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Safer Neighbourhoods          page 1 of 4 GO TO PAGE 2 of 4               The new Dixons of Dock Green Northern Echo                24 August 2007 A NORTH-EAST chief constable yesterday introduced "the Dixons of Dock Green for the 21st Century" as he unveiled plans to put hundreds of officers onto neighbourhood beats. Cleveland Police are to flood local communities with officers in the hope of driving down crime and restoring public confidence in policing. At a launch yesterday, Chief Constable Sean Price likened the idea to the classic BBC television series in which old-school officer PC George Dixon pounded the streets as a community bobby. That traditional style of policing is now back, with nearly 600 police and community support officers dedicated to community beats across Teesside. Speaking at the event at Middlesbrough FC's Riverside Stadium yesterday, Mr Price said: "In the forthcoming days and weeks, these neighbourhood policing teams will be coming to a street near you - they will be a visible and reassuring presence. "Every resident will receive the names and photos of their local neighbourhood team, complete with dedicated telephone contact details. "It is the Dixon of Dock Green for the 21st Century." The neighbourhood policing team has been expanded across Teesside after a successful pilot scheme in Hartlepool. The initiative was launched in the town in April last year and involved having a dedicated neighbourhood policing team (NPT) in each of the 17 council wards. Each NPT is made up of uniformed police officers, with additional support from police community support officers (PCSOs), special constables, volunteers and council enforcement officers. The scheme - in which the Cleveland force will sign up to the One NorthEast Regional Image campaign, which aims to raise the profile of the region and awareness of its advantages - has been rolled out across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton. The intention is that communities benefit from more visible and accessible policing; and residents know who their local officers are, how to contact them, and what they are doing to address local crime and disorder. Mr Price said: "I have carried out extensive consultation and the public and their representatives have made it very clear that they want a more visible, community-based police service. "They also want to see young people diverted away from crime and addiction and encouraged to make the most of their talents. We have already achieved some remarkable results in reducing crime, and I believe this neighbourhood policing plan will help us progress further and make out streets safer." Where possible, officers will be based at community focal points such as schools or libraries, and will be seen regularly on the beat. Councillor Dave McLuckie, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said: "The constant message from the public is that they want a highly visible police presence on their streets, and that is what we have delivered, with a record number of police officers and a major increase in community support officers. "The other thing that people tell us is that they want to feel a real connection with their local police team, and that is exactly what they will get from neighbourhood policing." Mr Price said the launch marked the start of a new era. "I firmly believe that the police should be as much a part of the community as the local school or the corner shop," he said. "We are firmly on the side of the law-abiding majority who want to go about their everyday lives in safety and help their fellow human beings, if possible - a majority who believe in justice for all. We want to see the elderly and vulnerable protected and children diverted away from crime, anti-social behaviour and illegal drug addiction - communities that encourage individuals to make the most of their talents." Mr Price denied the force's commitment to neighbourhood policing would impact on its ability to tackle serious and volume crime. "Many of our raids focus on organised crime and have successfully targeted drug dealers, burglars and others responsible for bringing misery to local communities," he said. "These hard-hitting raids will continue as we drive home the message that those in Cleveland who deal in drugs and crime will be caught. We will continue to be vigilant against drink-fuelled late night violence, domestic violence and the threat of terrorism. We will continue to reduce recorded crime and the fear of crime among all of our communities." Northern Echo                24 August 2007 'Blame the grog shops' By Caroline Gammell and Brendan Carlin Last Updated: 4:05am BST 20/08/2007 A soaring number of "grog shops" selling cheap alcohol is fuelling under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour, one of Britain's senior police officers said yesterday. Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe of Merseyside Police called for the reduction in the number of off-licences and legislation to prevent under-21s buying drink at such premises. He said anti-social behaviour was aggravated by drugs and alcohol - the latter becoming much more available in the past five years. "Young people can afford to buy alcohol and when they do there is less chance of them being challenged," he said. "We see many more off-licences or 'grog shops' - they are competing for similar business - and the point of sale control is the shop assistant. This assistant is usually low paid, inexperienced and when the gang of youths arrives is often alone. Would you ask them for proof of age?" The officer said licensees with a 24-hour licence could legally deliver alcohol at any time of day to a person's home. In Merseyside this has led to deliveries being made to the street and under-age drinkers, he said. "We need to look at the following options. Reduce the number of off-licence points of sale, increase the relative price of alcohol and raise the age of purchase in off-licences to 21." Mr Hogan-Howe insisted the misuse of alcohol by young people was not a failure of policing or local authorities. The police were there to supervise licensed premises but it was only one of many tasks. "If the system needs huge police resources to ensure it succeeds then it will struggle," he said. "In my view this is happening now with the off-licence sale of alcohol." Mr Hogan-Howe said the effects of alcohol misuse - bad behaviour in the short term and health damage in the long term - were other reasons to change legislation. His call to action was echoed by John Denham, the Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary, who said on BBC News 24's Sunday programme, that he feared cheap alcohol promotions in supermarkets and off-licences added to anti-social behaviour. Leading the way in community policing 20 June 2007 EDITORIAL - whtimes@archant.co.uk MANY members of the public perhaps have a view that policing is all about enforcement. Of course, we have a duty to uphold the law - but modern policing is about so much more. We recently launched 'Safer Neighbourhoods' across Hertfordshire which is about working in closer partnership with the community. 'Safer Neighbourhoods' is a relationship between the police, residents, businesses and local agencies to tackle the issues that really matter to you. It is about putting communities first and putting your needs, issues and priorities at the heart of local policing. The ultimate aim is to help make people feel safer in a county which already has low crime rates, as well as to reduce crime and disorder in every neighbourhood. Since we changed our style of policing to having localised chief inspectors and local investigation teams for each district, we have achieved real tangible results. The overall crime for Welwyn Hatfield is down by 21.7 per cent on last year - that is 204 fewer crimes and at least 204 fewer victims. Residential burglary is down by 33.8 per cent on last year - that's 22 less offences and at least 22 fewer victims. Vehicle crime is down by 36.4 per cent which is 47 less offences and 47 fewer victims. This is real positive news and my commitment is to help my teams continue to deliver crime reduction. Safer Neighbourhoods is based on Government policy - but Hertfordshire Constabulary already had solid foundations in place. By the end of 2005, Hertfordshire was one of the leading forces nationally in community-focused problem orientated policing. This style of policing isn't just about going in and making an arrest. Problem solving is a way of improving the lives of everyone in our community. The idea behind it is that a community, which of course includes locally-based agencies such as police, uses all its resources effectively and intelligently to combat long-standing issues like crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour. Rather than have the same problems occurring locally over and over, the aim of problem solving is to tackle all elements involved in order to prevent it happening again. Because of Hertfordshire's solid community-focus, we have been able to adopt the Neighbourhood Policing approach a year ahead of the Government's 2008 deadline. One of the ways we are achieving this is to put more officers into neighbourhood roles and training them so they are equipped to deal with the issues they face day to day - we have more police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) than ever before working directly in and with local communities. Council wards shape the basis of the Safer Neighbourhoods teams, made up of neighbourhood constables, PCSOs and volunteers such as special constables. In Welwyn Hatfield, there is also a team linked specifically to the University of Hertfordshire - and another that has special links with the QE2 Hospital. But did you know there are specialist roles within the constabulary to deal with issues as diverse as Neighbourhood Watch and domestic violence? You can find your local contacts by going onto our website www.herts.police.uk and choosing your council ward - or enter your postcode. We also work very closely with the county council and Welwyn Hatfield Council, with Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and other agencies such as Crimestoppers and Victim Support. As well as neighbourhood teams, Welwyn Hatfield continues to be served by emergency response officers, road policing and of course, can still tap into other specialist resources such as helicopters and dog handlers. My aim is to give you an insight into how your local police work and to reassure you that your concerns do matter to us and that we take very robust action to bring offenders to justice and creating safer neighbourhoods. You can contact your local neighbourhood team on: WGC: 01707 638012. Hatfield: 01707 638112. If the officers are out on patrol, you will be asked to leave a voicemail. Please do leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as is reasonably possible. If you have any topics you would like to see discussed in this column, please email me directly at simon.hawkins@herts.pnn.police.uk You can also contact us via the non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222. In an emergency, always ring 999.

