Dorset Police face questioning - by us

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner is holding a series of virtual Question Time style events this month to address our concerns.

Martyn Underhill will be joined by different experts to answer people's questions.

They'll be covering everything from cyber crime and hate crime, to how Dorset Police will be responding to Covid-19 ahead of the Christmas Period.

Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said:

"As the country is about to be placed under another lockdown, I know people are very nervous and have a lot of concerns.

"The restrictions we have rightly been placed under for most of the year mean I've sadly not been able to go out and talk to residents face to face. These virtual events will be an opportunity for me and others to speak directly to the public, answering questions that have been troubling them."

The first session, at 6pm on Thursday November 12, will be with Dorset Police cyber protect officer Chris Conroy.

Online criminals are taking advantage of the ongoing pandemic, using increasingly sophisticated scams targeting everyone from lonely people using the internet to find love to those who have been made redundant as a result of coronavirus.

This session will provide advice about how to avoid falling victim and will answer questions put forward in advance.

Sessions taking place later in the month will cover issues including hate crime and how Dorset Police and others are responding to Covid-19 ahead of the Christmas season.

'How to take part'

Invitations to join the virtual audience, or to put questions forward, will go out over the next few days through the Dorset Alert system.

Anyone interested is urged to go here to sign up for alerts, selecting the option to receive messages from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in the 'who can contact you' section.

Dorset Alert is a free community service operated by Dorset Police, which allows an information exchange about a range of policing issues.

Registering is free and enables users to receive regular updates from the Force, as well as organisations including Action Fraud and local Neighbourhood Watches.

Martyn Underhill said:

"These are very important sessions which will give the public the chance to have their questions answered, so I urge everyone interested to sign up for Dorset Alert and keep an eye out for invitations over the next few days."