PACT Meetings – (Partners and Community Together)

Hello,

Hampshire Constabulary are the same as most organisations in that once everyone is aware of the names of meetings and procedures – it’s time to change them. This has happened with the meetings we use to identify the 3 Community Priorities. Logically, the meetings were called Community Priority Setting Meetings – does what it says on the tin really. Anyway – because these meetings were called different names throughout the county, there is a new name now – they are called PACT meetings (Partners and Community Together). We have had PACT meetings now for both Northam and St Marys. Unfortunately the St Marys PACT only attracted 4 people to the meeting last Tuesday, and only 2 of those were residents. Nevertheless it was a good meeting as those that did attend stated they thought they were very useful as we had managed to sort out the problems that had been brought to the meeting quite promptly, and if there were not the meetings, then those problems would not have been sorted out.

As such the St Marys PACT struggled with any new priorities, so we kept the same ones. These are:
Double parking in St Mary St – where we have issued 6 tickets now,
Youth Nuisance on Holyrood Estate – that has improved following good liaison between the youth leader, housing and ourselves with one particular address
Drug issues in Golden Grove – We have completed 2 positive drug warrants in Golden Grove in the last month. However, the very next morning after the PACT meeting we received emails from a resident complaining about cyclists using the pavement on the Itchen Bridge. Oh, if only these people had come to the PACT it would have been something to discuss…. and new people there as well. We advertise the meeting in the Echo, posters in all the blocks and I send out the invite to an email list of several hundred. Still, I guess that if there is a big problem that affects lots of people, then at least some of them would come along. Mind, I suppose it also shows that we are accessible to people if they have concerns, either at meetings, by phone, email or letter. If anyone has any ideas how I can get more people to come along – then please let me know.

PC Jeanette Denton organised her drug operation at some of the Halls of Residence on Monday. We were supported by the Halls managers and had a drugs dog that ran around the Halls with such vigour that only drugs dogs do. The dogs really enjoy their work and scamper around sniffing everything. The dog identified several rooms. Although no drugs were found it send a message to the students that drugs would not be tolerated in the Halls. We will be doing more operations in the future.

We had the Northam Patch Chat on Wednesday. This is a closed meeting attended by the police, Housing providers and community representatives. We discussed everything from the planned improvements called ‘Decent Neighbourhoods spend’ where it is planned to improve parking, play areas etc to anti social behaviour and dog mess. These are quarterly meetings and we also hold them in Kingsland, Golden Grove and Holyrood.

Well, that's it for now

Cheers

Dick