Meeting held at Leigh
Town Council Offices on Tuesday 20th November 2007 at 7.30pm
Present:
Cllr. Mrs. G.M. Horrigan JP,
MBE Chairman
Inspector D. Colwell Essex Police Western Sector
Pc S. Dewberry Essex
Police - YOS
Town Cllr. P. Dolby Leigh
Town Council & Secretary
Town Cllr. J. Holden West
Leigh Residents Association & Treasurer
Mr. M. Holland Southend
Borough NHW Administrator
Mr. P. Horrigan Assistant
Secretary
Mrs. R. Lowe Eastwood NHW
Mr. L. Sawyer
West Leigh Residents Association
Mr. F. Smith Belfairs residents
Association
Mr. J. Taylor Chalkwell Residents Association and NHW
Cllr. C. Walker
Southend Borough Council
Chairman – Opening
Remarks:
The Chairman welcomed members to the meeting.
Apologies for
Absence:
Miss Dawn Hinde Restorative Justice Coordinator -
YOS
Mr. D. Johnson Vice Chairman
Cllr. J. Lamb Southend Borough Council
New Members:
The Secretary advised that he had invited a
representative from the Southend Youth Council to join the Panel. Also, he will
invite the newly appointed locality manager of Connexions.
Minutes of Last Meeting:
The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 17th September,
2007 were accepted as a true record of proceedings, with one change. Cllr.
Walker had reported on damage to cars in Westcliff not Eastwood. With this
amendment the minutes were duly signed by the Chairman.
Matters Arising:
The Secretary reported that he had spoken to Simon Ford of SBC’s Crime
and Disorder Reduction Partnership in relation to the Panel’s request for an ‘alcohol
controls in designated areas’ order for the cinder path between Bell Wharf and
Chalkwell Station. Mr Ford will arrange a meeting with Insp. Colwell, a manager
from the antisocial behavioural group and an alcohol outreach worker. The
meeting will discuss and consider all options including whether an alcohol free
zone is appropriate.
The Secretary confirmed that he had completed and returned a grant
monitoring form it to the Essex Community Foundation. The High Sheriffs’ Award
Scheme, via ECF, had awarded the Panel a grant of £500 for this year’s poster
competition. Although the costs had come out at £400 as no charge had been made
for postage and normal consumables ECF have advised that the Panel may be able
to keep the £100 unspent to support ongoing activities.
Insp. Colwell confirmed that there had been problems with youngsters on
Leigh Cliffs on Saturday 15th September. A vast quantity of alcohol
was seized and one arrest made. The youngsters were behaving themselves but
some were drunk. Parents have been written to in some cases and others referred
to the YOS.
There are similar problems in Belfairs and Bonchurch Parks which may
have arisen from displacement from central Leigh.
Pc Dewberry commented that youngsters in the YOS were doing some reparation
work including litter picking on Marine Parade and Leigh Hill.
Mr. Holland advised that at the recent
meeting of the Westcliff & Leigh NHW it had been decided to continue the
association. In Mr. Jeffrey-Harland’s absence it was agreed that the Vice
Chairman, Ray Cowie, from Manchester Drive, will chair the group.
Correspondence:
Copies of October and November Communicate
were distributed.
The Secretary confirmed that Primary Schools
had been written to inviting them to enter next year’s poster competition.
Treasurer’s Report:
The Treasurer reported funds in hand of £1,091.59.
Crime Patterns:
Insp. Colwell advised that there were 2,755 reported crimes for the
period April to end Oct against 3,177 for the same period last year. The
figures are for all crime including computer crime.
Cllr. Walker commented that it was good to hear clear figures as those
reported at the recent PCCG meeting had been gobbledegook.
Theft of copper and lead has been a big problem over the last three
months and is a nationwide issue. Southend High School for Boys had a complete
lead roof stolen.
Police presence on the streets for Halloween was massive. This resulted
in very few incidents across the borough unlike the problems of 2006. A few minor
incidents were reported in Leigh and a window was smashed in Westcliff.
Issues, per ward, have been: -
Belfairs - cars damaged in Woodside area. PCSO’s have been knocking on doors and
patrols have been increased. No further reports for the last two weeks.
Prittlewell - the busiest ward and a new NSO, Pc Alex Bossom, has been appointed.
Problems continue in Priory Park, around the bowling green and the BP service
station in West Street has suffered theft, mainly of meat, almost on a daily
basis.
Westborough - quiet over recent months and the new NAP has proved highly effective.
Blenheim - walls pushed over
near Elmsleigh Drive and problems in Bonchurch Park.
Leigh – all officers will be working for the lights ‘switch on’ on 30th
November. There have been cases of theft from shops in the Broadway. Staff
handbags targeted in back rooms.
Chalkwell – Chalkwell Park still an issue with cases of bullying including mobile
phone theft.
West Leigh – instances of party gate crashers spread by postings on the internet.
Eastwood – crime still declining but cases of burglary (other) in Progress Road.
Need for night watchmen, CCTV and other preventative measures.
St. Lawrence – crime still declining and youth problems in Rochford Road reducing due
to Police intervention.
Mr. Smith reported on the problem of yobs gathering on the Bradbury
estate in Eastwood Old Road on the green opposite Byfords.
Insp. Colwell advised that NPO’s patrolled this area along with the
playground in Eastwood Road near the Old Vienna. Residents should ring problems
through either to the Police Station or the NPO on their published mobile phone
number.
Pc Dewberry suggested that following successful community circle
initiatives in Eastwood these could be rolled out into Belfairs. Insp. Colwell
supported this approach but the groups involved will need to be identified.
On enquiry from Mr. Sawyer Insp. Colwell advised that 10 was the
criminally responsible age.
