Due to rising antisocial behaviour and fear of crime in the community, Mutley Greenbank Trust (a local urban regeneration charity) liaised with the Police to find a solution. ‘Street Pastors’ was identified as a successful tool used elsewhere in similar neighbourhoods. Initial liaison with the Police was well received and together they began exploring the initiative further. With a good response from local churches and the local neighbourhood police team, Les Isaac visited Plymouth in September ’07 and met with Police and other potential partners in the morning followed by a meeting with church leaders in the afternoon. The positive response from all who attended both meetings gave the ‘green light’ to go ahead in setting up Street Pastors in Plymouth. A management team was set up with representatives from seven different churches and the Mutley Greenbank Trust.
Following a very successful 'Launch' in Plymouth City Council's main Chamber on 20th December 2007, we commenced training in early January. In March 2008, Rev Stu Clarke was appointed as Co-ordinator, and has since created an Operations Team made up of Team Leaders and Deputy Team Leaders. The management team has been replaced by a Board of Directors led by John Williams.
48 Plymouth Street Pastors were fully recognised at a dynamic Commissioning Service held on 23rd May 2008. Street patrols have commenced, and the local neighbourhood has been extremely supportive.
Plymouth Street Pastors is operating on the streets of Plymouth for a number of reasons:
- as a 'presence' ministry from the Christian churches ('the Church has left the building!')
- as a visible presence to reassure folk who may feel vulnerable
- to help reduce the (alarming) fear of crime that far outweighs the actual reality of the situation
- to be a listening ear to the lonely, the vulnerable, the frightened, the intimidated, the hurting...
- and to offer genuine, non-judgmental pastoral support to those who request help.
Following four additional graduations, we now have a complement of approx 90 Street Pastors, 50 Prayer Pastors and about 110 Prayer Partners. Our patrol routes have also expanded into further areas of the city centre, and we have included a Roving Patrol on Friday nights covering some outlying housing estates. School Pastors commenced in September 2010 in one of the largest schools in the city and was reviewed in May 2011 by the Head teacher and the manager of the local shopping centre as “A resounding success”. Our 6th training course is planned for autumn 2011 after which we plan to commence patrols in Torpoint, a small town just across the river Tamar into Cornwall, having been working with local churches there
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