Alresford & District Neighbourhood Watch Association
Issue No. 43 Summer 2012
Hampshire Constabulary has launched its
summer drink-drive reduction campaign.
Last year 692 people were arrested
between June 1 and September 1 on suspicion
of drink-driving and 561 were charged.
With Britain hosting the 2012 Olympics,
Police are anticipating a potential rise
in people unwittingly getting behind
the wheel drunk as they celebrate what
is hoped to be a golden year for UK athletes.
Officers will be carrying out early morning
operations, targeting those who may still
be suffering the effects of alcohol consumed
the night before and will breathalyse
everyone suspected of a driving offence.
Superintendent Chris Brown, Head of Roads
Policing for Hampshire and Thames Valley,
says "The last thing we want is
for 2012 to be a year some would rather
forget because of drink driving. Drinking
late into the evening and then getting
up early for work, is not a good combination.
Just because you've had a few hours sleep
doesn't mean all the alcohol has left
your system and you could still be driving
to work over the limit."
Anyone caught drink-driving faces a minimum
12-month disqualification, a substantial
fine and possibly a custodial sentence.
Any amount of alcohol affects your co-ordination
and judgement. The simplest and safest
option for everyone, is not to drink
if you plan to drive.
We carry the banner at the bottom of
this page every issue, but it can bear
with expanding.
It is vital to report incidents as soon
as possible after they happen. It may
not always be possible, or appropriate
for an officer to be deployed, but the
Police can build up a picture of incidents,
times and locations for future use.
By all means inform your local Coordinator,
but the resident’s first action
should be to alert the Police.
101 is the only number you need to remember
for non-emergency calls. Use 999 if there
is a crime in progress, life in danger
or violence being used
We thank Phoenix Auto Services Limited for their sponsorship of this Newsletter
The Alresford & District Neighbourhood Watch Association AGM will be held at Alresford Golf Club on Wednesday September 19th at 1930. Steve Foye from Hampshire Fire and Rescue - see below - will speak.. .
This year, the HNWA AGM was held in Alton Methodist Church on May 19th.
Once again we were pleased that the Chief Constable, Alex Marshall, had felt it important enough to give his time to address us. He is an excellent speaker and creates confidence that his force will flourish, even with the stringent cutbacks enforced on the Police.
While Hampshire has lost 894 posts in 13 months, this was mainly support staff, with only 30 being made redundant. The loss of experience is the most serious issue. We now have the fewest number of senior officers of any UK force and we actually have more front line officers in 2012, (2230), than in 2010 (2224).
Community Resolution is giving discretion to PCs to use common sense and sound judgement to deal with minor incidents. For example, minor damage paid for and an apology given is better than putting youngsters into the ‘system’. There are many examples of how well this works and there are plans to extend it to PCSOs.
Steve Foye from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, spoke about how their priority was to prevent incidents. This included school teams to educate youngsters. Identification of vulnerable people (over 65/disabled/ smokers/drinks/drugs) is vital. Hampshire are leading prosecutors of arson and have a Police employee within HFRS to help combat the crime.
The final speaker was Mark Hibbert-Hingston of Winchester Street Pastors, a church based organisation which volunteers to be in the city centre at night, mainly at weekends - engaging with people on the street - to care, listen and dialogue. Teams of 3 volunteers patrol from 10.00 p.m. to 3.30 a.m.
Winchester, one of 150 schemes across UK, has been operating since early 2011 and has 45 volunteers, each having the support of their church. The scheme has wide community organisation/ business support and is funded by the Police, Council Safety Partnerships and voluntary donations. It has seen a 25% crime reduction (not provable), on nights the Pastors are deployed.
Their trademark is handing out a lolly,
as they feel it is difficult to be
aggressive with a lolly in your mouth!
Water is also well received by many
of their “customers”.
