Camborne Police Defend Foot Patrol After Facebook Criticism

A drizzly evening walk through Camborne ended with a broken-up fight, seized cannabis, and a Facebook comments section that would not let it go.

What happened on the patrol

PCSO Matthews and PS McKinnon were out on foot in Camborne on Sunday evening. Reports had come in of antisocial behaviour at Camborne Park, but the park was quiet when they arrived. A good start.

The pair headed into town towards the bus stop and got there just in time to break up a fight between a few men. Everyone was sent on their way before anyone was hurt.

On the way back to the station, a waft of cannabis drew them to a parked vehicle. PS McKinnon searched the occupants and the vehicle and seized some cannabis.

The questions that followed

The force shared a map of the route along with news of the seizure, and it drew a wave of comments. Some were less than complimentary.

One asked, “What do you want, a medal?” The team replied: “Definitely not, we don’t update Facebook for validation. It’s one of many tools we use to show what we are doing in the community as lots of people are interested.”

Another wanted to know, “Why did you walk the same way there and back to Camborne Park?” The answer was practical: “Quite simply, ease to get back into town and make sure the group fighting hadn’t reconvened.”

Then came a pointed one. “Did you get paid to do any work on your walk or were you just enjoying the sun?” The reply: “My team is paid to be visible in the community to prevent crime and ASB. We will deal with what we come across in that time. Sadly it wasn’t sunny either!”

A week of updates ahead

Neighbourhood Policing Week starts on 15 June. Each day, a member of the neighbourhood team will introduce themselves on Facebook and set out their plans, then post again later with what they actually did. The force says it is a chance for people to understand the role the team plays locally and the kind of work it involves.