Bolton West and Atherton MP Chris Green swapped the green benches for the blue lights on a Saturday night patrol with Greater Manchester Police.
The visit comes after his recent constituency wide crime survey revealed local residents’ concerns about increasing crime.
Mr Green shadowed a police officer on his Saturday evening shift, as they dealt with everything from missing children to a visit to the local red light district as part of the regular patrol.
They also tended to a report of bouncers being threatened, including one with a knife.
The MP soon became concerned about the disproportionate amount of alcohol-related calls.
Mr Green said: “Greater Manchester Police are under increasing pressures yet they still continue to do a fantastic job.
“I was pleased to join them on patrol on a Saturday evening so I could see first-hand exactly what work goes into keeping us all safe.
“I was shocked to see that alcohol causes so much of the trouble and it takes up a huge amount of their valuable time having to respond to it.
“One thing I took away from my shift was that there is far too much red tape that prevents police from doing their job. There is too much paperwork and they are doing things that other public services should be doing.”
Mr Green hopes to raise these issues with Ministers once Parliament returns after the summer recess.