Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from Sergeant Misik regarding the policing and safer neighbourhoods trends.

 

The report outlined actions taken since the last reporting period. The current emerging issues/neighbourhood trends for each ward were also highlighted (see report for full details). Previous priorities and engagement activity noted in the report were:

       i.          Continuation with licensed premises enforcement visits.

     ii.          Violent crime in the city centre.

   iii.          Traffic junction enforcement and general road safety (all road users).

   iv.          Cycle theft.

    v.          Tackling rough sleeping in the city centre.

   vi.          Tackling drug dealing in the city centre, Arbury and Castle wards.

 vii.          Theft from vehicles (Newnham).

 

The Committee discussed the following policing issues:

       i.          A general increase in crime figure trends as a result of changes to how they are recorded.

     ii.          The number of dumped used/new needles.

   iii.          Enforcement of the 20MPH speed limit.

a.    Sergeant Misik referred to Association of Chief Police Officers guidance stated that enforcement should be proportional to speed. The police were focussing on education rather than enforcement at present.

b.    Residents noted that the 20MPH speed limit was often broken, particularly in Maids Causeway.

   iv.          Road speed collection data was no longer publically available.

 

Action Point: Police to publish monitoring data (eg average speed) as collected pre-speed watch introduction. Also to publicise where historic data is available.

 

    v.          Contact details for officers responsible for undertaking speed enforcement action in the combined Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

a.    WCAC and residents desired more speed enforcement.

b.    Chief Inspector Ormerod said that enforcement on its own was not enough. Education and enforcement were both needed. Also inappropriate speed limits led to a lack of compliance. He wished to avoid this in the city.

 

Action Point: Police to undertake education/enforcement work where drivers did not leave enough space for cyclists on the road.

 

   vi.          People driving illegally modified cars late at night through Emmanuel Street.

 vii.          Rough sleeping in the city:

a.    How the Police could work with other agencies to address this and (illegal) begging.

b.    Fire risks from people sleeping in doorways.

c.    It was better to give money to ‘Cambridge Street Aid’ rather than directly to (apparently) homeless people. Money given to ‘Cambridge Street Aid’ (by text or on-line) funded support services for the homeless community. There were a number of fraudulent tactics used for begging eg claiming to need money for a hostel when these were free.

d.    People could register for homeless support services through Outreach Workers and the City Council Customer Access Centre. An A5 handout was available from the Guildhall and Customer Access Centre.

viii.          Persistent parking in the cycle bay near the Revolution Bar.

   ix.          Theft from vehicles.

    x.          More detailed figures/information regarding violent crime in future police reports to the committee.

 

Councillors Nethsingha and Cearns, with agreement of WCAC requested changes to the recommendations. Councillor Holt formally proposed to add the following:

 

Delete: Original Recommendations

-        Anti-social behaviour associated with rough sleeping.

-        Alcohol-related violence within the night-time economy.

 

Replace with Revised Recommendations

Police priorities:

-        Issues (eg anti-social behaviour) relating to rough sleeping and working in partnership with other agencies to address these.

-        Violence within the city centre.

-        Anti-social behaviour of road users.

 

The changes to priorities was unanimously agreed.

 

The following priorities were unanimously agreed:

       i.          Issues (eg anti-social behaviour) relating to rough sleeping and working in partnership with other agencies to address these.

     ii.          Violence within the city centre.

   iii.          Anti-social behaviour of road users.