Agenda item

An update from the Safer Neighbourhood Team on ward issues and your chance to ask any questions.

PC Jon Bostwick gave an update on Crime and Community Safety issues in the ward.  The following points were noted:

3.1      He has got to know the area well since the last ward committee meeting in October including the problem areas and the problem people.

3.2      Burglary, auto-crime and damage increased in 2008 but violent crime decreased.   Increased crime was city wide and a national trend in 2008.

3.3      The current economic problems and the people who are in and out of prison can have an effect on crime.

3.4      The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) will be using the mobile police office to run surgeries in the community.  Leaflets with dates and locations were available for residents to take away.  The surgeries will also be advertised in The Press.

3.5      The SNT are actively promoting the ‘Immobilise’ system.  Immobilise is a free web based property registration site where residents can register every item of property which has a serial number.  If a stolen item of property is recovered and it is registered with Immobilise, any police officer in the country would be able to identify who it belonged to. 

3.6      The SNT are aiming to visit every street in the ward, knocking on doors and leaving packs with details about how to register property on Immobilise.  The SNT will register property for residents if they are given the details of the property and the serial numbers.  

3.7      PC Jon Bostwick asked residents to be patient as visiting every house in the ward will take time.  In the meantime, residents can find more information on www.immmobilise.com.

Residents asked the following questions:

a)  Is the increase in burglary in the Leeman Road area linked to the number of bail houses?

Response was given that there were five bail houses in this area, there are now four and hopefully this will be reduced to three.  It is impossible to say whether there is a direct link but the SNT are fully aware of the possible problem and are working with NACRO. 

b)  Why are there so many bail houses in such a small community?  It is inevitable that it will cause problems.

Responses was given that the SNT cannot answer this.  NACRO are looking to move the houses further apart to lessen the concentration of people using the service in one area.

b)  What is NACRO and what is its link to the National Probation Service (NPS)?

Response was given that NACRO is a crime reduction charity which is managed by the NPS.

d)  What happens if I register an item of property on immobilise and then sell it at a later date.

Response was given that the records can be amended.

e)  Can you do anything about the rubbish left by people drinking on Millennium Green?

Response was given that the SNT are aware of this problem and will liaise with the street environment officer to address it.

f)  Can we make Millennium Green a ‘No drinking area’ like the Museum Gardens?

Response was given that the SNT could look into this if the problem continues and there is enough support from residents.  This suggestion was met with objections from some residents as it is not the fact that people drink there that is the problem, just the litter that is left behind.