Walking the beat in Bicester

Yesterday Mark and I spent a full shift with the neighbourhood policing team in Bicester, accompanying PCSOs Lou and Jules as they went about their work in the town centre, and later heading out with Lou across her wide rural patch.

It was one of those days that quietly but powerfully reinforced just how important - and too often underestimated - the role of Police Community Support Officers really is.

PCSOs are the human face of policing. They are known, trusted and approachable. They spot patterns early, pick up concerns that might otherwise go unheard, and provide that vital, visible link between the police and the communities they serve. What struck me most was the depth of local knowledge they carry, and the number of relationships they hold, with residents, shopkeepers, volunteers and partner agencies alike.

Our morning walk around Bicester town centre included visits to two places that sit right at the heart of the community.

At Bicester Foodbank, we met volunteers who are quietly responding to growing need across the town. Part of the Trussell network, the Foodbank works with local professionals and agencies to provide emergency food parcels, but also offers signposting, dignity and a listening ear. The warmth of the welcome and the commitment of the volunteers were unmistakable - this is community action at its most practical and compassionate.

Just a short walk away, we popped into Bicester Open Doors Cafe, a space built on kindness and inclusion. Open Doors offers affordable food, friendship and support, and is particularly valued by those who might otherwise feel isolated or marginalised. It is deliberately low-key and welcoming, the sort of place where people can simply be, without explanation or judgement.

We also saw excellent partnership working in action with Turning Point, supporting people with alcohol and drug dependency from the church hall behind the Methodist Church. This kind of joined-up, place-based work matters hugely, meeting people where they are and helping them take steps forward at their own pace.

It was great too to catch up with Yvonne, Cherwell District Council’s Community Warden for Bicester, whom I had last seen at a Thames Valley Police commendation ceremony a few weeks ago. Her role, like that of the PCSOs, sits squarely in the space between enforcement, reassurance and prevention, and the value of that overlap was evident throughout the day.

One theme kept returning in our conversations - the need for a genuinely non-judgemental space in Bicester where young people can gather without fear of being moved on, labelled, or over-organised by well-meaning adults. A place to belong, to talk, to just exist. It is something I intend to return to in the New Year, to see whether there is a practical way I might help to move this forward.

We also learned more about the excellent Safe Places scheme operating in Bicester. Local businesses sign up to offer help if someone feels anxious, unsafe or at risk. It is simple, humane and effective - but it only works if people know it exists. We should be shouting much more loudly about this.

Another quiet strength of Bicester is the way local shopkeepers and traders look out for one another, working closely with the police and the council. Through the DISC information-sharing system, businesses can flag concerns, share intelligence about known offenders, and report non-emergency crime quickly and efficiently. While we were out, shopkeepers alerted the team to the presence of several known offenders, including individuals wanted for skipping bail, who had arrived on Sheep Street. The police response was swift and coordinated, a clear example of community intelligence making a real difference.

The afternoon took us out into the surrounding villages and estates with Lou, covering a large rural beat that included Heyford, Ambrosden and beyond. Midway through, we were called back to help locate a vulnerable missing person reported to be in Bicester. I am relieved and delighted to report that they were found and are now safe.

It was, in every sense, a fascinating day. One that reminded me how much of effective policing is built not just on powers and procedures, but on trust, relationships and presence. And how much PCSOs, working steadily and often without fuss, contribute to keeping communities like Bicester safe, connected and resilient.