Community Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
· Inspector John Hutchings presents cases where public involvement has led to action.
· Merv Quick - South Wiltshire representative on the Wiltshire Neighbourhood Watch Association shows how Neighbourhood Watch can prompt local community action.
Now over to you!
Presentations from:
· Sergeant John Hutchings – Neighbourhood Policing Team
· Merv Quick – Wiltshire Neighbourhood Watch Representative for South Wiltshire.
Minutes:
The Chairman opened this item by saying that Community Safety was everyone’s responsibility.
The Community Engagement Manager, Karen Linaker ran through the main item for the evening, noting that there were many different things that shaped how safe people feel. The Council’s website had a page which explained about a Central Community Safety Team. They work hard on areas such as domestic violence, and neighbourhood watch and they do that in partnership with Wiltshire Police.
Karen had carried out a quick survey, which had received 57 responses. The top 3 areas flagged up out of the 15 available to choose from were burglary, fly tipping and speeding.
The Our Watch website was about Neighbourhood Watch, but the information was much broader. On that website you can view a short film about a scouts group that went out and asked the residents how they felt about living in their community.
Inspector John Hutchings – Wiltshire Police
Presented case studies where public involvement had led to action.
The statistics from that survey are quite telling, 11,000 questionnaires went out and only 57 people responded.
Robert Peel was the founder of the Metropolitan Police. They set up 9 Principles of Policing. Number 7 of 9 reads:
‘To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the Police are the public and that the public are the Police, the Police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.’
This was written in 1829 and is as true today as it was then.
What this means to me is that we have to work together to achieve a safe and satisfied community. We do this by using all the technologies, partnerships, strategies and sense of community spirit, available at our disposal at any given time; within the confines of the relevant and applicable laws.
Case Study 1
• A Downton man provides a photograph of a suspicious vehicle in the area to Police via Facebook.
• Senior Community Coordinator Matt Holland picks this up and undertakes some intel checks on the vehicle which suggests that it is of interest to Police.
• ANPR checks are made and the vehicle is active across the whole of the South West and often in places where crimes have been committed.
• Local shout out placed on Community Messaging for Suspicious Vehicle.
• Driver and passengers identified and a coordinated approach is made via JTAG. (Joint Tasking Action Group).
• Vehicle targeted with stop checks via ANPR markers and operations ensue to look at offences such as Conspiracy to Steal and various others which are still under investigation.
• Cross Boarder scrap metal merchants visited as part of the investigation by HM Customs and Trading Standards and separate investigations are commenced with those agencies.
• Since the targeted activity began, to our knowledge no further offences have been committed in Wiltshire or Dorset. Offences have been committed in Devon and Cornwall.
This group have committed no offences in Wiltshire, we have driven them south. It started with a photograph, taken by one interested individual.
The key message is - If you suspect it, report it.
Case Study 2
• A members of the community reported the strong smell of cannabis coming from a local home 24/7.
• Such were the reports, that a warrant was considered, but instead, officers from our CTT in the first instance did a ‘recce’ of the area which proved so positive in terms of the smell that they made the decision to do a direct approach.
• The door was knocked and the occupant challenged by the officers as to their suspicions at which point the occupant made a full and frank admission and invited them in.
• Circa £20k of cannabis plants were recovered that were in the process of being cultivated.
If you suspect it, report it.
Case Study 3
• A mother reports a suspicious ‘gift’ of a bicycle to her son from her estranged partner
• Checks are made and a cycle matching the description was found to have been recently stolen from Amesbury
• Cycle recovered to owner and estranged partner invited in for interview.
If you suspect it, report it.
How can you do your bit?
Our key message is, if you suspect it, then report it.
You can also join Neighbourhood Watch, Community Speedwatch, or install CCTV.
You can take a photo, but stay safe, do not put yourself in danger.
Mark your tools, I have burnt on to my tools my mark and postcode. Always lock your valuables away.
Challenge suspicious activity with a simple “Hello” and by being ‘casually intrusive.
The various ways you can report things are:
• Contact Wiltshire Police by phone –101 should be used for non-emergencies such as:
• Reporting a non-urgent crime or incident (unless the crime or incident is in progress, when you should dial 999)
• Report it online using our link on the front page of the Wiltshire Police website
• Contacting local officers in person
• 999 should be used for an emergency, when a crime is happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, someone is injured, being threatened or in danger.
• Email – General Community Policing enquiries - CPTSouthWiltshire@wiltshire.pnn.police.uk
• For crime updates and local policing news via email, please sign up to our Community Messaging scheme at – www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk
• You can also follow us on Facebook – search ‘Salisbury Police’
• Or on Twitter - @SouthWiltsCPT
Merv Quick - South Wiltshire representative on the Wiltshire Neighbourhood Watch Association
Neighbourhood Watch (NW) was about a caring society and not just about crime. Many of you remember NW when the local bobby would come around with paper updates to hand out, It is now run by a volunteer group. There was a decline some years ago, however, last year there was a partnership agreement with the Police and Crime Commissioner.
NW schemes do cut back crime, typically there is an 11% reduction in crime in areas that run a NW group.
You can sign up for NW emails. There is a flavour today that Facebook and Twitter handle everything, the truth is that there are a vast amount of people who never use those platforms. Unless there is a community supporting one and other the vulnerable can be scammed.
One community set up a NW Facebook page, that is supported by a farmer who has CCTV and can upload pictures of anything suspicious.
Some people have a fear of exposing themselves by reporting issues or suspicious things, that is where the community can support them.
The WI are in many villages, they could be reported to and in the parishes, there are parish councils, which should all have a nominated Community Safety lead person.
I would suggest that the Board looks to supporting a Community Safety Group.
Please Join Neighbourhood Watch. We do have limited resources, but we can offer advice and support.
The Chairman added that it was an important point that community safety was not just about crime, and to take a really broad view.
Questions and comments:
· How do you know if a car is not taxed anymore? Answer: You can go online to check, its free. - if you see something suspicious then it probably is.
· In Redlynch, and connecting up with Woodgreen, Hale and Hampshire we are using the information sharing system ‘Next door’. Answer: The Chairman noted that the next door arrangement was potentially very powerful in those situations.
· After the Downton Van success, there were so many reports of vans, the police sent back a message saying please do not report any more vans due to the limited resources they have. Answer: Inspector Hutchings - I would rather have too many reports than too little. We did have a lot of reports from the Landford situation but that was because we were just getting in the system.
The Chairman noted that there was due to be a workshop session but they had run out of time. The Board would work to produce a checklist, a series of ideas of things that parish councils could think about carrying forward.
Action: CEM to circulate the list of suggested ideas to parish councils.