Penzance police swap the beat for the stocks in Newlyn

A trip to the stocks is normally something to dodge, not queue up for. At the Newlyn Family Fun Day on Friday 14 August, one Penzance officer climbed into a homemade set anyway, head through the hole, cap parked on top for safekeeping, while the crowd got their moment.

📷Credit: Penzance Police

Football on the pitch, then a turn in the stocks

Officers from the Penzance Neighbourhood Policing Team attended Newlyn‘s family fun day at Gwavas Playing Field on 14 August, joining in wherever the fun was happening rather than standing back and watching it. A kickabout with a group of children on the field turned into an impromptu match, the ball pinging between trainers and police boots alike. Later in the afternoon it was the stocks’ turn, and one officer duly climbed in, gloves on, resigned to whatever was coming his way.

There was plenty else going on besides. A police car sat with its boot thrown open so children could peer in at the equipment inside, and officers spent time at a table talking to residents about the day and about the wider work of the team.

📷Credit: Penzance Police

Why the team keeps showing up

For the officers on duty, a fun day like this one is about more than an afternoon out of the patrol car. It gives the neighbourhood team a chance to meet local residents and their children on ordinary terms, away from anything that has gone wrong, and to put faces to the uniform that people might otherwise only see responding to a call.

Penzance Police called it a fantastic day, enjoyed by all who attended, and said the event was a great opportunity to build positive relationships within the community. The team is already looking forward to supporting future community events in the area.

📷Credit: Penzance Police

What neighbourhood policing actually means

Behind the football and the stocks sits a broader approach the force has been leaning into. Neighbourhood policing, as Penzance Police describe it, is about working closely with communities to understand and address the issues that matter most to local people, rather than simply responding to calls for service. It focuses on building trust, preventing crime, solving problems, and improving the quality of life within local neighbourhoods.

📷Credit: Penzance Police

📷Credit: Penzance Police