Author: Sonja Francis

WELL over a hundred Thame residents gathered at the town hall last night, to have their say on the issues that concern them most in their town, and came up with three priorities for a proposed ?Neighbour Action Group? to tackle.
The public meeting was one of three planned for the area (that for Chinnor tonight has been postponed because of the bad weather), to roll out Thames Valley Police?s new initiative, Neighbourhood Policing.
Neighbourhood Policing is a bottom-up, community and police partnership designed to tackle crime in a citizen-focused way. In other words, the community forms a partnership with local police who then put extra resources into tackling those crimes that most concern local people. Other agencies within the NAG also consider what they can do to help tackle the problems identified.
At last night?s meeting, residents were given the opportunity to express their particular concerns whilst police officers listed each one. Then all present were given traffic light-coloured stickers to put against the three issues that most concerned them in order of preference.
The main issues of concern that came out of the meeting were:

Vandalism to Motor vehicles in Park Street, Chinnor Road
Vandalism in Pearce Way
Drunkenness, urinating, swearing and aggressive behaviour in Lincoln Place, the alley way beside the Co-op
Vandalism and rowdy behaviour in Churchill Crescent, Southern Road in fine weather
Lack of Police visibility at critical times
Speeding ? Aylesbury Road, Chinnor Road, Oxford Road
Illegal parking ? Kings road, Queens Road, Aylesbury Road, Horton Avenue and other locations
Anti-social use of motorbikes on Phoenix Trail
Lack of activities for young people ? seen as a cause of much of the anti-social behaviour
Lack of police station manning in the evening
Lack of feedback on reported crimes
Lack of an effective response when Police call centre is contacted to report crime
Litter ? particularly on the Phoenix Trail
Offensive graffiti at the Skate Park

All age groups were represented at the meeting, the priority of the young men there appearing to be a proper, official dirt-bike track behind the sewage works, where currently they have built an unofficial one of their own. They were desperate for a local builder or someone with access to mechanical machinery, to help them cut down bushes and some trees, and to mound up earth to form a challenging track.
The suggestion is currently being considered by the town council and 21st Century Thame Partnership.

The top three priorities for those Thame citizens who voted emerged as:
First: Lack of youth provision
Second: Abuse of alcohol
Third: Vandalism

What will happen next?

Representative of local interest groups at the meeting were invited to put themselves forward to become part of the Neighbourhood Action Group for Thame, which will be launched around April next.
In the meantime, up-dates will be published in the local press and to organisations and posters will appear around the town.

Reassurances were made that although priorities had been established, the other matters of concerne raised at the meeting will not be ignored but looked at by the police?s neighbourhood teams.
It was explained that all the problems discussed were not new problems and would therefore not be able to be solved quickly, but assurances were made that they would be dealt with.

See: Link
For more information and background to Nieghbourhood Policing.

Photo: Diane Jackson, one of Thame’s PCSOs involved in Neighbourhood Policing

A 15 year-old boy was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital this morning after being involved in a collision with a purple Vauxhall Corsa in Thame.
The incident occured around 8.20am this morning in the Lower High Street, opposite the Six Bells pub.
It is not clear at this time, whether the strong winds and rain played any part in this incident.

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has reiterated its promise of

THAME town councillors have decided not to spend almost

RESIDENTS from Thame, Chinnor and Watlington are being encouraged to go along and have their say at public meetings to tell police and other local agencies what issues need tackling in their community to make them feel safer.
Sgt Martin Jubb, responsible for implementing neighbourhood policing in South Oxfordshire, said: ?It is important to come to your local meeting if you possibly can so you can have a say in what the priorities should be for police and partner agencies in your community.
?We are also conducting surveys in the area for people who can?t make the meetings.?

This new approach to community safety is called Neighbourhood Policing and is being gradually rolled out across the Thames Valley.

The initiative aims to encourage better communication between police, other agencies responsible for community safety, and the communities they work with. Officers and other public agencies will respond to the issues which directly affect residents, with the aim of reducing and detecting crime, increasing reassurance and reducing the fear of crime.

Sgt Mike Todd, in charge of the three neighbourhoods, added: ?This is a genuine two-way dialogue with residents where they can choose the issues they want us and other agencies to do for them.

Residents will be involved in the whole process from deciding the priorities, the problem solving process, to taking action. This will help us make good links with the community and improve our community intelligence networks.

?I hope the meetings are very well attended and people take this opportunity to have their say about what issues they want to see tackled locally.?

Following the meetings a neighbourhood action group (NAG) will agree how to best tackle the issues raised. The group will include representatives from the police, councils, education and, most importantly, members of the community.

The meetings are as follows:
? Wednesday 17 January 7.30pm-9pm Thame Town Hall
? Thursday 18 January 7.30pm-9pm ? Mill Lane School Chinnor
? Thursday 1 February 7.30pm-9pm ? Icknield Community college, Love Lane Watlington

If you can?t make the public meeting, the neighbourhood team will be going out in the areas and asking residents about any issues concerning them.

For more information about your local neighbourhood policing team in Thame, Chinnor or Watlington, or to discuss any issues in the community, please contact Sgt Mike Todd or members of the team via 0845 8 505 505

Your local officers are:
? Sgt Michael Todd ? Thame, Chinnor, Watlington
? PC Aiden Lacey, PCSO Jacqueline Madden ? Chinnor
? PC Russell Hounslow, PCSO Diane Jackson ? Thame
? PC Ian Kent, PCSO Zoe Eele – Watlington

SINCE Christmas, there has been an increase in the number of distraction burglaries across the Thames Valley, where offenders have stated that they are from ‘The Water Board’.
The usual excuses used are, that it is an EMERGENCY, or that there is a BURST PIPE and entry is needed to TURN OFF THE WATER or RUN THE TAPS.
Please remember, that there is no such thing as the waterboard and residents should be reminded, that under no circumstances should they allow anyone unexpected, entry into their homes.

Please keep an extra look out for elderly and vulnerable neighbours and if you see anyone suspicious in your area or have any incidents to report, please call the police on 08458 505 505.