Loading...
Birmingham police ready for start of Frankfurt Christmas Market
13 November 2012
BIRMINGHAM city centre neighbourhood teams are gearing up for the start of the Frankfurt Christmas Market which opens on Thursday.
The internationally renowned market opens for business in the city centre on Thursday (15 November) with more than six million people expected to sample its festive delights.
A large scale policing operation has been put into place to ensure that visitors and stallholders remain as safe as possible, with plain clothed officers working alongside those in uniform to identify anybody breaking the law.
Officers will be working closely with market security staff to share information during a daily briefing, while Safer Travel police teams will be patrolling buses, trains and trams going both in and out of the city.
Police officers and PCSOs will also be encouraging visitors to register their phones on Immobilise.com – the national property database – to improve their chances of being reunited with items if they are lost or stolen.
CCTV operators based at Birmingham Central police station will be providing 24/7 monitoring of the market, with anybody found to be committing crime likely to be picked up on the network of city cameras.
Inspector Stuart Bill, responsible for policing across Birmingham city centre, said: "We're working really hard this winter to ensure that millions of people coming to visit Birmingham can do so in a safe and secure environment.
"My officers will be posted in visible locations every day during the duration of the market and will be on hand to help anybody who has queries or concerns.
"Whilst the Christmas Market is a fantastic attraction that will bring joy to millions of people, we also know that a tiny minority of individuals may be out to commit crime - particularly pickpocket style offences.
"With such a vast amount of people visiting the market, we would encourage people to remain alert and to tuck away personal belongings. Mobile phones, wallets and purses are all potential targets for pickpockets so please pay particular attention to the safety of such items.
For more information on the market visit the Birmingham City Council website here.
