New NPU Inspector

The new NPU Inspector for Runcorn from the 1st October 2008 will be Derek Lockie who is currently the Inspector at Risley. Can I thank you all for your support over the last two years, this has been the most challenging but most satisfying role I have had within the organisation and I am sad to be moving on but please give Derek the welcome I had on my arrival.

Operation Orange 3

This Operation has run throughout the school holidays, since the last day of school it has concentrated on high visibility patrols at schools and appears to have deterred offenders from committing crime on closed school premises.

Operation Granite 2-Nuisance motorcycles

The number of calls with regards to nuisance use of motorcycles in Runcorn is still lower than last year, 25 motorcycles have now been seized since.

Quest Appointments

Quest appointments are still high dropping from 176 to 171, there are still days when the NPU service 11 or 12 appointments.

Performance

Overall crime performance has been helped this month by the number of drugs offences detected at Creamfields but this along with and increase in some violent crime and burglary dwellings has pushed the numbers of offences reported considerably over the target figure set.

The arrest of a couple of prolific offenders recently is likely to see a reduction in the volume of crime reported.

Current Priority Areas

1. Anti Social behaviour by youths in the Halton Lodge area, this is being targeted working alongside the Registered Social Landlord.
2. Youth Nuisance in the Grangeway area.
3. Burglary dwellings
4. Violent crime

Licensing Issues

The Operational plan is in its final stages of development with the intention to roll it out during the autumn prior to Christmas.

Community Action Meetings

Runcorn Central

• Monday 22nd September 2008 6pm @ Brookvale Children's Centre, Woodhatch Rd
• Monday 15th December 2008 7pm @ Hallwood Park School, Hallwood Park Avenue

Runcorn East

• Wednesday 17th September 2008, 7pm @ Phoenix Park, Castlefields Avenue East

'Policing - Have your say' (Forum)

• Wednesday 8th October 2008, 7pm @ Grangeway Community Centre, Runcorn
• Wednesday 28th January 2009, 7pm @ Kingsway Learning centre, Widnes

Contact

In an emergency, always contact 999

For general enquiries or to report a crime or incident dial 0845 458 0000

For Crimestoppers ring 0800 555 111

For the Runcorn NPU ring 0845 458 6381 or e-mail
Runcorn.cat@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

To contact myself ring 01244 613912 or e-mail Richard.hill@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Richard Hill, Runcorn Neighbourhood Policing Unit

Quest Appointments

Quest appointments continue to be high but not quite so high as last month, 185 appointments were serviced during the month. There was a noticeable fall off of appointment after the tragic events of Sunday the 15th of June.

Performance

After a couple of months of performance which has not reached the targets, the NPU has bounced back and has exceeded the detection rate set. This is despite the tragic deaths of Amy and Owen Philbin and their father in North Wales which had a considerable impact on Runcorn NPU. The management of an evacuation and the international press interest in both the deaths and the subsequent funerals had an effect on Neighbourhood Policing for a number of days.

Neighbourhood Crime Team

The Neighbourhood Crime Team have contributed to the performance improvement this month with a notable success in arresting an offender for the series of burglaries at sheltered accommodation. Since this arrest the series of crime has stopped.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary inspection

The initial feedback from the HMIC was positive, suggesting that the Constabulary had made considerable moves towards embedding Neighbourhood Policing and Citizen Focus in our daily business. A number of members of staff from Runcorn were involved in focus groups with the Inspection team and their contribution was commented on positively. The hard work carried out by the NPU and Neil Drum who was the liaison officer for the Northern Area has put us in a very strong position to take us forward into what I describe as 'Neighbourhood phase 2'- this is the long term development of our engagement plans and the many projects that the NPU are involved in.

Thefts from the Elderly and sneak in burglaries

As mentioned above the series of crimes against the elderly seems to have stopped.

There have been a couple of incidents recently where offenders have sneaked in through insecure front doors whilst the occupiers have been in the back garden and stolen car keys and other property, please pass on the following messages:

• DO NOT leave house and car keys on view. Be aware of the Hook and Cane type burglars.
• DO NOT leave garden tools and ladders out for burglars to use to force entry to your home.
• DO lock all doors and windows of your home even if you are leaving for a short time or even sitting in the garden.
• Please also ensure that all valuables are taken from your car when you park up.

If anyone would like Crime Prevention advice please contact Phil Buckley on 01244 613971.

Nuisance motorcycles

The number of calls with regards to nuisance use of motorcycles in Runcorn has dropped dramatically in comparison with June 2007.

