Safer Melbourn

cambridgeshire

www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/safermelbourn/

Melbourn’s new Pc

Pc Rachael Mallender

I am Pc Rachael Mallender and I will be the replacement beat officer for Pc Andy Bates. I joined the Melbourn/Bassingbourn policing team on 14th April 2009 and have been shadowing Andy since then in order to get a feel for the role and to familiarise myself with the area and local issues. I have been a police officer since January 2004 and my policing role since then has been as a reactive police officer, attending incidents over South Cambridgeshire as and when they are reported. During my time as a reactive officer between March 2005 and Oct 2007 I was based at Sawston Police Station to cover the area from Newmarket to Odsey up to Gamlingay and back to The Shelfords and the encompassed villages (including Melbourn).

I am looking forward to taking over from Andy after his impending departure and endeavour to continue his high standard of village policing. I can be contacted at Sawston Police Station by calling the non-emergency tel 0845 4564564 or by e-mail at Rachael.Mallender@cambs.pnn.police.uk Rachael will be the replacement beat officer for Pc Andy Bates. I joined the team on 14th April 2009 and have familiarise myself with the area and

Melbourn Police Station

Melbourn Police Station opening hours have changed as follows: Mon. 10.00 – 12.00 19.00 – 21.00 Tues. 10.00 – 12.00 Thurs. 10.00 – 12.00 The office is staffed by volunteers at the above times, but this is always subject to change.

NON EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER 0845 4564564 or 01480 456111

Your team is made up of the following officers: PCSO John Coppard, PCSO Carly Freed, Sgt Mark Kathro, PCSO Shaun White and PC Andy Bates. Not in the picture Pc Rachael Mallender and PCSO Paul Lancaster. Photo supplied by Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Solving the problem

Cambridgeshire has one of the lowest rates of crime and disorder in the country but if you’re the victim of crime or have to suffer the effects of anti social behaviour (ASB) then this fact probably offers little comfort.

As you might expect Melbourn gets its share of crime and ASB, it is a large and busy village after all. But it may surprise you to know, that based on the number of incidents reported to the police, one area stands out as having more of a problem than any other in the village, or even this part of the county, making it one of South Cambs ASB hot spot areas.

The problem area is the section of the High Street which includes the car park and, ironically, the police station. Reasons for this go back many years, in fact they go back so long that some in the village just see the problem as simply a fact of village life.

Five years ago some High Street residents came together to support the police in their efforts to tackle the ASB problem; we also wanted to lobby the Parish Council to design out and implement improvements that would ensure a lasting

www.cambs-police.co.uk/myneighbourhood/ecops/index.asp

benefit for residents in the area and, therefore, the village as a whole. In those five years we have seen positive changes in attitudes and actions towards ASB from both the Parish Council and the Police.

The police introduced Police Community Support Officers to Melbourn in 2004 and under the leadership of our Chief Constable, Julie Spence, Neighbourhood Community Policing Teams have been set up and are now established. Melbourn’s team has put time and effort into tackling the anti social and criminal damage problems in the High Street and their actions have resulted in reducing the number of reported incidents each quarter by more than half. With the Parish Council now looking into measures to improve the area things have moved on a great deal from where we were five years ago.

To help find a long lasting solution to these problems, Cambridgeshire’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership have set up a Problem Solving Group. The idea is to get everyone working together, “joined up thinking”. This group includes; the ASB case worker (chair), Police, Parish Council, District Councillors, District Council Officers and Youth Workers. These meetings are designed to be positive and pro active, they look at the problem as a whole to ensure that all actions taken are focused on tackling the root cause. Working together in this way, resources can be pooled and the problem is not left with one organisation in isolation to solve.

The fact that Melbourn has a Problem Solving Group should be seen by everyone in the village as a positive development as it shows that there is a will by those in positions of authority to get to grips with a problem that has blighted the heart of our village for many years. I have certainly got my fingers crossed for a positive outcome. Stephen Cambery Melbourn Neighbourhood Watch coordinator.

Call Handling Statistics

The Police Service Centre (PSC) deals with all crime and incident related calls to our non-emergency number 0845 456 456 4. The Centre is open from 0600 to 0100 Sunday to Thursday and 0700-0200 Friday and Saturday.

The unit currently has an employee establishment of 81 staff including Supervisors and Managers. Handling, on average, over 18,500 calls each month from which approximately 13,000 crimes and incidents are recorded along with a number of intelligence reports which are used by Police Officers. The PSC also provides a general information service for those members of the public who call us needing advice and support. There are currently no vacancies within the PSC. Between 0800 and 1900, there are a maximum of 25 Operators within the Centre (these numbers are reduced outside of these hours) dealing with your enquiries.

