In an aim to promote safety and enhance environmental awareness, The Junction’s Ocean Retail Park in Portsmouth has sponsored the police in Portsmouth, part of the Hampshire Constabulary, by providing them with ten new branded police bicycles.

The bicycles will be used by police officers to patrol the city, particularly the Fratton area and other hotspot locations.

Lois Williams, Responsible Business Manager at The Junction comments: “This initiative provides greater support to protect the local community from crime. We are committed to becoming a key player in the local areas surrounding our retail parks, whilst also building a recognised and trusted brand that benefits retailers and shoppers. Intergral to our strategy is the provision of retail parks that are safe and secure, and supporting the local police is one way of achieving this at Ocean Retail Park.”

Sergeant Ben McClane of the Nelson Safer Neighbourhoods Team comments: “We are grateful for all the support that we have received from The Junction and are delighted with the bicycles that they have provided. Cycling is an excellent method of transport that assists us in policing the region in an environmentally friendly way.”

There are over 420 police officers in Portsmouth, serving a population of 190,000. These officers are supported by 50 Police Community Support Officers and 190 members of police staff. The new bikes will enable more police officers to have a presence in the town centre, ensuring that it is a safer place for visitors and residents.

Safety continues to be a high priority for The Junction, with many of their parks gaining Park Mark Safer Parking awards, a nationally recognised award from the British Car Parking Association (BPA). The Junction manages its parks through an in-house operations team, who employ on site security operatives to ensure parks are clean, safe, well managed and accessible.