Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from DS Mazur 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.          Address youth anti-social behaviour on the Anstey Way Estate;

     ii.          Address youth anti-social behaviour in Trumpington Meadows;

   iii.          Continue work to address serious street-based violence, child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation.

The Committee discussed the following policing issues:

      i.          Drug dealing around Russel Court.

     ii.          Drug dealing around the Clay Farm Centre.

   iii.          Drug dealing and anti-social behaviour around the Accordia Estate

   iv.          Drug dealing and anti-social behaviour around Cherry Hinton Hall.

    v.          Policing of the ‘Cambridge Lakes’. The area attracts anti-social behaviour in hot weather.

   vi.          Traffic [general] and anti-social behaviour by drivers of vehicles and motor bikes in the Lime Avenue and Hobson Avenue areas of South Trumpington. Can occur day and night.

Members of the public raised the following policing issues:

      i.          A small number of motorcycles (3 or 4) are causing a huge amount of noise disturbance due to their excessively loud exhaust systems as they drive in/out of the AURA development. This occurs daily and includes very early mornings and late evenings, sometimes past midnight. This noise pollution and anti-social behaviour happens circa 20 times/day. Particularly for residents along the main thoroughfare, Lime Avenue. Many have reported the issue to police but the standard reporting form seems ill-suited to this kind of anti-social behaviour and as yet, police have taken no action.

     ii.          Excessive speeding along the main thoroughfare of the AURA development, Lime Avenue, is a daily occurrence. Some vehicles drive in excess of 40mph. This main access road is in a heavily built-up residential area with pedestrians, dog walkers and cyclists also using the roads. There are no speed limits or traffic calming measures in place at all. This anti-social behaviour is a serious accident waiting to happen. The developer [Countryside] and the Council, have been notified of this issue, yet neither seems prepared to take any responsibility for it.

   iii.          Drug dealing seems to be a growing problem on the AURA development.

   iv.          There has been an increase in cycle thefts recently, especially at the train station. Not all cycle thefts are reported as the victims seem to think that nothing will get done. They are also frustrated that there appears to be CCTV in the cycle parks, but no one seems interested in looking at it.

DS Mazur said in response to questions from members of the public:

      i.          The number of cycle thefts in the city had decreased.

Action: DS Mazur to include details about citywide cycle thefts in report to East Area Committee 17/09/20. Committee Manager to put link to report in 07/09/20 SAC minutes for reference.

Post meeting note: Hyperlink https://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=147&MId=3871&Ver=4

     ii.          Police liaise with the owners of ‘Cambridge Lakes’ about security. As soon as one [illegal] access point is closed, a new one is created. Land owners do take prompt action.

Action: DS Mazur and Dave Prinsep [SAC Lead Officer and Head of Property Services] to organize a meeting between councilors, police, local MP, landowners and other relevant stakeholders to find ways to address the continuing issue of anti-social behavior resulting from people trespassing onto ‘Cambridge Lakes’ land.

The following priorities were unanimously agreed by all councilors present:

      i.          Traffic [general] and anti-social behaviour by drivers of vehicles and motor bikes in the AURA, Lime Avenue and Hobson Avenue areas of South Trumpington.

     ii.          Support for funding so Police Officers can be trained to use decimetre to monitor decibels of noise from vehicles and motor bikes, as part of general monitoring of speeding and anti-social behaviour by drivers/riders.

   iii.          Drug dealing around the Clay Farm Centre.

   iv.          Drug dealing and anti-social behaviour around Cherry Hinton Hall.

    v.          Policing of the ‘Cambridge Lakes’.