If you would like more information about our performance in this or any other area, please contact Tracy Blackwood via http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/contacthelp/contact/ and select the General Request Link.

Visits from Schools, Community Groups, local Councillors or any person who would like to see what they do are welcomed as well as your suggestions as to how they can improve the service they provide to you. Please use the link above, or contact your local PCSO or Police Officer to arrange a visit.

Policing pledge

Cambridgeshire Constabulary is committed to delivering a service deserved and expected by residents of Cambridgeshire. We will support law abiding citizens and pursue criminals relentlessly to keep you and your neighbours safe from harm. We will: 1 Always treat you fairly with dignity and respect ensuring you have fair access to our services at a time that is reasonable and suitable for you. 2 Provide you with information so you know who your dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team is, where they are based, how to contact them and how to work with them. 3 Ensure your Neighbourhood Policing Team and other police patrols are visible and on your patch at times when they will be most effective and when you tell us you most need them. We will ensure your team are not taken away from neighbourhood business more than is absolutely necessary. They will spend at least 80% of their time visibly working in your neighbourhood, tackling your priorities. Staff turnover will be minimised. 4 Respond to every message directed to your Neighbourhood

Policing Team within 24 hours and, where necessary, provide a more detailed response as soon as we can. 5 Aim to answer 999 calls within ten seconds, deploying to emergencies immediately giving an estimated time of arrival, getting to you safely, and as quickly as possible. In urban areas, we will aim to get to you within 15 minutes and in rural areas within 20 minutes. 6 Answer all non-emergency calls promptly. If attendance is needed, send a patrol giving you an estimated time of arrival, and: • If you are vulnerable or upset we aim to be with you within 60 minutes. • If you are calling about an issue that we have agreed with your community will be a neighbourhood priority (listed below) and attendance is required, we will aim to be with you within 60 minutes. • Alternatively, if appropriate, we will make an appointment to see you at a time that fits in with your life and within 48 hours. • If agreed that attendance is not necessary we will give you advice, answer your questions and / or put you in touch with someone who can help. 7 Arrange regular public meetings to agree your priorities, at least once a month, giving you a chance to meet your local team with other members of your community. These will include opportunities such as surgeries, street briefings and mobile police station visits which will be arranged to meet local needs and requirements. Your local arrangements can be found in the dates for your diary section.

9

10 Provide monthly updates on progress, and on local crime and policing issues. This will include the provision of crime maps, information on specific crimes and what happened to those brought to justice, details of what action we and our partners are taking to make your neighbourhood safer and information on how your force is performing.

Agree with you, if you have been a victim of crime, how often you would like to be kept informed of progress in your case and for how long. You have the right to be kept informed at least every month if you wish and for as long as is reasonable.

Acknowledge any dissatisfaction with the service you have received within 24 hours of reporting it to us. To help us fully resolve the matter, discuss with you how it will be handled, give you an opportunity to talk in person to someone about your concerns and agree with you what will be done about them and how quickly.

We want to do our best for you, but if we fail to meet our pledge we will always explain why it has not been possible on that occasion to deliver the high standards to which we aspire and you deserve.

Neighbourhood panel meeting

In January, the team were asked to prioritise 2 areas; 1. Non dwelling burglary 2. Road safety issues As a result of an upsurge in burglary offences across Southern Division (Cambridge City, East Cambs and South Cambs) I decided to also include dwelling and distraction burglaries into this priority. Officers from the neighbourhood team have visited all victims of burglary and carried out house to house enquiries, offering crime prevention advice, in an attempt to make buildings more secure and less attractive to burglars. We have also used ECops and neighbourhood watch schemes to inform residents of Melbourn about the current situation and action being taken. If you would like advice on how to make your house, or place of work, less attractive to burglars then please contact 0845 4564564 and ask for the Community Safety unit.

Three high profile road safety initiatives have been conducted across the Melbourn neighbourhood panel area. These have been considered as very succesful. As a result of these initiatives we have seized a number of vehicles for no insurance, issued £60 fixed penalty notices (which also carry 3 penalty points) for a varied number of offences and reported numerous drivers for driving at excessive speed. We have linked up with the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue service and have started to use education as well as enforcement tactics with some offending drivers, this has on the whole been well received. There will be more of these operations throughout the year, as well as continued patrols by your local officers. You can contact any member of the team by ringing the non emergency number or through the force website.