Town Council support Street Pastor scheme for Warminster

By Victoriaco | Monday, July 26, 2010, 18:30

Will Warminster have Street Pastors on patrol?

Town Councillors gave their unanimous support to setting up a Street Pastor Scheme for Warminster at their meeting last week.

There are 200 such schemes, using 4,000 volunteers, already operating in the UK, including Trowbridge and Swindon.

The idea, which is supported by local police, came from the Revd Harvey Gibbons, rector of Warminster’s Minster Church of St Denys, who would like to see the scheme run by Churches Together in Warminster and the Ascension Trust and in partnership with the Home Office.

Street Pastors are trained to work in teams patrolling the streets in the vicinity of pubs and clubs, while others staff a local base. The 50 hour long training programme which provides a uniform and has a strong safety record, is operated by the Ascension Trust and costs in the region of £300 per volunteer.

To take part in the Scheme volunteers should be committed Christians and have been a part of a church or fellowship for a year. They will be trained to care, listen and help those who have found themselves disenfranchised or marginalised from society, particularly young people; to get to know the community; to build relationships and to be a listening ear, a helping hand and a presence to listen and offer practical help.

Councillors heard that this approach to dealing with anti-social behaviour in the community was in support of the newly-granted Designated Public Place Order and the Community Support workers from the Youth Centre, and would also be supported by CCTV. Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks would be carried out on all volunteers, who should be 18 years old and over.

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Comments

I just can't imagine Jesus and his apostles working along with the home office somehow. If the churches want to spread christianity, they should get back to the message he preached. Jesus spent a lot of time on the street, and in the homes of the people; but it was not in support of any political initiatives for either the Romans, or the Jews. It was to teach the truth. Committed Christians in the first century were never tools of politicians, and indeed suffered persecution, because they refused to be...When the church started blessing wars, and meddling in politics, it parted company with Jesus Christ; and ran into the dark ages, crusades, and endless shedding of innocent blood.

By derryhawk at 00:12 on 27/07/10
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