Lisa is employed as a Pubwatch Coordinator for West Cumbria area by Cumbria Police for the last 10 years. The role was developed by West Cumbria Community Safety Partnership to address the rising numbers of violent crime associated with licensed premises.
She has worked tirelessly in her role to forge relationships with licensees and to ensure that their partnership information sharing agreements and protocols are sound and decisions taken to share data are proportionate and consistent.
She has taken a practical approach to many of the issues affecting local licensees and the Pubwatch scheme. For example when a number of young people under 18 years of age had been arrested in connection with incidents linked to licensed premises, the pubwatch schemes agreed to send letters to their parents informing them that the individual concerned was not welcome in the pubs and clubs and that any such repeat of their child’s anti-social behaviour would lead to a ban that would formally begin on their 18th birthday.
At every opportunity she has championed the effectiveness of Pubwatch. Her role has brought her into contact with Home Secretaries, Police Minister and even former Prime Minister David Cameron who made a special journey to West Cumbria to attend a local pubwatch meeting.
At a time of financial cutbacks the effectiveness of her role has been such that the Police and Crime Commissioner has agreed to fund Lisa’s role and two further positions in the county to ensure the partnership continues.
Phil Tibble Chair of West Cumbria Community Safety Partnership says:
“The pubwatch scheme in West Cumbria has become an example of best practice in Cumbria and other areas. She is trusted by the licensees, the local councils and the police. She often has to deal directly with members of the public who have been given sanctions and she does this in a professional and personable manner. Lisa has always shown a keen interest in finding out about the latest developments and research in areas in which she works and is often used as a resource by partner agencies. Her relationships with all partners in the CSP and other agencies is excellent and she is respected by all”.
Gary Slater Superintendent Cumbria Police says:
“Lisa Elder has been the driving force in establishing, maintaining and developing this essential partnership in West Cumbria. Her foresight in introducing tailored information sharing agreements and robust but pragmatic policies governing the showing of photographs and the communication of pubwatch actions and decisions was instrumental in refining the schemes across West Cumbria. She personally built up the relationships needed across the widely differing communities to make pubwatch a success. Through her tireless energy, commitment and determination to bring about change, Lisa has enabled the partnership to effectively address alcohol related crime and disorder making our night time economies much safer and inviting to locals and visitors. I have no hesitation in supporting this nomination”.
Sir Tony Cunningham former MP for Workington (2001-2015) says:
“Lisa has spoken to Members of Parliament, including the Home Secretary, on a number of occasions and has never missed the opportunity of ‘selling’ pubwatch and its impact to them whenever and wherever she can. I know that because of her, pubwatch was the subject that became a common theme in discussions involving Crime and Disorder and the Night Time Economy. As a Member of Parliament for Workington I was very proud of what Lisa was able to achieve through her work in reducing violent crime and disorder linked to pubs and clubs and I welcome this opportunity of supporting her nomination for the award”.
