As the work in our car parks at CRH continues, we've been sharing more of the ways to get to CRH. We have previously shared how our park and ride drivers keep our colleagues safe, but for those who choose to drive to CRH, we have been catching up with our Police Community Support Officer, Sharon Senior, on some top advice on keeping safe when out and about off site.

What does a PSCO do?

PCSOs have been employed by West Yorkshire police since 2002. They are Officers that deal with the more low level crime, which includes things such as anti-social behaviour, theft, neighbour disputes, traffic duties , high visible patrols in areas that have a high volume of crime, fraud investigation, and many more things .

What area do you cover?

I am the officer for both Calderdale and Huddersfield hospitals. I used to work at Pudsey Police station in Leeds and covered the area of Bramley and Armley, which I did for 19 years before I took this role.

What are your top tips for staying safe and alert when out and about?

Never walk on your own with headphones on – it is important to be able to hear what is going on in your surroundings. Also staying on your mobile phone when walking on your own and not being aware of what is going on around you, especially when near roads. 

Tell someone where you are going - always tell either a colleague, parent, friend, or other family member who you live with where you are going. If this is a social situation, always give them a name and contact of the person you are meeting up with, in case something happens and other people need the contacts. When using taxis, always send a message to your closest family member, colleague or friend, just letting them know which taxi company you are using and their contact number. Always put who the person is in your contact list on your phone and not just a number and an initial.

Try and walk with other people and not on your own - if you ever think you are being followed, then knock on the first door you come to, explain you think you are being followed and ask for help.

Stick to the main roads when walking and don’t take short cuts if you can’t be seen by other people.

Do you have any tips for when it is dark outside?

Try and wear something fluorescent on your clothing when leaving work. This is so helpful when it is dark and other people being able to see you. You can also get alarms for pockets when leaving to walk to your vehicle.

What should I do if I spot something?

If you see something that you think is concerning and doesn’t feel quite right, then this must be reported by using the 101 phone number/ West Yorkshire Police website. If it is an emergency, then it is always 999.