File:Day 154 - West Midlands Police - Birmingham Pride (7314597014) (2).jpg

This photo shows one of our officers at last years Birmingham Pride.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, officers from the Southside neighbourhood policing team will be joined by colleagues from across Birmingham, as well as volunteer special constables, to prevent crime and ensure the safety of revellers.

The initial Pride parade begins at midday on Saturday and officers will be ensuring the vibrant sea of colour and music passes safely through the centre of the city.

Police will also be situated at the West Midlands Police caravan on Hurst Street to offer assistance and safety advice to those in attendance.

Officers will also be encouraging the reporting of hate crime through a series of posters and leaflets which explain how incidents can be reported in confidence.

As well as policing Pride, the force will be actively participating with officers and staff taking part in the event.

Officers and staff from the force’s LGBTNetwork – an internal West Midlands Police network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans employees - will also be supporting uniformed officers at the event and speaking to visitors.

Inspector Sarah Thomas-West, Chair of the LGBT Network, said: “The force is proud to support the LGBT community and works closely with a number of organisations to ensure that the reporting of hate crime and our response is measured, effective and the best that it can be.

“We simply won’t tolerate people being targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and we take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously.

“It’s important that those experiencing hate crime don’t suffer in silence. Only by working together will we be able to tackle LGBT hate crime effectively.”

Inspector Stuart Bill, who oversees policing in Birmingham city centre, said: “This is a busy weekend of celebration in Birmingham, with tens of thousands of people expected to join the Pride and Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Our job is to ensure that those visiting the city at this exciting time can do so in a safe and enjoyable manner.

“Officers will be ensuring that all celebrations take place safely and will also be maintaining a visible presence around Hurst Street during both Saturday and Sunday evening.

“Visitors to Pride can do their bit to keep themselves safe by staying with friends, looking after their property and parking in a secure location if driving into the city.”