Hello again,
I have been checking the analytics of the blog again and am pleased to say that the monthly average number of visits to the blog is up about 140 a month now. That’s really good, and it’s about a 50/50 split on new visitors and returning visitors. So if you are returning visitor – thanks for coming back and would be great if you could send some comments to let me know what you think and anything that you would like included. For the new visitors – welcome and I hope you become repeat visitors. The average time spent on the blog is over a minute – and when you think of how much can be read in a minute – that’s very good really. The best in the current month is a visitor from New York state in the USA – on their first visit that spent over 30 minutes on the blog. Also visits from Brazil, Ireland, Australia and Germany.
Yesterday we had the St Marys Community Priority Setting meeting at Central Hall. Although only 7 people attended, there was some good discussion regarding the concerns and worries. You may remember that one of the Community Priorities for St Marys was anti social behaviour related to unemployed people. I had gained details from the Council about the Worklessness project and the have schemes in Woolston and Harefield looking at getting people back to work. There is also the SAFE project and that currently has a scheme running at James St Church. Mandy from the church gave us some information about that. So there is a lot going on.
In fact this priority was closed as we have some ideas of schemes, and the homeless drinkers in Holyrood priority was also closed, due to a couple of chaps being arrested and the problem has reduced. In their place, the two new priorities were agreed as Drug Dealing and activity at the rear of block 122 Golden Grove and Street Drinking in Kingsland Square. These will both be dealt with by way of increased and directed patrols to the area and stop checking/searching people and enforcement of the drinking zone regulations. Pretty straight forward priorities for us. The neighbourhood Wardens will also assist with the drugs as they can report any drug related litter etc.
I think I mentioned that several of my PCSO have applied to join as police officers now that recruiting has started again. Well, it is no surprise that they are starting to be accepted. PCSO Kelly Drodge has been accepted, subject to her medical and the others have their assessments coming up this month. Good luck to them all and hopefully we will get replacements in quickly so we can continue with all our engagement.
I visited the Pupil Referral Unit in the Melborne Centre last week which caters for some of the older kids out of mainstream education. Obviously there are some challenging individuals there, and staff are keen to get us to pop in and be part of the school. PCSO Mark Reynolds has often visited in the past and done sports with some of them, but hopefully the plan is to have a bit more of a forum type engagement and help to break some barriers between the kids and the police. Many of the children here have had plenty of contact with the Police, but often not friendly.
Finally, earlier today we had another meeting about the new Police Station. I am the ‘move champion’ for the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, looking to ensure we get the facilities etc that we need. The new station is coming on well, and hopefully this time next year we will be there. Let’s see…
Till next time
Cheers
Dick
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
New Community Priority for Northam
Hello
I had a really busy weekend as it was my nights weekend again, dealing with the Night Time Economy. Friday night was not too bad, but Saturday was very busy. Being the end of the month is payday weekend, and that always means more people out and about. Unfortunately the rain did not help us, sometimes it does help people to go home, but Saturday it made no difference to the revellers – but we got soaked. Our Chief Inspector – Alison Scott, came out with me on Saturday night as well. And without prompting, the staff at Aqua Lounge mentioned that they read my blog – thanks – that impressed her! I had a long report to write after Saturday night, we had concerns over some door staff and also with the road works that the council are doing in Above Bar St. They had left paving slabs all over the place so we were lucky none got thrown around. We also went into Bliss to have a look around, checked out their CCTV etc. It’s a long time since I have been into a nightclub – and now I know why! I am getting too old for all that noise, so dark you cannot see where you are – give me a nice old country pub and a pint of real ale anytime! Still, that’s my nights done for a few weeks.
I was straight back in for Monday, as we had the Northam Community Priority Setting meeting. It was decided to close the priority regarding dog mess – the council are dealing with this issue anyway, and it was raised about people turning right out of Northam estate at Hilda Place onto Northam Rd. That’s another traffic issue for us to look at. That means all the community priorities for Northam are traffic related. Plenty of opportunity for tickets for PC Dave Houghton – he has done over 50 since November. In fact it is quite pleasing that there are no bigger community issues that are being passed our way.
