Agenda item

To receive any verbal updates from Partners and Community Groups present, including:

·       Police – Neighbourhood Teams

To note the following written updates attached to the agenda:

a)    Police

b)    Fire

b) Wiltshire Council Items for Information

Note: Speakers are reminded that they each have a 3 minutes slot, unless they have previously discussed alternative arrangements with the Community Area Manager.

The Board noted the following written updates attached to the agenda and circulated at the meeting:

·       Neighbourhood Police Team

·       Fire Service

·       Wiltshire Council

In additional the following verbal partner updates were received:

Police - Inspector Hutchings gave a verbal update, noting that he represented the South Team, and would take back any queries regarding the West to Inspector Fee’s team. Some of the points from the update included:

• Work of our Special Constables – Wiltshire Police had invested heavily in recruiting more Specials and were now reaping the rewards of that investment. So far, the Specials had provided 63,000 hours of voluntary service, and were a fantastic asset. They are fully operational Police Officers and could be used for all aspects of our work.
• Visibility commitment & Pulse patrols – At this time of year there could often be an increase in theft at this time of year. We run pulse patrols, where we get the team together for 20 – 30 mins and put them all on patrol in a specific area. It works to deter criminals from this type of activity.
• I have made a commitment to all Area Boards in the South, if you would like a Police Officer to attend an event in the community, if you contact me, I will endeavour to get someone there where possible.

Questions

• Tisbury would like to invite you to send Police presence to the Tisbury Christmas Fair on 8^th December – Answer: I will feed this back.
• On page 16 of the agenda, it details a lot of PCSO’s are they now doing most of the Policing? – Answer: No, these are the people that make up the Community Policing Team, the eyes and the ears on the ground. Whilst every Police Officer is allocated an area, the demand on an Officer means they are sometimes not able to do a foot patrol in that area, so the PCSO are there to support them.
• We would also like a Police presence on 30^th November at the Mere Christmas fair. – Answer: I will feed that back.
• In Donhead St Andrew I have not seen a Police Officer patrolling in many years. Answer: We have had many Offices patrolling. We cannot commit to the types of patrols we had many years ago. We have to move our resources where the crime reports to be. We are a demand led service. We have to be proportionate to requests.
• Years ago, we had Dickson of Dock Green, were Officers went around alone, now we often see the Police in pairs, and they tend to be talking together, and not looking around as much. Answer: Most of our crew are single crew. It is not a given that our Officers go out in pairs. What we do have is an Officer and a PCSO, sometimes in training.
• There was a plan to introduce Special Constables based in a set area. Can you introduce that back into an area? Answer: We do have Special Constables and they do take part in high visibility patrols in specific areas.
• Rural crime in sheds and out buildings seems to be prolific. Answer: The nature of shed burglaries is that they are random, and unless you can gather evidence for specific leads, it is difficult to catch these offenders.
• Is there an upper age limit to be a voluntary Police Officer? Answer: No, they need to commit to a 12 week training course, every weekend for 12 weeks.

We have increased our volunteers in every aspect of work we deal in, however we cannot employ a volunteer to replace a paid post.