Verbal Update from Inspector Gordon Fenwick
Minutes:
Inspector Gordon Fenwick of Nottinghamshire Police, provided an update to the Committee, highlighting the following points:
(a) there has been a recent split in the geographical areas covered by Inspectors, and a reorganisation of the Police. As a result, the Wollaton and Lenton Abbey area is now covered by 2 Police Inspectors;
(b) in the Lenton area, crime in general is comparable to levels last year, but with one issue – there has been a significant increase in shed burglaries. An arrest has been made of a prolific offender so shed burglary figures will come back down;
(c) in the Wollaton area, the biggest problem from residents is of people speeding in the 20mph zones. Nottinghamshire Police have carried out 10 operations, with additional operations conducted by Response Officers with hand held devices. This intervention has received positive feedback. A local Officer has been tasked to investigate the possibility of a community speed watch. Crime in general has decreased by 20%, apart from slight increase in burglary dwellings which will be investigated further.
There were a number of comments and questions from the Committee:
(d) the Committee offered thanks on the issue of speeding in 20mph zones. It has been very positive to see a number of speed traps on key 20mph roads, and these traps are welcomed by local residents;
(e) there is an ongoing speeding issue on Grangewood Road. As it is a wide, straight road, drivers speed along it to beat the congestion. Whilst there have been speed cameras deployed in Grangewood Road, it hasn’t been in the evening when the main problem occurs. Speed traps in the evening would be more beneficial;
(f) Cllr Sam Webster wished to put on record his concern that there was a lack of detail in the report. He understood that the Area Committee is now covered by 2 Police Inspectors but wanted to ensure that future reports have detailed information from both wards covered by the Area Committee;
(g) the Committee noted that the Police last reported to the Committee in May, and that area committees are often the only opportunity there is to update communities across the ward areas. The Area Committee requested a briefing note to be attached to future agendas with crime statistics and figures over a period. However, information to be attached to agendas needs to be available several weeks in advance of the meeting, and at meetings with Councillor Graham Chapman, it has already been agreed that Police will prepare a briefing document to be presented at area committees, rather than in advance, so that it contains the latest relevant information;
(h) as students have only just returned from summer holidays, there aren’t any detailed student crime figures available as yet. There has been one incident involving an office premises on campus being broken into, but an arrest has been made. There has also been an increase in thefts of bicycles from campus. Safeguarding of students is on ongoing part of the Police’s work;
(i) at the start of term there is a student week of action, which involves multi partnership working over a couple of weeks. Specific small A5 cards have been delivered to hot spot streets, and door knocking has taken place to encourage engagement. There have also been some stalls in Lenton and Dunkirk involving a multi partnership approach, and a coordinated approach has taken place with both universities. The student unions are also involved in planning and in the practical aspects such as the door knocking itself.