Agenda item

Purpose: Meeting in its capacity as West Berkshire Council’s Crime and Disorder Committee, to receive a presentation from the Building Communities Together Partnership.

Paul Coe (Interim Executive Director – People) and DCI Emily Evans (Thames Valley Police) presented the Community Safety Update (Agenda Item 6).

The following points were raised in the debate:

·       Residents wanted 20 mph speed limits in Eastbury and Lambourn High Street, and to reduce the speed limit to 40 mph on sections of the B4000, but there was opposition from Thames Valley Police (TVP). Members also asked about enforcement of speeding and traffic offences.

·       It was confirmed that the Traffic Team was shared with Hampshire Police. Although they did carry out enforcement, it was more challenging for them to cover villages.  Neighbourhood Teams also carried out enforcement on occasions. The Police could respond to local concerns about safety by campaigning for reductions in speed limits and Members were encouraged to contact their local sergeant. The Police also supported community speed watch initiatives.

·       Members highlighted ongoing drugs problems in Lambourn.

·       It was explained that the Police relied on local intelligence, particularly in smaller villages. Sharing information allowed them to target particular areas. Patrols were being stepped up in parts of Hungerford in response to local issues with drugs.

·       Members requested details of officers in the local neighbourhood teams.

Action: DCI Evans to provide details of neighbourhood officers.

·       Speeding issues on A339 Sandleford Link were highlighted as a concern and there had been a recent fatality there. Also, issues with speeding were highlighted on Lambourn Road and Grove Road. Members asked about the use of speed enforcement vans.

·       It was confirmed that TVP did not use speed enforcement vans, but they did undertake patrols. This was reliant on having the right number of officers. Due to the uplift in officers, the recent focus had been on supporting front-line teams.

·       It was noted that the Home Secretary had said that every theft should be investigated, but the Chair of the Police Federation had indicated that officers were “stretched beyond human limits”. Members asked if TVP had sufficient resources and sought assurance that local thefts would be investigated.

·       TVP stated that all burglaries to dwellings were attended by Police officers. Where possible, the Burglary Team attended in the first instance to collect evidence. A recent burglary in Speen had been linked to a Slough offender who had subsequently been arrested. Statements would always be taken for thefts where there was a witness. TVP used a triage system – lower level offences may have a slower response, but they would always be investigated. Although TVP was stretched, crime levels were manageable.

·       Members appreciated the PCSOs in their areas, but asked for greater notice of surveys in future to allow messages to be disseminated within the community.

·       Issues were highlighted with young men racing cars on Sunday evenings through Aldermaston ward. This had been raised with TVP previously, but Members had been informed that there was little that could be done. However, Members felt that intelligence could be gathered about their activities to stop this activity.

·       Members were encouraged to report offences as they occurred. If vehicle descriptions could be reported to officers then they could act quickly to disrupt activity. TVP also had access to automatic number plate cameras, which could help to trace vehicles.

·       A question was asked about how frequently ‘ask for Angela’ was used by women locally.

·       This was not thought to have been used locally. Although some sexual offences did occur, victims tended to seek help in other ways. ‘Ask for Angela’ had been tested locally and the test had been successful.

·       Members asked if there had been a rise in shoplifting connected to the rising cost of living.

·       It was confirmed that shoplifting had increased and this was thought to be linked to the rising cost of living. Officers were unable to attend as easily as in the past due to lower numbers, but responded where they could. TVP was working closely with key retail partners. Larger retailers often had their own security.

·       It was noted that nationally, the number of speeding convictions had doubled, but Members felt that the uplift in offences may be even higher. Information was sought as to local trends for all categories of motoring offences and what enforcement action was being taken by Thames Valley Police. Members also asked about the number of offences that resulted in a court summons.

·       TVP indicated that data could be analysed by offence type and disposal (e.g., ticket, court summons, etc).

·       Members asked about the recording of violent crimes and if they were broken down by demographics.

·       It was confirmed that demographic information was captured when recording violent crime data, allowing it to be analysed in different ways.

·       In relation to house closures, Members asked if this simply displaced the problem to another location.

·       This was considered an effective intervention, which allowed individuals to be monitored more closely. Also moving them out of the area away from friends / associates limited their opportunity to travel back in and commit crime.

·       Concerns were expressed about safety around the weir near Victoria Park in Newbury and a recent death that had occurred there.

·       It was confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances in the recent death. The water flow was very fast near the weir, and it was difficult to get out if a person fell in. Signs and barriers had been put up to improve safety at key locations, but it was difficult to make such a large area safe.

Resolved to note the report.