Cllr. Walker commented further on the yob problems in Bonchurch and
criminal damage to cars. Pc Dewberry advised that a community circle would
probably help solve the problem.
Insp Colwell confirmed that Bonchurch had been targeted on Halloween and
one arrest had been made.
Mr. Sawyer commented that problem areas were often poorly lit.
On enquiry from Mr Sawyer Insp Colwell
advised on the duties and powers of PCSO’s. It was agreed that their
presence on the streets and visibility to residents was reassuring and they
were a valuable addition to policing.
The Treasurer mentioned the disparaging article in the recent edition of
Leigh Times written by Gerry Harnden.
WLRA have written to the paper voicing their support of PCSO’s.
Pc Dewberry confirmed that PCSO’s were an important link into the YOS
with referrals.
On enquiry from the Secretary Insp. Colwell confirmed that calls may be
made to the NPO on their mobile at any time. If they were unavailable though it
will go into answer phone. Calls should
be made to the Police Station and an incident number taken.
Cllr. Walker noted that the Chelmsford switch board was still lacking
efficiency.
Youth Report:
PC Dewberry advised that the YOS, in the company of outreach workers,
had been out in force on Halloween.
The YOS is working closely with NAP’s.
St. Andrew’s Church Hall has been made available to the YOS as a
facility local to Chalkwell Park to help police the problems there.
Community Circles are proving an efficient tool in combating antisocial
behaviour wherein offenders and community representatives engage in meaningful
discussion of the effects of crime in their neighbourhood.
Pc Dewberry confirmed that he had been appointed Vice Chairman of the
Southend Community in Harmony Partnership. Next year’s event is at Southend
High School for Boys on Sunday 22nd June and any assistance from
Panel members will be appreciated.
Southend Borough
Neighbourhood Watch Administrator report:
Mr Holland presented his report, as follows: -
Last week the printer/sponsor advised me that he was ceasing production of NW newsletters with immediate effect. I contacted the eastern and western area inspectors who agreed that the NSOs would arrange photocopying for their respective patches and the PCSOs would arrange delivery to co-ordinators thus saving Essex Police a monthly postage bill of about £90. I will continue to edit Communicate using material submitted by the NSOs.
A new scheme was
launched on 25th October for London Road, Leigh from the Borough boundary
eastwards. It was formed with a nucleus of local businesses and ultimately will
cover the businesses as far as Hadleigh Road. A cascade telephone warning
system has been established. To date this has been activated once.
Work is underway to
establish a cascade system for the Rayleigh Road Business Watch scheme
I have been asked to
liaise with Churches Together with regard to beefing up the Church Watch
scheme. I have held one meeting with Reverend Dray and hope to be able to
finalise the new look scheme in the near future. Recent alert messages that
have been transmitted via Church Watch have revolved around the theft of lead
from roofs and means of preventing such thefts.
I will be involved in a
cycle tagging session at Southend General Hospital on Friday morning. I am
still awaiting confirmation re our planned session at Belfairs High School.
Highfield Gardens group
will be re-launching at the Southend Mosque on Thursday 22nd November. The plan
is to increase the area covered to include Highfield Crescent, Drive and Way.
Whilst crime in that area is low, the co-ordinator, Mr Qidway is keen to keep
it that way. The meeting will also give Pc Alex Bossom a chance to meet members
from this group.
Meetings are also in the
pipeline for some new schemes in Eastwood
In view of the continued
uncertainty regarding my post and the timescale for the appointment of the
Community Engagement Co-ordinator, I have cancelled the registration of the
database and have returned control of the database to Southend Police Community
Safety. Copies of the relevant sections have been circulated to all NSOs and
area inspectors. I will continue to maintain the database until the end of the
financial year or the Community Engagement Co-ordinator is appointed, whichever
comes sooner.
The scheme is still
developing with the signs funded by the panel being rolled out to complexes on
the western side of the Borough. Crime prevention talks are being presented on
a rolling programme. The early warning scheme from Sheltered Watch was
activated last week following reports of fake £1 coins in circulation
In view of the fact that
we have over 40 parks in the Borough it has been decided, after consultation
with the Parks Department, to run a quarterly meeting at the Civic Centre to
encompass all parks. Part of the reasoning behind this decision was that park
users raised the same (or similar) issues for each park. It seems logical,
therefore, to address these problems centrally. The next meeting will be held
on Tuesday 15th January 2008 starting at 7.30 pm
This scheme, which
covers all seven miles of coastline from the defence boom at Shoebury to Two
Tree Island, continues to grow. Foreshore crime is down. In part this is due to
the deployment of dedicated PCSOs but also because the Foreshore Watch
membership i.e. the yachting and leisure community is better informed and a
little more proactive in reporting crime and anti-social behaviour. Meetings
are held at Leigh Sailing Club, the next being Monday 14th January 2008
commencing at 8.15 pm. Negotiations are ongoing with the Leigh yacht clubs re
the provision of infrared capable CCTV for the cinder path.
On enquiry from the
Chairman Mr. Holland advised that the cost of printing 5,000 copies of Communicate is about £200.
Mr. Smith commented that
the loss of this publication would be lamentable.
Insp. Colwell assured
the Panel that this would not happen.
Mr. Holland confirmed
that he was able to advise coordinators of local crime statistics on request.
He will forward reports to the Secretary by email.
Neighbourhood Action Panels
Insp. Colwell thought
that the Panel had a positive role to play – providing feedback into the NAP’s.
The Secretary advised
that he was willing to filter information to Panel members if and when he
received it from NAP’s. It was a sure way of advising the groups represented on
the Panel of crime patterns in their areas in a timely fashion.
Any Other Business:
None
Date of Next Meeting:
Monday 21st January, 2008 at 7.30pm
The meeting closed at 9 pm.