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Diary of a Street Pastors trainee: Streets you know, nightlife you don’t

Mar 11, 2015 | Training

Session: Street protocol

Cake: Flapjack half-dipped in chocolate

Who: Members of the management team, local administrator, coordinator and trainees.

Key messages of the session: What SPs don’t do (knowing the boundaries) is as important as what they do do.

What I will remember: What I thought was just a bit of pavement outside a kebab-pizza-burger house, SPs refer to affectionately as The Corner of Doom. I learned a few other details about my city after hours – the ‘changeover’ times when there is significant movement of people between venues; recent changes in police shifts; the extent of CCTV coverage around the city; the two types of taxi (look for the P and H on their registration plate); there is an event for 16 and 17-year-olds at one of the clubs; and official door staff will wear a yellow badge on their left arm.

Biggest challenge: To get to know my city after hours so that I can give directions and know what to do/where to go when someone who has lost their handbag says “My sister is waiting for me at the Golden Horn. Or maybe she said outside Z Cars. But keep me away from that lot hanging around Mosaic.”

Homework: Before the end of my training I need to sign up for one night when I can join the prayer pastors and one night when I can go out with a team as an observer.

Ros Davies is a freelance writer and communications consultant