Issue - meetings

8.40pm

The committee received a report from Inspector Poppit, Sergeant Jayne Drury and Community Fire Safety Officer Jim Meikle, regarding policing and safer neighbourhood trends.

 

The report outlined actions taken since the West Central Area committee of the 10^th January 2013 and suggested new priories.

 

Councillor Reiner expressed concerns about the forthcoming Caesarean Sunday. The Police had been talking to Jesus College about how best to manage the event.

 

Anthony Bowen (on behalf of Jesus College)

The event (Caesarean Sunday) has a 20 year history following a grudge. However drinking societies have latched onto causing it to grow in size. The Dean of Jesus College has been working with the organisers in an attempt to move the event onto college property. However, the college had no power to compel the change of venue and cannot control student behaviour in public spaces. The police may have to take appropriate action should trouble arise.

 

Councillor Hipkin asked what constituted a recorded crime for the purpose of statistics. Sergeant Jayne Drury crimes were recorded using national recording criteria.

 

Councillor Rosenstiel stated that new locations in King Street were becoming popular with rough sleepers and asked what action had been taken to address the problem. It was confirmed that the Police were aware of the issue and were consulting with agents who manage the area.

 

Community Fire Safety Officer, requested members support for a priority aimed at bin and rubbish fires. He confirmed that the most efficient way to tackle this problem was to time rubbish collections so that combustible material was not on the street for long periods of time. Incidents of fires were expensive and potentially very dangerous. In response to questions regarding how helpful a priority on this area would be, the Community Fire Safety Officer stated that it would help to promote joint working with other services to achieve safer neighbourhoods. Community Fire Safety Officer further confirmed that both the Police and Fire Service work closely with the City Council to reduce the opportunities for arson associated with trade waste.

The following additional priorities were discussed:

 

       i.          Speed awareness and enforcement should be considered as a priority.

     ii.          Retaining the over ranking priority as the work already undertaken had be welcomed by the public. Alternative road layouts as a solution to over ranking were discussed. However, it may be too late as the Better Bus Project had already agreed changes to this area. County Councillor Whitebread would investigate this with the County Council.

Action

   iii.          Broadening the scope of priority regarding ASB to encompass all City Centre open spaces.

   iv.          Considering the priority suggested by Mr Kellett at the previous meeting regarding heavy vehicles using Maids Causeway. It was agreed that the main offenders were local firms and that this situation could be resolved by the Police making direct contact with repeat offenders.

    v.          Cycle theft had improved but was still high.

 

Councillor Rosenstiel proposed the following resolution:

 

Safety concerns should take priority and the recommended priorities below should be agreed first, with a final priority agreed from the remaining suggestions:

A.   Over-ranking of the taxi rank in St. Andrew’s Street

B.   Waste risk management and security in market Area

 

Resolved (by 5 votes to 4) the resolution was carried.

Members were allocated one vote each for the remaining priorities and voted as follows:

C.   Speed awareness and enforcement (1 vote)

D.   Theft of Cycles (3 votes)

E.   ASB in the Grafton Centre and Green Spaces (5 votes)

 

Resolved members agreed the following priorities:

       i.          Over-ranking of the taxi rank in St. Andrew’s Street

     ii.          Waste risk management and security in market Area

   iii.          ASB in the Grafton Centre and Green Spaces