Donna Busuttill, Nottinghamshire Police
Minutes:
Inspector Donna Busuttil gave an update from Nottinghamshire Police on current issues relevant to the Dales, St Anns and Mapperley wards. She highlighted the following information:
(a) on Friday 10 February through to Sunday 12 February 2017 a joint operation was run along with Nottingham City Homes and the Community Protection officers on the streets of the wards. The operation was not a secret and people within the community were aware that it would be taking place, despite this a number of knives were recovered from individuals;
(b) a passive drugs dog was used and a number of seizures of controlled substances were made;
(c) in coordination with Nottingham City Homes and with a housing officer present 2 warrants were executed;
(d) Nottinghamshire police plan on running similar operations in the future and feedback or questions from those in the community are welcomed;
(e) nationally Police forces have changed the way that crimes are recorded. Many incidents that would previously not have been recorded as a crime and given a crime number now class as a formal incident and Nottinghamshire Police are in the process of reassessing a number of incidents and having to assign crime numbers to old cases. As a result the crime figures for the last quarter are not reflective of the crime that has been committed.
Following questions and comments from the Committee the following further points were made:
(f) in the Dales ward vehicle crime is up 12%, up from 9. There is no pattern to the crime and patrols have been increased. Shoplifting is up 24% and police are working with shop owners to reduce this. 3 burglaries took place which appeared to target Asian families, in particularly their jewellery. This fits with a pattern of crime seen in the neighbouring Carlton area where a person was apprehended on suspicion of burglary. Public Order crime is up by 54%, up by 24 incidents. This is attributed to old incidents being reopened as a result of the new reporting criteria;
(g) frustration was expressed that the new crime reporting legislation has led to very minor incidents and mischief calls being included in the crime statistics diverting time and resources away from more serious incidents;
(h) neither of the 2 recent murders in the Sneinton area could have been predicted or prevented. They were two separate incidents and there is no need for the community to feel unsafe. It was not possible for Inspector Busuttil to comment further due to ongoing investigation;
(i) despite residents commenting that they had not seen the Community Protection officers in the Dales ward the CPO’s have been working jointly with Nottinghamshire Police throughout the wards;
(j) Inspector Donna Busuttil offered to bring comparative figures to the next meeting to allow the Committee to see crime figures over a 6 month period which should give a clear picture following the changes in reporting legislation;
RESOLVED to thank Inspector Donna Busuttil for her attendance, note the content of her update and accept her offer of comparative figures at the next meeting.