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