Community Safety

Community Safety - News

April to June 2011

Street Watch won the Petersfield Life Award 2011 for excellent work within the community. Street Watch schemes have been introduced in other parts of the country including Cheshire, West Midlands, Wiltshire, Surrey, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. This is a huge achievement as Street Watch started in East Hampshire. A new scheme has recently started in Rival Moor Petersfield.
A two page Community Safety article was published in June’s Partners Magazine which went to every household in East Hampshire. The article featured Street Watch, Neighbourhood Watch, the Youth Crime Prevention prison visit, significant reductions in Criminal Damage, Anti Social Behaviour and First Time entrants into the Criminal Justice System aged 10 to 17 years, Domestic Abuse and the Farming Project.
A press release was published for ‘The Big Spring Clean’ which took place in April 2011 in and around the Forest Centre in Bordon. This event included a litter pick, skips being provided, a BBQ, fun activities for young people and organisations promoting their services.
The newsletter for January to March 2011 has been circulated to all CTCG members and Councillors for wider circulation. The newsletters explain what the Community Safety Partnership has been working on in each of the four Community Forum areas.
The newsletters are published on our EHDC Community Safety Website.
The police and Community Safety Team have produced a programme to be delivered to schools regarding cyber-bullying and internet safety. These will be delivered to schools on request and will also form one of the Think Safe event scenarios.
Planning has started for Think Safe from 3rd to 7th October 2011. This will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park and all year six pupils have been invited. They will take part in an AM or PM session of 7 scenarios which deliver a key Community Safety message. The scenarios include Stranger Danger, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, what to do in case of a fire, road safety, internet safety, first aid and RNLI.
CTCG continues to attract strong membership. CTCG means Community Tasking and Coordinating Group. Members include local workers to that area, for example Community Safety, Councillors, Police, Housing Associations, ACSOs and Youth Services. The meetings take place once a month in each of the four Community Forum areas. Quality of life issues are discussed and actions are put in place to address them.
Each month in each of the four Community Forum areas, local workers discuss repeat callers, vulnerable victims or those who are known to be linked with Anti Social Behaviour. Actions are agreed to reduce vulnerability or to address Anti Social Behaviour.
The Chairman of the East Hampshire Independent Domestic Abuse Forum has delivered two radio interviews in April regarding what help exists for victims of Domestic Abuse in East Hampshire.
Ten Street Watch members were recruited at the Pinewood Village day in May. This sees the launch of Bordon’s first Street Watch scheme.
Country Watch Police Officers and the East Hampshire Community Safety Team attended the annual National Farm Union Walk at South Farm East Meon. This was a fantastic evening which was hosted by the Atkinson family. It gave officers the opportunity to hear some of the concerns of local farmers and to promote Country Watch and how it can support rural communities.

July to September 2011

A public notice will be published in the Alton Herald on 7th July regarding the Alton Designated Public Place Order.
Speed Watch will be launched in the South of Butser area on 8th July. This involves community volunteers being trained by South of Butser police to use speed monitoring equipment. Locations will be identified through the Parish Councils and updated via CTCG. Local radio stations, newspapers and television have been contacted regarding the launch.
The Community Safety Manager delivered citizenship lessons to year 9 pupils at Eggars School. These events promote being an active citizen and gave pupils the opportunity to meet Councillor Ken Carter and Councillor Dean Phillips and hear more about the role of Councillor.
There is an active Residents Association at Rival Moor which is chaired by local resident Steve Dewey and supported by local District Councillor Julie Butler, the East Hampshire Community Safety Manager, Police and Hampshire County Council’s Accredited Community Safety Officers. An Environmental Visual Audit is being planned which will take place within the next few weeks. This will give local residents and opportunity to walk around their area with officers and explain their local concerns. We can then determine what can be done to make improvements.
The Community Safety Team promoted the services of Youth Crime Prevention and the Anti Social Behaviour Officer at Radian’s Continual Improvement Group. This included an overview of what the service delivers and how to make referrals. The meeting was attended by Housing Officers and local residents and the presentations were very well received.
Trading Standards did a SCAM presentation at the Neighbourhood Watch AGM for the Petersfield area (PANWA). This was very well attended.
Street Watch is up and running in East Hampshire in the following areas: Cranford Road Petersfield, Holybourne, Four Marks, Liphook, Rowlands Castle and Rival Moor Petersfield.
Street Watch featured in the July 2011 edition of the Local Strategic Partnership newsletter. The article focused on how Street Watch started in East Hampshire and is now growing across the country. The newsletter also featured information about a police audit which found our monthly crime meetings to be ‘excellent’.
A Make a Difference Day was arranged for Friday 12th August around the Rival Moore Estate. It included a clear up of the Estate, BBQ and rounders game and was extremely well attended.
Work has started on a condensed project for the Alton Eastbrooke Area due to it being recognised as an area of high deprivation compared to other parts of the District. Statistics are being gathered to highlight key problem areas and then a plan of action will be created.

October to December 2011

Think Safe took place at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park from 3rd to 7th October 2011. Approximately 650 ten and eleven year olds took part in 6 different 15 minute scenarios. The scenarios included: Beach Safety, Dangers of Drugs and Alcohol, Internet Safety, Emergency First Aid, Road Safety and what to do in case of a fire. That aim is that these key messages will be remembered and help keep people safe throughout their lives.
The Community Safety Team is doing Crime Reports demonstrations at each of the four Community Forums. Crime Reports enables residents to type in their postcode or road and see what crime has occurred there. It is updated every 24 hours and is accurate down to approximately 6 houses. It also enables people to join Neighbourhood Watch on line and find out who their local police officers are.