Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from Sargeant Emms 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 local areas of concern and engagement activity noted in the report were:

i.               ASB and dangerous driving on Fen Road and the High Street and NO2 cannisters.

ii.             Street based drug dealing

iii.            Youth and knife crime

 

The Committee discussed the following policing issues:

      i.         Noted that police operations regarding ‘cuckooing’ had moved drug dealing to street based drug dealing. Asked if as a result of the pandemic whether drug dealers had returned back to cuckooing.

 

Sargeant Emms responded:

Due to lockdown restrictions there had been an increase in cuckooing but the Police had measures in place to respond to this. There was a cohort of people who were at risk of being victims of ‘cuckooing’ who were reviewed and the top 5 people who were at the greatest risk of harm were regularly visited so that they did not become victims of crime. The Police had had success with this approach and they also worked with other agencies regarding this issue. The Police also used ‘soft closures’ on properties which meant that only the occupier could be in the property, notices were placed to this effect in the properties windows and doors, which deterred people from going round. There was also a second cohort of people who were at risk who were visited 1-2 times a month by the Police.

 

    ii.         Noted at a Local Liaison Forum held on 8 March 2021 that a member of the public had asked whether Histon Road could be made permanently 20mph. Asked for the Police for their views.

 

Sargeant Emms responded:

Speed limits for roads were not set by the Police and there was a formal process which had to be followed, it was not therefore appropriate to comment on this. Was not aware that the Police had been consulted on this issue when previous 20mph limits were put in place.

 

   iii.         Asked how the Police would be addressing crime against women; particularly in the north of the city.

 

Sargeant Emms responded:

This was an issue that the Police were currently reviewing across the city. Would need to look at specific areas and whether there had been an increase in crime.

 

  iv.         Noted addresses where drug dealing was taking place including Nuns Way and Robert Jennings Close.

 

Sergeant Emms responded:

Noted that when these issues were reported by the time that the person got through to speak to an operator the drug deal could be completed. However encouraged members of the public to report these incidents as it helped the Police to build up a picture and highlighted patterns in terms of time of day / days of the week.  Officers could then be directed to these areas.

 

    v.         Thanked PC Payne for their assistance regarding ASB in the area and as a result there would be a multi-agency meeting to discuss this issue. This was a great example of community engagement.

 

  vi.         Had been in contact with the County Council regarding speed indicative cameras which needed batteries replacing and understood that these would be replaced shortly. Commented that it was scary for a woman to walk alone particularly at night in areas of darkness where there were no street lights, asked the Committee to consider this issue. Would welcome the reduction in speed limit on Histon Road to 20 mph.

 

 vii.         Asked whether the Police would be proactively monitoring Arbury Road in response to the public question.

 

Sergeant Emms responded:

Suggested rather than including a fourth local area of concern that the issue raised by the member of the public could be included within the existing local area of concern regarding ASB and dangerous driving to cover ‘across the north of the city’.

 

viii.         Noted two incidents of dangerous driving on Fen Road. Asked for officers to keep an eye on Jolley Ford Court as there was ASB occurring.

 

  ix.         Reports of young people gathering on Water Street which linked up with Fen Road.

 

Sergeant Emms commented that the Police had officers who were concerned specifically with Covid gathering concerns, if this was reported then officers could attend to disperse individuals.

 

Members of the public raised the following policing issues:

        i.           Data from a County Council Speed Camera which was installed on Arbury Road clearly showed that for a two-week measured period maximum traffic speed was consistently twice the speed limit e.g. 40mph instead of the 20mph limit. There were also at least five instances of traffic exceeding 60mph on Arbury Road

Arbury Road had 2 schools, shops, vets and other community buildings and had a 20mph designation to reflect the nature of the area as community / residential

Q1 Asked what measures the police were pursuing to reduce gross speeding violations on Arbury Road to prevent another fatality.

Q2 Asked if the committee would include Arbury Road speeding on the ‘recommended local areas of concern’ list for the next reporting period of the Policing and Safer Neighbourhoods Agenda item.

 

Sargeant Emms commented that it was the first time he was aware of the data and the level of speeding. Noted that the times that the speeding occurred was early in the morning and commented that these could be emergency vehicles responding to incidents. Noted that the remaining speeds recorded were generally compliant with the speed limits. The Police could only respond to issues when they were reported to the Police and encouraged residents to report incidents to the Police. Officers were all trained on the use of speed guns and as the issue had been highlighted patrols could be put in place.  

 

  ii.           Thought it had been reported that there had been 500 incidents of speeding on the Arbury Road camera. Asked whether there were more or less incidents of speeding since the speed camera was put in or whether this data was lost due to the batteries running out in the speed cameras.  Thanked Councillors Scutt and Richards expressing support for a reduction in the speed limit to 20mph on Histon Road.

 

Sergeant Emms commented that he would need to investigate whether there had been more or less speeding offences as he did not hold that information.

 

County Councillor Richards and Councillor Dalzell regretted that women and violence in the streets had not been included as a local area of concern.

 

The following local areas of concern were agreed:

i.               ASB and dangerous driving across the north of the city (including Fen Road and the High Street) and NO2 cannisters (unanimously)

ii.             Street based drug dealing (unanimously)

iii.            Youth and knife crime (by 11 votes to 0 with 1 abstention)