For more info see-
www.streetpastors.co.uk/CurrentLocations/South/Winchester/tabid/836/Default.aspx
This edition of the Newsletter should
be delivered with your copy of the village
magazine. You join three other areas,
Old Alresford/Gundleton/Bighton, Easton/Martyr
Worthy and Itchen Abbas/Avington, that
receive their copy in this way. We thank
the local distributors for their help
in making this happen. Richard Milligan
continues to be the Coordinator for
Bishop’ s Sutton.
Recently an elderly lady who lives in Cheriton was visited by a stranger, asking if she had any jobs that needed doing.
An hour later the lady received a phone
call telling her that police had found
her purse and could she pass her pin
number over to the caller.was done by
the lady. A friend who helps the elderly
lady concerned, rang her bank, but was
too late to stop £100 being removed
from her account.
NEVER divulge personal information, such
as PIN numbers, even if the caller sounds
genuine.
For your information, this Newsletter will be made available on the internet soon after the hardcopies are delivered to town residents by their Coordinators. This is the address, where previous Newsletters can also be found.
We welcome Imogen Oxley, who has taken over the Windsor Watch from Audrey Chalk. Our sincere thanks go to Audrey, who has been a loyal Neighbourhood Watch supporter from our early days in Alresford, as Coordinator, Committee member and one time Vice Chair of the Association.
We are saddened to report that Margaret Cox died, aged 75, on 6th May, in Old Alresford Cottage Residential Care Home. Margaret had been Coordinator for Lindley Gardens, a Committee Member and Hon. Treasurer.
USEFUL CONTACTS Mention that you are in an active Neighbourhood Watch area when placing calls |
|
---|---|
EMERGENCY 999 | Crime in progress Life in danger Violence being used |
NON –EMERGENCY 101 | Report minor crime |
0845 045 45 45 | Contact Police officer Leave messages |
ALRESFORD POLICE STATION ENQUIRY DESK |
|
Subject
to operational
demands or,
by appointment
- telephone
0845 045 45
45 |
|
Hampshire Constabulary web site www.hampshire.police.uk |
Alresford & District Neighbourhood Watch web site www.neighbourhood.watch.alresford.org |
This year, the force’s county wide anti-social behaviour (ASB) campaign will run from June 2 to September 8. There is a dedicated team, involving Alresford officers, visiting areas liable to attract ASB. They have powers to ban individuals from specific areas and to seize alcohol or vehicles to ensure everyone can enjoy the summer safely.
Although people of all ages become involved in anti-social behaviour, parents are asked to keep an eye on their children during the school holidays to avoid them becoming involved in ASB. Residents are urged to report any incidents to 101 so that resources and efforts can be targeted effectively.
Several local businesses, working with PCSO Steve Hull, have set up an alert system usingway Vertex Walkie/Talkie radios. This includes a radio at the Police station.
The system worked well at the Watercress festival, when there was a lost child. All the shops and pubs were updated and the child was found.
Steve has found that businesses and pubs are talking a lot more to each other and improving community and business relations.
PCSO Steve Hull will be leaving Alresford to work closer to his home on the Isle of Wight. While we will all be very sorry to see him go, our loss is the Island’s gain. Steve has done a lot of good, both for the local community and for the Police. He is the embodiment of what “Safer Neighbourhoods” is all about. Thank you Steve!
Other changes will involve officers working from Alresford shortly. PC Matt Dunlop will be replacing PC Don Hagger, who retired in April.
The Police Station will be relocating to Alresford Fire Station towards the end of the summer, when the necessary building works have been completed.
We often highlight scams on these pages.
Hampshire Trading Standards have now set
up their own bulletin. There is a link
on the right hand side of the page at -
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/tradingstandards/tradingstandards-scams.htm
You are invited to refer concerns directly
to Hampshire County Council Trading Standards—tel.
01962 833 620 or
e-mail - ts.intel@hants.gcsx.gov.uk
While everyone is able to access incidents, including ASB, on line, at - www.crimereports.co.uk , it should be pointed out that this system is still in development and is not always complete.