It is getting near that time of year again when at our station, and in Avon and Somerset in general, various areas and beats become a bit of a ghost town.

Added to this are the usual half-term holidays and police officers' annual leave, and the service has to cope with the distractions caused by several annual events, noticeably the Glastonbury Festival, and the St Paul's Carnival.

Now both events form an integral part of the yearly calendar and are well attended as well as being crucial to the economy In relation to the money that comes into local business and the general interest they attract from people within their respective catchment areas and across the country, but along with that comes the responsibility to ensure that the events pass off safely and peacefully.

Although these events tend to take place on an annual basis, throughout the year officers within the resources department are planning for these events months before they take place and e-mails are sent out well in advance to inform officers of their requirements to help police these events.

In the days leading up to them officers are deployed from their respective stations to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The logistics of policing the likes of Glastonbury are also demanding, with portable accommodation, all-terrain police vehicles and catering equipment having to be put in place along with computer equipment, electrics and communication lines, which in essence, for the duration of the event, means that the police compound resembles a small village – and that is even before the officers and public arrive.

To the officers left behind it is our responsibility to ensure that local policing carries on as normally as possible and that calls are answered effectively and promptly.

As a neighbourhood beat manager this also means that if I am not asked to police these events then I will be expected to "muck in" and assist whenever and wherever possible. This occasionally means that I have to be taken off my beat area to assist in other areas or assist response teams if they are committed elsewhere.

Our respective neighbourhood sergeants also have to ensure that the needs of the public in our areas are catered for and have to juggle annual leave requests, time off, and training requests accordingly, and the yearly planner situated in their office can sometimes resemble a London underground tube map, with red, black and blue lines criss-crossing all over the place.

In the last couple of years, the influx of police community support officers, policing beats left without their beat managers or response teams during these events, has meant the effect of these big events is now hardly noticeable because of the skills and effectiveness of these officers who share the workload. Rest assured that the quality of the service given will not diminish.

The next Pact (Partnership and Communities Together) meeting for the Eastville and Fishponds area takes place on the June 4, 2009, at The Meadowsweet, Honeysuckle Lane, Fishponds, which is just off Small Lane, Stapleton, between 6.30 and 7.15pm. Your neighbourhood beat manager, and police community support officers will be in attendance along with Inspector Julie Bowle, Sergeant Tim Hill, local council representatives, safer Bristol and other external agencies.

This is your chance to discuss your concerns with us all and direct our priorities over the next three months so come along and be part of community policing in your area.