Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from Sergeant Mišík (on behalf of Sergeant Stevenson) regarding policing and safer neighbourhood 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.          ASB on Guided Bus Way and public areas in Trumpington village.

     ii.          Street begging – Cherry Hinton.

   iii.          Cherry Hinton High Street – pavement cycling.

 

The Committee discussed the following policing issues:

       i.          Street begging in Cherry Hinton.

a.    Queried why footage from CCTV camera installed in High Street (following contributions by residents) was not used as evidence of issues.

     ii.          Anti-social behaviour in Queen Edith’s area.

a.    Gunhild Close Recreation Ground

b.    Needles in Rock Road.

   iii.          Anti-social behaviour in Nightingale Park eg damage by cars.

   iv.          Anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in Trumpington public areas.

    v.          Requested a new Community Liaison Officer be set up in Trumpington like in Orchard Park.

   vi.          The wooded area of Teversham Drift was attracting drug dealers.

 vii.          General issues in open spaces could be addressed by police patrols. Particularly as open spaces seemed to attract drug dealers.

viii.          Residents were becoming disillusioned that the Police were taking no action when information was reported to them as evidence for their database.

   ix.          CORA data missing from reports for some months.

 

Action Point: Councillor McPherson to liaise with other Area Committee Chairs and write to City Police Commander to request CORA data in area committee reports.

 

Members of the public raised the following policing issues:

       i.          Vandalism of new play equipment in Gunhild Way Recreation Ground.

     ii.          Drug paraphernalia left in bushes in Gunhild Way Recreation Ground.

   iii.          Drug dealing in Coleridge area.

 

Sergeant Mišík said the following in response to Members’ questions:

       i.          CORA data was missing from reports for some months due to ICT issues but had now been addressed.

     ii.          Three police teams covered the city. They daily reviewed trends and hot spots separately then met jointly every two weeks to look at emerging issues.

   iii.          Requested councillors and residents reported issues to the police to build up a database of information on where to focus police resources. This could be through ringing 101 or the live webchat facility available via https://www.cambs.police.uk/information-and-services/contact/contact Analysts compiled reports based on details passed to the police.

   iv.          Drug dealing was being addressed at various levels locally and nationally.

    v.          The Council cleaned up needles, not the Police. Please report details to the Environmental Health Team, who would aim to respond within two hours and pass on information to the police.

   vi.          Police in plain clothes monitored junctions and passed information to uniformed officers to follow up and take action against dangerous drivers etc.

 vii.          The police needed actionable information in order to put resources into action straight away, otherwise details were considered to be background information.

 

Constable Harris said the following in response to Members’ questions:

       i.          The police had tried to obtain Cherry Hinton CCTV data for some time, but had now got access.

     ii.          Patrols were occurring in the area of Wulfstan Way and Gunhild Way.

   iii.          People with dash cams were encouraged to give footage to the police as evidence when reporting crimes. This was particularly helpful when motion activated cameras could provide evidence of criminal activity (eg vandalism) when cars were parked.

 

The Committee suggested two local matters could be followed up as items of interest, but not Area Committee priorities:

       i.          Security at Burnside Lakes.

     ii.          PCSOs attending Councillors’ Ward Surgeries in Cherry Hinton.

 

The Committee unanimously nominated the following three issues for Police Focus over the coming months:

       i.          Drug dealing in the South Area, specifically in parks and open spaces.

     ii.          Anti-Social Behaviour in public areas in Trumpington village.

   iii.          Begging on streets in Cherry Hinton.