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added 11 July 2007 16:00
Electro Motive Force
Avon And Somerset Police Take To The Streets On Electric Bicycles

Having direct contact with the community is vital for effective policing. It helps to reassure members of the public, it helps the police to understand what is going on and it often means that issues can be dealt with before they become major problems.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), working in neighbourhood beat teams today, are well aware of this. Travelling around by car tends to cut PCSOs off from the very community that they need to be part of. However, it is often impractical to try and cover everywhere on foot, especially in suburban and rural areas.

One traditional solution has been the bicycle. This has the advantage of giving extra range to the PCSO’s “beat” without cutting him off from the community. It gives him high visibility and a high profile. Now the Avon and Somerset Police based in Yeovil have gone one better.

PC Dave Buckley was on holiday in Majorca and noticed that the local police were patrolling the beach front on bicycles. He noticed how it allowed them to freely interact with the community and how it gave them the sort of mobility that would never be possible for car based teams.

Thinking back to the situation in and around Yeovil he realised that the amount of hills made traditionally bicycles impracticable. Indeed, although the force owned a number they were not that popular for that very reason.

However he had heard about developments in electrically assisted bicycles and when he got home did some research. He called the Yeovil bicycle dealer “Mud, Sweat and Gears” who arranged for him to try out a couple of alternatives.

Eventually he chose the “Glider UM36”, a mountain bike style electrically assisted bicycle from the UK company called Urban Mover based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. These have been in use for some time now and have proven very popular with the PCSOs that use them.

Says PC Buckley: “The introduction of these bicycles has allowed the neighbourhood beat teams to move up and down the alleyways, round the backs of houses much more quickly than they used to. It has also meant that they can cover more distance without getting tired.”

The introduction of the bicycles has also brought some unexpected advantages as well. Says PC Buckley: “These bicycles have also given us a catalyst for conversation with the very types of people that we need to talk to in order to do a good job. Once the conversation has started with a “that’s a nice bike mister” we are away!”

