Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Safer Neighbourhoods Inspector, Police Sargeant and Safer Communities Manager regarding 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.        Criminality in and around East Chesterton

    ii.        County line drug dealing.

   iii.        To continue to recognise the need for Akeman Street and Darwin Drive area to receive special police focus.

 

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

 

1.   Mr Dunn commented that Ofo had banned parking their bikes in large parts of Chesterton and King’s Hedges. He asked whether there were any statistics for the theft of Ofo bikes or any means to encourage Ofo to reconsider this.

 

Inspector Rogerson commented that Ofo had not discussed their business model with the Police but there must be a threshold when they would report stolen bikes. Their business model impacted on how the Police could help them. It was an interesting question as to when an Ofo bike became ‘stolen’.

 

2.   Mr Bond commented that Ofo would need to provide clarity, he had seen deliberate vandalism of an Ofo bike as one had a saddle removed.

 

3.   Clare King made reference to Fen Road Steering Group notes from 2012 and the same issues were still being raised. £400,000 had been spent on a good cycle scheme but did not address the issue. These were issues regarding the Abbey – East Chesterton bridge which had 2000 journeys a day. The County Council were not undertaking a risk assessment. It was an important issue in East Chesterton which had been raised at Local Liaison Forums. Would expect the Police and Crime Commissioner and Cllr Herbert to be having discussions regarding a longer term solution.

 

4.   Mr Taylor raised the issue of dangerous dogs in Fen Road and Water Street areas. He asked for clarity on the Council versus the Police role in dealing with dangerous dogs. He commented that he valued the North Area Committee and referred to a private meeting which had been arranged with the Police, Cllr Bird and East Chesterton residents, he noted that these meetings were not minuted and queried if a special meeting of the North Area Committee could have been arranged.

 

Inspector Rogerson commented that the Police could call their own meetings.

 

Councillor Bird commented that the meeting was held with East Chesterton residents as it was a specific issue relating to them.

 

5.   Mr Taylor commented that he wanted to take an active part in the May 2018 local election but felt that he couldn’t as it was claimed by an election candidate that he was harassing them. 

 

Councillor Manning commented that the election candidate did not respond to Mr Taylor on twitter.  Mr Taylor then asked him why the election candidate was not responding. He commented that it took a lot to be a councillor. A lot of the work done by Mr Taylor was extremely valuable this was a single case where a person did not reply.

 

6.   Mr Bond commented that he had used the new police website and found it easy to use. There had also been a follow up to provide advice about the victim support unit.

 

In response to Members questions Inspector Rogerson and Sergeant Williams responded:

 

     i.        The proposal to de-prioritise special police focus for Akeman Street and Darwin Drive did not mean that the Police would completely withdraw from the area. Following the convictions of certain individuals the number of matters reported to the police regarding the Akeman Street and Darwin Drive area had decreased. 

    ii.        Police Officers and PCSOs will go out into the community and will target certain areas as a result of hot spot calls.

   iii.        He asked Members to liaise with the police regarding issues raised by residents and commented that councillors should not have to wait until a North Area committee to raise them.

  iv.        29 individual had been arrested with intent to supply, there had been an arrest the morning of the area committee meeting of an individual who had a large amount of class A drugs.

   v.        Asked if members of the public had intelligence regarding drug dealing that people emailed the police so that it could be followed up, members of the public could email in anonymously.

  vi.        With reference to an issue raised in West Chesterton about dangerous driving, the police required more details than just the colour of the car.  If it was possible to provide details of the make or model and the time of day then officers could be sent in either marked or unmarked cars to follow up. 

 

In response to comments by the Committee the Police and Crime Commissioner made the following points:

    i.          He was pleased with the feedback that had been given about the work that had been done on Fen Road.

  ii.          He was happy to meet with Councillor Herbert to look at what could be done as a long term solution about the Abbey East Chesterton bridge?

 iii.          On the County line issue, drug dealers came out of London and targeted the most vulnerable people.

iv.          When the police asked for intelligence on drug activity they needed to hear about it from the public, this information would be used to build up a picture to ensure that people further up the chain were convicted.

  v.          Drug taking was the issue; whilst there was a demand for drugs there would always be drug dealers.

vi.          Petty crime was drug related.

 

Action: The Safer Communities Manager to liaise with the Police to produce a clear protocol regarding the Council and Police powers with dangerous dogs.

 

The Committee were asked to nominate their local issues for focus over the coming months.

The following local issues were agreed (unanimously):

 

1. Criminality in and around East Chesterton.

2. County line drug dealing.

3. Summer and hot weather ASB in green and open spaces.