they face being searched if officers suspect they are carrying cannabis, or Class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.

Sgt Parker added: “We don’t just search anyone but we will carry out a search if we have a suspicion that someone is carrying drugs.

“Earlier this year, there was a report of drug-dealing in the Boundary Brook Road area.

“The report turned out to be incorrect, but we carried out patrols and managed to reassure elderly residents.

“Parking is also a major issue and we work closely with the parking attendants who work for the county council. Recently we ticketed vehicles parking illegally in Henley Street and Hurst Street after a Police Community Support Officer spotted the problem and afterwards the residents thanked us.

“Little things can make a big difference to local residents and we are here to help.

“Pc Sugra Hanis is an Asian officer, which is something people in the area like to see.

“She and Pc Paul Jones will be on foot patrols while the rest of us will be on bikes.”

She added that a Have Your Say meeting about cycle crime would be held in Manzil Park at a date to be fixed.

She said: “There have been some recent bike thefts in the area and we will give out some crime reduction advice and bring along some bikes we have recovered.”

To contact the team, who are based at Cowley police station, call 08458 505505.