Adopt a Post Office — and stay safe!

The force hopes its new Adopt a Post Office scheme will give a boost to community safety and help its officers get closer to the population.

The Adopt a Post Office scheme operates in other parts of the country but this is the first in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The initiative means there will be police points of contact for all Post Office branches across Rotherham.

Chief Supt Jason Harwin, who has spearheaded the scheme in Rotherham, said: “It’s about increasing our visibility in the community.

“Part of this scheme is about responding to concerns from the local community and using the opportunity from the national scheme.”

Mr Harwin said that the scheme would particularly benefit vulnerable pensioners but will also support all members of local communities and reassure Post Office staff, as well as “intimidating” criminals.

Rob King, senior security manager operations at the Post Office, said the scheme had been successful in other parts of the UK such as in Northern Ireland and the West Midlands.

He said: “The Post Office has been working for 18 months reaching out to police forces across the country to work in partnership with them and with groups like Age Concern to use post offices as a central point for crime reduction initiatives.”

PCSOs and police officers will attend post offices at regular times to meet the public and staff right across Rotherham as part of the Adopt a Post Office scheme.

Liz Booth, chair of the Rotherham Old People’s Forum, praised Chief Supt Harwin for kicking off the scheme in Rotherham after hearing concerns that old people were vulnerable to criminals when using post offices.

She said: “It’s taking the fear away.”

The scheme was launched in Rotherham on Tuesday (May 12) at Bellows Road Post Office in Rawmarsh.

At the launch, police and crime commissioner Alan Billings told the Advertiser that post offices could also form a local base for police officers who can spend less time at police stations.

He said: “The scheme fits in with what we are doing to supply officers with more mobile technology.”