Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from Sergeant Colin Norden and ASB Officer Louise Walbank regarding the policing and safer neighbourhoods trends.

 

The report outlined actions taken since the Committee on 28 January 2016. 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.             Continue to target the supply of controlled drugs

ii.    Continue to target street based anti-social behaviour (ASB) in and around Mill Road

iii.           Retain speed checks.

 

In relation to James Woodburn’s question about Cherry Hinton Road, Sergeant Norden said that the Police would be enforcing the speed limit in areas such as Cherry Hinton Road, though attendance there would always have to be balanced against other demands on their time such as 999 calls.  He undertook to talk to the Safety Camera Partnership about the cameras on Cherry Hinton Road.

 

ACTION:  Sergeant Norden to talk to the Safety Camera Partnership about the cameras on Cherry Hinton Road.

 

Members of the public asked a number of questions, as set out below.

 

1.   Roxanne De Beaux, referring to her remarks at the January EAC, welcomed the police action taken on Mill Road bridge, though she had been unaware of it before the present meeting.  She reported that she had made four 999 calls because of violent behaviour, all of which had been responded to very quickly.  However, she had almost been run over by a police vehicle the previous day. 

 

Ms De Beaux expressed her thanks for the action taken, asked that it be continued, and suggested that it be given greater publicity.  She also urged that central solid white lines be put in place on both sides of Mill Road bridge. 

 

Cllr Baigent replied that Councillors were already looking at the matter of white lining, and wished to see a double white line with central hatching, such that it would be impossible for a car to pass a bicycle.  Sergeant Norden acknowledged the request for greater publicity for the action, but expressed a preference for issuing a press release on a future occasion, rather than looking back to events which had taken place in March.

 

As a further point, Ms De Beaux recalled that there had been an undertaking at the January meeting to look again at the adequacy of the signage at the bridge.

 

Cllr Moghadas replied that the County Council’s Head of Highways had taken a note of the concern.  The feedback from the Head of Highways had however been that cyclists should use the Carter Bridge rather than Mill Road bridge; members greeted this statement with some concern.  Cllr Moghadas agreed that cars should not be able to overtake on Mill Road bridge, and undertook to follow the matter up with Highways.

 

ACTION: Cllr Moghadas to follow up matter of signage at Mill Road bridge with the Head of Highways.

 

2.   Richard Taylor asked whether there were any statistics relating to the enforcement of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Mill Road.  

 

Cllr Herbert replied that the decision to renew the PSPO had been based on whether the order had had the effect intended.  In Mill Road, drinkers had taken over the limited green spaces, and the PSPO did disperse the high concentration of drinkers.  It had not been necessary to issue any fixed notices; a couple of people had been moved on in the early days of the order.  Sergeant Norden had not suggested it as a priority for action.  The Council continued to work with the homeless and the Safer Communities Team.

 

Mr Taylor asked a further question, whether there would be any change to Police attendance at the Area Committee as a consequence of policing changes in the city.

 

Sergeant Norden said that his understanding was that there would be an increase in the local team, and that police attendance at EAC would continue.

 

The Chair thanked Sergeant Norden for his attendance at this, his final meeting.

 

3.   Frank Gawthrop said that about 70 people attending a SoPRA meeting had expressed unanimous support for the continuation of the PSPO in Mill Road, and its extension to the whole road, not just the green spaces.  Their impression was that the number of drunks in Mill Road had increased, and that considerable quantities of high-strength white cider continued to be sold.

 

Cllr Benstead said that in order to review licences, it was necessary to have actual hard evidence that the licensed premises were selling alcohol to people who were already inebriated.  He asked anybody who thought a licensed premises was offending to speak to the licensing officers for advice on how to gather evidence.

 

4.   Another questioner asked where abandoned bicycles were taken, and where they could be seen by their owners.

 

Sergeant Norden replied that all bikes were checked on the police crime system and the bike register.  Owners should contact the police to see if their bike has been recovered, and should always register their bike details on the national Immobilise bike register [www.immobilise.com].

 

The Committee discussed the following policing issues:

 

     i.        Use of a camera at the Elizabeth Way underpass to record graffiti

    ii.        Installation of a CCTV camera at the junction of Mill Road and Devonshire Road

   iii.        Reasons for the rise in violent crime; was is drugs-related or domestic violence related.  Reply was that every time  drugs were detected, other crime was found too, and that improved recording of crime produced an apparent increase

  iv.        Action to take if witnessing drug dealing.  The answer was that if a crime was actually taking place, ring 999.  If it had already occurred, ring 101.

   v.        Graffiti – catching taggers and cleaning the graffiti

  vi.        Level of cycle theft.  It was pointed out that the biggest problem was poor cycle locks or failure to use a lock at all.  Cyclists should know the make, model, colour and index number of their bike in case of theft.

 

ACTION: Sgt Norden to find out about possibilities for installing a camera at Elizabeth Way underpass

 

ACTION: Sgt Norden to find out about possibilities for installing a camera at junction of Mill Road and Devonshire Road

 

Following discussion, Members resolved (unanimously) to approve the continuation of the three priorities already identified:

i.             Continue to target the supply of controlled drugs

ii.             Continue to target street based anti-social behaviour (ASB) in and around Mill Road

iii.           Retain speed checks.