MINUTES OF THE LEIGH-ON-SEA CRIME PREVENTION PANEL

Meeting held at Leigh Town Council Offices on Monday 5^th March 2007 at 7.30pm

Present:

Cllr. Mrs. G.M. Horrigan JP, MBE Chairman

Inspector D. Colwell Essex Police Western Sector

Town Cllr. P. Dolby Leigh Town Council & Secretary

Mr. J. Holden West Leigh Residents Association & Treasurer

Mr. P. Horrigan Assistant Secretary

Mr. M. Holland Southend District NHW Administrator

Mr. P. Jeffrey-Harland Westcliff and Leigh NHW

Mr Ahmad Khwaja, JP S.E.E.M.C.A.

Mr. J. Taylor Chalkwell Residents Association and NHW

Cllr. C. Walker Southend Borough Council

Mr. J. Wayland Central Leigh NHW

Chairman – Opening Remarks:

The Chairman welcomed members to the meeting.

Apologies for Absence:

Mr. A. Brien Westcliff and Leigh NHW

Mr. D. Johnson Vice Chairman

Cllr. J. Lamb Southend Borough Council

Mrs. R. Lowe Eastwood NHW

Mr. F. Smith Belfairs Residents Association

New Members:

The Secretary advised that Mr. Martijn van Gogh a Youth Worker with Connexions had accepted an invitation to join the Panel to help and report on youth matters through his experience with the Southend Integrated Youth Support Service.

Minutes of Last Meeting:

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 22^nd January 2007 were unanimously accepted as a true record of proceedings and were duly signed by the Chairman.

Matters Arising:

It was agreed to deal with any matters arising under appropriate agenda items.

Correspondence:

The Secretary advised that Southend BC had asked the Panel whether it wished to be consulted on borough development plans and core strategy. It was agreed that the Panel did wish to be consulted and that ad hoc meetings should be convened as and when required. Mr. Taylor wished to be included in these meetings.

Treasurer’s Report:

The Treasurer reported that after banking the cheque, in support of this year’s poster competition, from the Leigh Lions the Panel’s finances stand at £659.

Crime Patterns:

Insp. Colwell reported that house burglaries in Chalkwell continue and occur mainly between 12 noon and 6pm. Entry is crude e.g. smashing windows. The householder is often out shopping. Items taken include plasma screens, ipods and jewellery. Areas targeted include The Drive & Mount Ave (5 cases in one weekend) and roads off the A127. Still believe that there are two different types - one on foot, the other using a vehicle, possibly a people carrier. The affected areas have been flooded with Police and the media has helped to publicise the problem. There have been no reports now for one week.

Plasmas have also been targeted in Rochford and Benfleet.

Police advice is

• NHW groups need to be vigilant
• Unusual incidents should be reported to the Police
• Electrical goods packaging should not be left outside. This advertises new goods to opportunistic burglars

The Chairman noted that plasma screens were easily seen from outside and blinds/curtains should be closed whenever possible.

On enquiry from the Secretary Insp. Colwell advised that the arrest in Chalkwell Park, reported to the last meeting, was unconnected to these burglaries.

Also, it was entirely likely that the burglars were opportunistic and could well wait, discreetly, for householders to leave their property.

Mr. Jeffrey-Harland confirmed that NHW co-ordinators had been advised of the problem swiftly and he had noticed the increased Police presence in Chalkwell.

On enquiry from the Chairman Insp. Colwell advised that it was possible that the stolen goods were sold on eBay and the Police constantly checked this site.

Insp. Colwell reported on two more drug warrants enforced. One in The Leas resulted in the seizure of £30,000 of cocaine and a further one in The Mendips.

There were 19 reports of criminal damage in Eastwood over the weekend 24^th/25^th February. Areas affected were Rayleigh Road/Bellhouse Road and Whitehouse Chase/Snakes Lane. Mindless vandalism included smashing car windscreens.

Further to the report at the last meeting of theft from cars Insp. Colwell advised that a Canvey resident had been arrested. 15-20 cases had been admitted to and SatNavs had been recovered.

In spite of the crimes, reported above, Insp. Colwell advised that overall crime in the Panel’s area was down and detection rates up. Arrests are up 29.86% on reported crime. Arrests include cautions, ‘on the spot’ fines and action through the courts.

