Agenda item

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.

To note the Action Tracker

These were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Matters Arising.

Deborah Yeates, Inspector for Avon & Somerset Constabulary provided the Partnership an update on 2015/16 NP Policing priorities.

The following points arose:-

• ASB – a task group met every two weeks to discuss the main problems and organise extra patrols where there were particular issues. Joint working with the City Council had brought an injunction against a man who persistently caused problems for local people in the Ledbury Road area of Hillfields.
• There was a lot of literature available from Crimestoppers which would be made available to the NP;
• Prostitution – This was an on-going priority . It was more frequently reported now but it was best to assume the Police didn’t know than assume they did;
• Drugs – warrants had been obtained to access premises in the Hillfields and Oldbury Court areas where stashes of drugs were found;
• Education Programmes – The Catch 22 Programme worked with young adults to divert them away from crime;
• Domestic burglary – areas which had experienced this were given priority leafleting;
• The radio system Shopwell system was being used by trading groups to report crimes.

• It was reported that there were 2 street drinkers on pavement outside Sainsburys and they were not homeless. The Inspector agreed to investigate and report back; The Streetwise Initiative was a joint operation with the City Council that worked with homeless people and provided outreach services for them. There was also a website and app called Streetlink where you could report rough sleepers;
• Councillor Threlfall referred to a recent Licensing Committee hearing where a licence was refused as it was close to a rehab centre. She felt the message about such problems was not getting through to Licensing members;
• It was noted that kerb crawlers were sometimes issued with ASBO’s and yet information about these individuals was not available to the community. The Inspector replied that the success rate of the change course was so good that it was often not necessary to issue an ASBO. She agreed to investigate the protocols for sharing such information;
• Discussion took place at the lack of feedback on Neighbourhood Watch matters. A partnership member felt that her local Neighbourhood Watch had deteriorated as there was no rapport with the Police. She understood that policing structures had changed but pointed out that Neighbourhood Watch representatives were a willing resource and should be made use of. The NP Co-ordinator reported that the Greater Fishponds NP had always had a good representation from local Neighbourhood Watch Groups. He suggested that including the establishment of Community Safety subgroup as 2016/17 Police Priority may present a role for a Neighbourhood Watch representatives;

• The NP were asked their priorities and these were agreed as:-

1. Begging and street drinking – there appears to have been an increase in the NP area, perhaps displaced from the City Centre or possibly a new set of people.

2. Parking around schools.

3. Prostitution and exploitation.

4. Burglary.   

5. Local Neighbourhood Watch Subgroup.

            The NP agreed the priorities listed above.