Summer in the city?

Well, is summer here early this year - or will this be our summer?

At least it is more pleasant for the team as they pound the streets of St Marys and Northam, back in shirt sleeves rather than fleeces. Of course everyone else thinks summer is here as well, and we have had several calls this week regarding nuisances in the parks. One of the main complaints is people using barbecues. I have not been able to find that this is against any bye law and it seems people can use barbecues in the parks, unless someone can tell me otherwise? However, of course if you have the barbecue directly on the grass, and damage the grass, then this can be considered criminal damage. There are also littering offences if people do not tidy up behind themselves, and of course the parks are within the drinking control zone for Southampton, so alcohol can be confiscated and poured away if there is any anti-social behaviour linked to the drinking. We do this as a matter of course on Friday and Saturday nights in the City Centre.

Another complaint is youths playing football in the cricket squares - funnily enough the byelaws do cover this, in that people are not allowed to play another sport in an area set aside for a particular sport, although of course the byelaws do not write it a plain as that. City patrol can also use these powers and patrol the parks as well as ourselves.

Crimes wise, vehicle crime for Northam and St Marys is still quite low - 9 reports in the last month compared to 15 over the same period last year. However, cycle thefts are on the increase throughout the city. If you have a bike, please ensure you secure it properly, get it security marked, and if it is an expensive bike - which is more likely to be unique - then take a photo. If it is stolen we can circulate the photo.

One of the things I have not mentioned much before in the blog is our work with older, troublesome teenagers who are leaving school. Although it is difficult for us to engage with many of them, because they do not want to be engaged with, we have managed a few introductions in the past. This year PCSOs Mark Reynolds and Ed Wiggans, and PC Phil Warwick have been assisting youngsters to get to college, into other post-school training and, in some cases, introductions for jobs. Its up to the young people themselves after that to do their bit. We are currently waiting for the results of a few referrals to Sparsholt College and I have a meeting with one young person next week when they attend the Youth Offending Team for their supervision work. It is an area I think we can develop, and if we can get a few results, then we may get the trust of others and help them towards work rather than accepting a life of crime.

You may recall a few weeks ago I mentioned we had gained an interim anti-social behaviour order against a young person, and almost the next day they were arrested for breaching the ASBO, well they are in custody again for breaching it.