ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour, shop-lifting, criminal damage, 26 offenders brought to justice – all in month’s work for Thame’s Nighbourhood Crime officers. Here is the latest Thame neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) Lucy Thorne and PCSO Jackson:
Priorities:
Our Local Priority for Thame is ASB. We conduct high visibility patrols in and around the town, engaging with members of the public, listening to local people?s community concerns/issues. Where problems are brought to our attention, we conduct home visits with parents present, issue warning letters and work with offenders to encourage them to move forward.
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) Info:
The most common way we can deal with incidents of ASB is by issuing ASB warning letters, acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs), anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), Section 27 orders ? direction to leave locality, and Section 59 orders – contracts issued for using a vehicle in an anti-social manner.
One ASB warning letter has been issued by Thame PCSOs but no Section 59s and/or ABCs have been issued.
We have received reports of ASB in Webster Close, where young people are gathering and creating noise nuisance. There are also some concerns around underage drinking. This will be monitored on our patrols.
Offenders brought to justice:
In September, 26 offenders have been brought to justice, for a variety of offences, including the following:
Seven x Drug Possession Cannabis
One x Fraud by False Representation
Eight x Shoplifting
One x Handling Stolen Goods
Three x Public Order
Three x Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm
Two x Criminal Damage
Following the devastating double murder of two Thame residents, our role as PCSOs was to offer reassurance and support to local residents. We delivered leaflets to all premises in the vicinity and conducted high visibility reassurance patrols in and around the area; answering any questions people had and addressing any concerns. This was a very sad, but isolated incident, and the offender was detained and arrested within 30 minutes.
Crime Mapping
The Home Office national crime mapping website gives the public access to street-level crime information as well as information on their Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Neighbourhood Priorities and Events – details of Have Your Say and other neighbourhood activities. Log on to www.police.uk, type in your local postcode or neighbourhood name and then click on ?Find out more?.
Partnership Activity:
We continue to work with our partners, ensuring that we liaise on a regular basis with the schools on our sector with which we have good rapports. We conduct monthly site inspections with Soha, South Vale Housing and Sovereign Housing, tackling low level neighbourhood disputes.
PCSO Lucy Thorne conducted a site visit with Soha to Moreton following reports of parking issues. This will be monitored and PCSO Thorne is carrying out enquiries regarding land ownership.
We have been engaging with our schools following the summer holidays, and have been updating our contact lists with up to date details, allowing us to make contact with schools easily. This has been organised through the Schools Liaison Officer.
We engage regularly with the local Town Council, picking up any local concerns people raise and also events which are taking place over coming months.
Pubwatch meetings continue to be held every two months and Country Watch meetings are held quarterly.
Non Partnership Activity:
We would like to introduce PCSO Chris Hollis to the team, who joined us in early September. He is an additional PCSO for the town, working alongside PCSO Diane Jackson and PCSO Lucy Thorne.
PCSO Diane Jackson has worked with the Highways Agency to get an illegal sign removed from a roundabout in Thame.
PCSO Lucy Thorne has worked with licensing to create an up to date list of premises that need routine drug swabbing in the Thame area. This allows us to identify where there are drug related issues in the pubs. Where there are problems, we work with the licensee?s to address the issue.
Due to us providing a visible presence for the majority of our shifts, we engage with our local community daily, allowing us to talk with people and deal with any issues they have.
Planned Activity:
We have participated in the following operations during September:
Maginot – this operation continues to run, tackling travelling criminals entering and leaving our area.
Due to an increase in thefts from vehicles in the Thame area and surrounding villages, we have been deploying the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) device at dedicated times and providing a highly visible police presence aimed at deterring and preventing offences taking place, offering reassurance and assisting in the capture and prosecution of offenders.
ANPR is a powerful tool that can help prevent crime by identifying flagged vehicles.
Benefits of ANPR
ANPR identifies suspect vehicles that may not normally attract police attention.
Unlicensed or uninsured vehicles are likely to be seized on the spot by ANPR equipped officers.
It can be used to gather intelligence on known criminals, and for running pro-active operations using dedicated Roads Policing intercept teams.
ANPR cameras are not safety cameras – they are not used by Thames Valley Police to catch speeding or otherwise law abiding motorists. ANPR cameras are not used to generate money for the Government or other agencies.
Magpie – This operation involves checking parked vehicles in local car parks for valuables left on display.
Mangrove – this is running initially for eight weeks as a result of fuel thefts from heavy goods vehicles over recent weeks in our local area. This operation involves us carrying out static patrols in key areas at key times in marked vehicles.
Moonlight- this operation will be running continuously and is working to protect the night time economy of Thame Town centre by preventing and detecting ASB/violent assaults and managing licensed premises. PCSOs are working with police officers to conduct high visibility patrols in the town centre and are liaising with the pubs, carrying out licence checks.
Good News Stories:
PCSO Lucy Thorne has identified one offender for Criminal Damage, which potentially has three offenders in total. Enquiries are being carried out at present to try and identify the further two.
PCSO Diane Jackson has identified an offender for Shoplifting.
Community Messaging:
This free service provides information to subscribers about crime and police activity in their area via phone or email. It also includes information on what we and our partner services are doing to bring offenders to justice or combat anti-social behaviour, and information on opportunities for local residents to raise concerns with their local policing teams. More information can be obtained via our website, and you can sign up here too: http://www.tvpcommunitymessaging.org/rmwebportal/startup.aspx
Have Your Say online
You can now send non-emergency messages to us using the online form that is available on the Thames Valley Police website. A number of people have already sent their concerns using this method. For you to do that please follow the link: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-about-nh-pol/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n235-hys. Please allow some time for us to get back to you as we do check our mail box only at certain times of the day.
There is also the opportunity to attend Have Your Say meetings in person. Upcoming Have Your Say meetings are:-
Monday 24 October 2011, 11am ? 1pm at Thame Town Hall with PCSO Diane Jackson
These meetings are an ideal opportunity for local residents to speak to their local police officers and PCSOs about any local issues, no appointment is necessary just turn up and speak to your local officers. Further meetings will be publicised locally and on the force website at www.thamesvalley.police.uk
If you want any advice or would like to contact the neighbourhood team you can call us on the police non emergency number 0845 8 505505 or email ThameNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk. Please note this email address cannot be used to contact Thames Valley Police to report crimes or for any urgent matters. Alternatively you can visit the force website at www.thamesvalley.police.uk to view information on your neighbourhood.