A Polish retailer has joined his local community support officer on patrol in an effort to improve police relations in his area.

Krzysztof Kosinski of The Wee Polish Shop in Broxburn, West Lothian, decided to join Constable Vince Manning on his patrols when he saw that people in his area weren’t engaging with the local police force. He noticed in particular that the large Polish community were reluctant to talk to the police due to language barriers.

“I’m happy to do this as I feel it’s important for local people to trust the police, and work with them on local issues,” said Krzysztof. “When they see me walking with Vince they come up and speak to us and realise they can approach the police.”

Constable Vince Manning said his patrols with Krzysztof had been a great success. “As a community officer, I want people in my area to feel comfortable approaching the police and coming to us with any concerns. Krzysztof’s assistance has proved a major breakthrough in reaching out to a group of people who are not used to this kind of approach,” he said. “Being able to engage with the community as a whole is the key to improving quality of life for local people.”