Monday we also had the St Marys Traders Association meeting. They are looking at ways of regenerating Old Northam Rd and St Mary St and are trying to get support from all the traders. The West Itchen Trust is also involved, and while the Association is getting off the ground slowly, there is progress. Last weekend we had 2 burglaries in the business premises of Old Northam Rd, there was someone arrested for one of the burglaries.
The CCTV in the blocks in Holyrood is working well. We were called by them last week regarding a young man urinating in the lift. The CCTV is very good now, and we were able to identify him, and he was issued with n £80 fixed penalty notice – that’s not exactly spending a penny!! Anyway the message will get around that the CCTV is good and that we are working with the council to deal with incidents of anti social behaviour.
Team wise, I will probably be losing some of my PCSO soon. Four of them have applied to join the Constabulary as Police Officers and are going through their final interviews. Whilst I wish them well with their futures, it will leave a huge hole in experience within the team. It takes a while to recruit new PCSO as well, so we will probably be holding a few vacancies in a few months.
I have the Golden Grove patch chat on Tuesday afternoon, then tag at St Marys School. I am off to have a chat with the head teacher at the Melbourne centre (Pupil Referral Unit) on Wednesday regarding some closer working, and of course next Tuesday we have the St Marys Community Priority Setting meeting. The team have the 4 Junior PCSO sessions to run, so it’s all go.
Cheers
Dick
I had a really busy weekend as it was my nights weekend again, dealing with the Night Time Economy. Friday night was not too bad, but Saturday was very busy. Being the end of the month is payday weekend, and that always means more people out and about. Unfortunately the rain did not help us, sometimes it does help people to go home, but Saturday it made no difference to the revellers – but we got soaked. Our Chief Inspector – Alison Scott, came out with me on Saturday night as well. And without prompting, the staff at Aqua Lounge mentioned that they read my blog – thanks – that impressed her! I had a long report to write after Saturday night, we had concerns over some door staff and also with the road works that the council are doing in Above Bar St. They had left paving slabs all over the place so we were lucky none got thrown around. We also went into Bliss to have a look around, checked out their CCTV etc. It’s a long time since I have been into a nightclub – and now I know why! I am getting too old for all that noise, so dark you cannot see where you are – give me a nice old country pub and a pint of real ale anytime! Still, that’s my nights done for a few weeks.
I was straight back in for Monday, as we had the Northam Community Priority Setting meeting. It was decided to close the priority regarding dog mess – the council are dealing with this issue anyway, and it was raised about people turning right out of Northam estate at Hilda Place onto Northam Rd. That’s another traffic issue for us to look at. That means all the community priorities for Northam are traffic related. Plenty of opportunity for tickets for PC Dave Houghton – he has done over 50 since November. In fact it is quite pleasing that there are no bigger community issues that are being passed our way.
Monday we also had the St Marys Traders Association meeting. They are looking at ways of regenerating Old Northam Rd and St Mary St and are trying to get support from all the traders. The West Itchen Trust is also involved, and while the Association is getting off the ground slowly, there is progress. Last weekend we had 2 burglaries in the business premises of Old Northam Rd, there was someone arrested for one of the burglaries.
The CCTV in the blocks in Holyrood is working well. We were called by them last week regarding a young man urinating in the lift. The CCTV is very good now, and we were able to identify him, and he was issued with n £80 fixed penalty notice – that’s not exactly spending a penny!! Anyway the message will get around that the CCTV is good and that we are working with the council to deal with incidents of anti social behaviour.
Team wise, I will probably be losing some of my PCSO soon. Four of them have applied to join the Constabulary as Police Officers and are going through their final interviews. Whilst I wish them well with their futures, it will leave a huge hole in experience within the team. It takes a while to recruit new PCSO as well, so we will probably be holding a few vacancies in a few months.
I have the Golden Grove patch chat on Tuesday afternoon, then tag at St Marys School. I am off to have a chat with the head teacher at the Melbourne centre (Pupil Referral Unit) on Wednesday regarding some closer working, and of course next Tuesday we have the St Marys Community Priority Setting meeting. The team have the 4 Junior PCSO sessions to run, so it’s all go.
Cheers
Dick
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