Hull City Centre has a new Inspector in town

Message from Humberside Police:-

Having dedicated 16-and-a-half years to the Force and the communities it serves so far, Inspector Caroline Andrews has now taken the reigns of Hull Central’s busy neighbourhood team, based at Osborne Street Police Station.

Starting the role just a month ago, she is already making her mark in the area, having led the team through ten successful warrants since the start of October, targeting and disrupting criminal organisations trying to operate in the area, and taking drugs and weapons off the streets.

Speaking with Caroline about how she came to take up this role, she said: “Community policing is always where my heart has been. Having previously been a Sergeant in the Northern and North Carr (Bransholme) neighbourhood teams (now known collectively at Hull North) for five years, I was delighted to be given the opportunity of the Hull Central Inspector. 

“The majority of my career has been on the beat interacting with the communities of Hull, as I started out in Hull Patrol in 2004.

“After eight years, I joined North Hull’s neighbourhood team as a Sergeant, moving into Bransholme’s in 2013. Since then, I have worked training other officers joining the force, have been a Hull Patrol Inspector leading a team and most recently spent 15-months as the Custody Inspector at Clough Road station.

“I have enjoyed every role I’ve had the opportunity of taking up, but I’m really happy to now be leading a local team and getting back into working alongside other agencies, strengthening communities and putting long terms plans in place to improve the lives of those living in my ward areas.

“One of the best things about this role is getting to meet such a range of people every day and I like the fact that I can own the problems of the area, but also own the solutions through partnership working.”

Caroline not only has spent her entire career on the North Bank, but is local to the area, having grown up just outside of Hull in the East Riding.

She continued: “Being a local, I do understand some of the challenges and issues our communities face.

“Our top priorities for the area at the moment are anti-social behaviour, nuisance motorbikes and drug dealing, which can often lead to other crime types such as thefts and robberies.

“We know that these types of crime, as with any, can have a huge impact on the quality of your home life and mental wellbeing, and my aim leading this team is to make people feel safer in their own homes and neighbourhoods.

“We have taken lots of successful enforcement action against those committing these types of offences recently, in the form of property closure orders, drugs warrants and through participation in Op Yellowfin days of action, however the team and I also look at ways we can sustain positive changes and deter others from leading a life of crime.

“We work with a number of partner agencies such as housing associations, the local council, ASB teams and social services to name but a few, most of which I already had a good relationship with through my previous neighbourhood team roles.

“These relationships and this way of working is so valuable as it allows us to provide the wrap around support those affected by crime need; it is definitely something I will be continuing whilst in post.”

Hull Central is not only a residential area, but is also the city’s business hub and typically has a thriving night-time economy.

Caroline continued: “I am aware that the patch I cover is a diverse community, not only from its people, but by the demand of the area too.

“I have been spending a lot of time introducing myself to businesses, whether that be retail, hospitality or otherwise, to understand the issues they face, which are mainly centred around anti-social behaviour.

“I am grateful to have access to dedicated resources to support the policing of the city centre, allowing us to respond to incidents that arise quickly. This team are very experienced and know the area inside and out.

“Whilst the night-time economy may be very different right now due to the ongoing pandemic, I want those within that sector to know my name and face, as they do with many of my team, and know that we are there to offer any support or reassurance they need.

“I look forward to experiencing a busy night in the centre once we return to normality.”

Finally we asked Caroline where her attention is going to be focussed as she settles into her new role.

She said: “Whilst my daily business is to task out our high visibility patrols, community engagement, enforcement action and more, and this won’t change, one area I want to focus my energy into moving forward is going to be around utilising Humber Talking.

“It is so important that we reach out to those who typically don’t have any contact with us, to build a wider picture of the priority areas our communities want us to focus on.

“The more houses we visit, the more knowledge we have and can put the correct plans and people in place to deal with the issues that matter. These visits will be completed in line with the latest Covid restrictions.

“Whilst we are very grateful to those who frequently give us information or share their concerns with us, we want those that don’t to have their opportunity to have their concerns heard and looked into as well.

“I’m also pushing my team to highlight more of our successes through My Community Alert, as it’s a great tool for us to show that ‘you said, we did’.

“Finally, I just want to offer reassurance to everyone within my patch that whilst sometimes you may not see immediate action, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to build up the bigger picture which we can then use to take meaningful action.

“As ever, I would encourage you to tell us about the issues you’re facing, so that we can deal with them. My officers are out doing Humber Talking surveys now in the area and we are also frequently at the Community Safety Hub in Queen Victoria Square.

“You can also report crime through our non-emergency number 101, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you’re too nervous to talk to the police and would prefer to remain anonymous, or 999 if you’re in an emergency situation.

“I look forward to hopefully meeting you soon and stay safe.”

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