The Secretary reported on the increased vandalism taking place on the Manchester Drive allotments – particularly over the recent school half term holiday.

Insp. Colwell confirmed that PC Scott Geary was aware of the issue and PCSO’s had been called in to patrol the area.

The Manchester Drive Allotment Society should liaise with Scott Geary and keep him updated on developments.

Mr. Holland commented that solar powered floodlights may be useful and are available from the Southend Crime Prevention Panel at £50 each.

Cllr. Walker reported, with deep sadness, the death of James Amoore. James had been NHW co-ordinator for Heycroft Road in Eastwood since inception. He had worked hard for NHW in Eastwood and will be sadly missed.

On enquiry from Mr. Jeffrey-Harland Insp. Colwell confirmed that foreign registered vehicles, with foreign plates, had one year’s grace before UK road tax was due.

Working Party Report:

Following the Panel’s last meeting the concept of identifying elderly potential victims of crime living independently in their own accommodation and the panel working in conjunction with NHW to create the environment to host informative road shows was discussed by the working party, convened at the last meeting. Messrs. Holland, Taylor, Jeffrey-Harland, Mrs. Lowe and PC Neil Gale met on 1^st February. The working party agreed the following courses of action and feedback has been acted upon, as follows: -

• The initiative to be called ‘Sheltered Watch Scheme’
• Mr. Taylor and Mrs. Lowe to identify pensioner groups that regularly meet in Leigh and Eastwood
• Church Watch members circulated, borough wide, and asked for details of pensioner groups who use church premises for meetings
• South Essex Homes was contacted with a view to establishing NHW style schemes in sheltered accommodation complexes managed by them. It was agreed that the SHO (aka warden) would act as the point of contact for each complex. A point of contact will be identified at complexes without an SHO.
• In order to disseminate alert messages speedily and effectively ‘Care Line’ will be used rather than contacting individual SHO’s
• Packs containing UV pens, bogus caller warnings, door stickers, handbook, and crime prevention literature have been made up to distribute to SHO’s.
• South Essex Homes has donated the funding for 1,000 UV pens – these are distinctly marked so as to be recognisable from those issued to NHW.
• Mr. Holland and a member of the relevant NPT will arrange to present informal talks on home security to residents’ meetings in the complex
• Estuary Housing has two complexes and has also joined the scheme
• Information sheets are to be made available to ‘meals on wheels’ operatives to distribute. These will include details of the handy van scheme amongst other initiatives
• This week will see the packs, mentioned above, distributed to 20 complexes
• Briefings of the project have been given to all relevant and participating groups and is on the community website
• It is hoped to include the Fire Service in the project
• There has already been one referral which is hoped to be the first of many

Mr Holland advised that Sheltered Watch is now a borough wide scheme and has been upgraded to a Crime & Disorder Reduction Project led by NHW. Accordingly, it falls within his Community Safety remit.

The Chairman congratulated Mr. Holland and the working party for the achievements made since the last meeting.

At Mr. Jeffrey-Harland’s request Mr. Holland confirmed that he would find the percentage rate of the borough’s population at pensionable age and report the figure to the next meeting.

Youth Report:

None

Any Other Business:

The Secretary confirmed that Blenheim, Darlinghurst, Edwards Hall, Fairways, Our Lady of Lourdes, Eastwood and Westborough Primary and Earls Hall Junior schools had signed up to this year’s poster competition.

The sub committee is meeting with the schools’ representatives on Thursday 15^th March.

The awards evening is on Wednesday 27^th June. The Council Chamber has been booked and the Mayor will present the prizes.

It was proposed by Cllr. Walker and seconded by Mr. Horrigan and unanimously agreed that if grant monies were received in excess of those required for the competition that the Secretary should seek agreement from one of the donors to allow their grant to be used for the sheltered watch initiative.

Mr. Holland suggested that funds might be used for new signage in the complexes run by South Essex Homes and Estuary Houses.

Insp. Colwell reported that Neighbourhood Action Panels were to be set up in Eastwood/ St. Laurence, Blenheim East & West and Chalkwell Marine.

They will be run by residents who will look at actions needed to tackle local highlighted problems. The Police will act in an advisory role and will be recruiting volunteers to make up the Panels. NHW co-ordinators will be obvious invitees.

Date of Next Meeting:

Monday 14^th May, 2007 - 7.30 pm.

The meeting closed at 8.35pm.