For More information please contact Robin Burton: robin.burton@evolved-intelligence.com +44 7843 241371

About Urban Mover Urban Mover has been an innovator in electric vehicles for over five years and is fast becoming one of the most respected brands in its sector. The company believes that a number of factors including concern for the environment, the questionable future of oil supplies, congestion and transport cost rises will lead to a dramatic growth in demand for such products in the very near future. Demand today is seen from a range of market sectors including commuters, leisure users and businesses. For example many European postal services are today looking at the widespread adoption of electric bicycles and tricycles. Urban Mover’s range of products includes a number of electrically assisted bicycles including mountain and folding variants, electrically assisted tricycles, electric scooters, skateboards and quad bikes. Urban Mover has concentrated on provided a high quality and well styled range of products. This, the company feels, is essential for the early adoption of this new technology. Urban Mover uses one of the most extensive testing facilities for electric vehicles in the world. The E-vehicle simulation lab (EVSL) can test for most road conditions and speeds up to and beyond the design parameters of the vehicle, providing a unique challenge for some of the world's most capable electric vehicles. The Lexola G500 and G1500 are the first of our new range of EV’s to fully utilise these new facilities. What is an electrically assisted bike? An electrically assisted bike is fundamentally a conventional bike that uses an electric motor to assist the rider either on demand or automatically via an electronic sensor system (such as Urban Mover’s cutting edge VPAC system – Variable Pedal Assist Controller).

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'Bobbies on the beat won't leave us short'
24 March 2007
By Jeff Reines
POLICE chiefs insist a scheme to get more bobbies on the beat won't leave them short of emergency cover.

Neighbourhood policing is set to be rolled out across Fareham, Gosport and Havant.

But it led to major problems when it was piloted in Portsmouth last year.

Beat officers supposed to be dealing with low-level crime on estates were instead being drafted out on emergencies.

Officers received 12 per cent more calls for help, but could not cope with them all.

This resulted in police chiefs having to take 60 officers off the beat and put back in their cars.

Inspector Phil Jones said they would learn from Portsmouth's mistakes. And he said the onus of responding to urgent calls will now be solely on the response teams.

'Portsmouth started with more for each neighbourhood and expected them to respond to calls,' he said.

'We're trying to allow safer neighbourhood teams to concentrate on community priorities rather than having to cope with control calls.'

Under the plans Fareham, Gosport and Havant will be split into sections, each with its own sergeant and team of beat and civilian support officers.

Although numbers have not yet been decided, a total of 74 Police Community Support Officers will help cover the neighbourhoods alongside 24 special constables.

Bosses have high hopes after the specials contributed to a successful recent crackdown on gang violence and intimidation in Stubbington village.

The government is pushing for the roll-out of neighbourhood policing across the country by 2008.

But Hampshire Police Federation chairman Steve Price said the scheme needed more cash to pay for it.

'The problem comes down to funding for Police Commun- ity Support Officers being cut in half, impacting heavily on the number of officers for neighbourhood policing, which has to go ahead anyway,' he said.

'They're trying to do what they can with the resources and have to dip their toes in the water and see how to best divide the staff.'

Last Updated: 24 March 2007

Latest way to meet your local bobby - online.
15 January 2007

A NEW means for the public to make contact with their local officers has been announced by Sussex Police.

The force advises: "If it's an emergency, or to report a crime as it's happening, dial 999 and ask for the police – the same way as ever. "For other crimes and urgent matters, there's still the central 0845 6070999 number to call Sussex Police.

"However if the matter's not urgent and you'd like to find out who the officers for your neighbourhood are, along with how to contact them, there's now a whole new way to get in touch. Go to www.sussex.police.uk, type in your postcode and you'll now find the names and photographs of all your local neighbourhood officers. Click on their pictures and you'll see their personal profiles and contact details.

"You can contact them either by sending an email or by leaving them a voicemail message, simply by phoning the 0845 60 70 999 number and using the individual extension number provided.

"The new system is the result of a six-month project by Sussex Police's in-house web team to give every Neighbourhood Specialist Team across Sussex its own web page. In addition to photographs and contact details for every Police Community Support Officer and Neighbourhood Specialist Constable in Sussex the pages also contain a monthly What's happening in your area? community update, regular news flashes for the district, details of upcoming street briefings, up-to-date information about how local police are doing and details about your nearest police station."

Neighbourhood Specialist Constable Andy Hanson, from the Rye Neighbourhood Specialist Team, said: "I joined the Sussex Police because I wanted to put something back in to the community, and being part of a specialist team really enables me to do that. I also live in rural Rother, which gives me a better understanding of local issues and problems. I'd encourage anyone who has any concerns that aren't urgent to make use of the website – help us to help you."

Superintendent Robin Smith, who has been leading Sussex Police's neighbourhood policing project, said: "We are using friendly technology that could, over time, revolutionise the way that people keep in touch with us.

"We want to make it as simple as possible for people to develop a two-way conversation with their local police – that's what genuine neighbourhood policing should be all about. If it works as well as we hope, it should ultimately lead to safer, more confident communities - and lower crime."

15 January 2007