EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE NEIGHBOURHOOD
WATCH ASSOCIATION
NOTES OF MEETING HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS
at 07.30 pm on 19th June 2008
Present:12 members, 2 representatives from Ely Police Sector, one from ECDC
After a brief Special General Meeting, Insp. Alan Savill gave a talk on local policing.
He explained that after Kate Kent, the Community Liaison Officer left there was a vacuum to fill. There are now 19 Police Community Support Officers, 6 of whom joined 8 weeks ago and are still training. He added that PCSOs are now a highly valued resource, and that one of their duties is to liaise with coordinators. He explained that a WPC is on maternity leave and probably will not return. The Force is recruiting more police officers, although at present there is a delay in the training process. This recruitment will enable him to put more police officers on the beat.
Distraction burglary, a particularly nasty crime has reduced somewhat in recent weeks. Metal thefts are a national problem, although East Cambs has suffered less than most. Also on the increase is the theft of fuel, particularly diesel. Crime trends follow the economic climate, the cost of scrap metal and fuel has soared and so has the related crime, and similarly when the economy drops, crime rises.
He explained that they had been given a target to reduce crime by 13 ½ % over three years. Although there was a blip in one year they had succeeded in reducing the total crime figures, not withstanding a significant increase in the local population. This period of crime reduction also coincided with the period of neighbourhood policing.
Insp. Savill asked how coordinators wished to be contacted. The view of those present was that e-mail was preferred for routine information, supplemented with face to face visits and phone calls as appropriate. Voicemail was not favoured and in fact is no longer available – it was noted that all those present were on e-mail, which is not a true reflection of the coordinators in general.
In answer to questions Insp. Savill explained:
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The use of Smart Water, as recently portrayed on a TV programme, is now to be used within East Cambridgeshire
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Identity theft is not prevalent in East Cambs
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The police do not always visit an address when a crime is reported. There is a priority system:
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A - Risk to life or a crime in progress
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B – Needs urgent attention e.g. burglary (there is also a B+)
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C – There is little hope of achieving anything at the site at that time.
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D – Attendance is not required. i.e. the crime can be investigated without inspecting the site.
He asked that all crime be reported. If the police do not attend the scene it does not mean they are not investigating. When reporting please try to provide mobile phone numbers.
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ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) is being used and proving successful, particularly for “bilking” crimes. However there is an increase in the theft of number plates, and as yet it is not clear what is happening to these plates. Members were asked to keep a look out and report.
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CPSOs finish their duty at midnight, but often stay on later. Community beat managers work until 2.00 a.m. unless there is a particular need to stay later.
After Insp Savill’s talk there was a brief discussion between members on the need to expand neighbourhood watch throughout the district and the need to improve contact and communication between coordinators, e.g. by having more active cluster groups and by submitting bits of information for the web site (it could become more of a chat room).
Kevin G Evans
Secretary