In the last month there have been 48 calls regarding such activity compared with 101 last year for the same period. Operation Granite 2 is the NPU's operation to target the use of such vehicles anti-socially. This operation started at the beginning of April resulting in 17 motorcycles being seized since it started, with 10 of these being seized in June. The operation appears to be having a fantastic impact on the anti-social use of motorcycles.

Current Priority Areas

1. Parking issues in Preston Brook.
2. Anti-Social behaviour by youths in the Halton Lodge area.
3. Youth Nuisance in the Grangeway area.

Proactive Operations

Sergeant Andy Delooze continues to run our proactive warrants operations, the NPU to date has executed 30 search warrants since January this year, the majority of these have been for drugs based on community intelligence and all have had a positive result.

Community Action Meetings

Runcorn Central

• Monday 11th August 2008, 7pm @ Palace Fields Community Centre, The Uplands
• Monday 22nd September 2008, 6pm @ Brookvale Children's Centre, Woodhatch Rd
• Monday 15th December 2008, 7pm @ Hallwood Park School, Hallwood Park Avenue

Runcorn West

• Thursday 17th July 2008, 7pm @ Runcorn Town Hall

Runcorn East

• Wednesday 17th September 2008, 7pm @ Phoenix Park, Castlefields Avenue East

'Policing-Have your say' (Forum)

• Wednesday 8th October 2008, 7pm @ Grangeway Community Centre, Runcorn
• Wednesday 28th January 2009, 7pm @ Kingsway Learning centre, Widnes

Contact

In an emergency, always contact 999

For general enquiries or to report a crime or incident dial 0845 458 0000

For Crimestoppers ring 0800 555 111

For the Runcorn NPU ring 0845 458 6381 or e-mail
Runcorn.cat@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

To contact myself ring 01244 613912 or e-mail Richard.hill@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Richard Hill, Runcorn Neighbourhood Policing Unit Inspector.

Quest Appointments

Runcorn NPU have dealt with 207 appointments in the last month which has ensured that those contacting the police to report a crime or incident which does not require an immediate response have been dealt with within 48 hours. This is a considerable improvement on the situation before the Quest appointment system was introduced.

Performance

Overall Crime in Runcorn is lower than the targets set, as is Criminal Damage and vehicle crime. The performance regarding Criminal Damage has been assisted by Phil Done, a CSI who is concentrating solely on this offence and by follow up visits from PCSO's.

Neighbourhood Crime Team

The Neighbourhood Crime Team has been running for a month with some notable successes which has included the arrest of a local prolific vehicle thief. DS Sharon Case and DS Dave Hutcheon lead this team who concentrate on burglaries, vehicle theft and assaults.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary inspection

The HMIC visit Cheshire starting the 2nd of June, they are focusing on Neighbourhood Policing and Citizen Focus, they will be speaking to officers and members of the public in the county to assess if Neighbourhood Policing is embedded in the core business of the force and to assess how we are improving with regards to Citizen Focus.

ArcAngel

Myself and Paula Davies spent a Friday afternoon and evening in the door way of ASDA at Runcorn promoting the ArcAngel message, using their sales figures we were able to target our activity when it would have the greatest impact.

We handed out 2250 leaflets to customers highlighting the issue of adults purchasing alcohol for youngsters and the situations that young people can find themselves in when they are drunk. The presentation was very well received and will continue during the summer at various locations around Runcorn.

National Tackling Drugs Week

National Tackling Drugs Week took place two weeks ago, it involved a series of multi agency initiatives including a low loader with a crushed car highlighting the powers we have to seize vehicles used in or purchased with the proceeds of crime.

We also sent out reassurance and advice using some Bluetooth technology which the local partnership have purchased, whereby active phones could be sent messages.

The week culminated in two warrants being executed in Murdishaw, Runcorn which resulted in the recover of some suspected drugs, other offences relating to abstracting electricity and theft of gas were also discovered.

Thefts from the Elderly

There has been an increase recently in the theft of money from elderly people within sheltered accommodation, an article has been in the local papers in the last week but if you know of any elderly people please reassure them and also encourage them to keep their valuables locked away. If anyone would like Crime Prevention advice please contact Phil Buckley on 01244 61971.

Nuisance Motorcycles/mini motos

There has been a general increase in calls regarding nuisance motorcycles, the NPU is running Operation Granite 2 to target those who use motorcycles illegally or in a way that causes annoyance. Last month 6 motor cycles were seized for no insurance and numerous people were warned for using vehicles anti-socially.

This operation will continue all summer, at times we will be using our off road motor cycles and the aeroplane.

Current Priority Areas

1. Mini Motos causing a nuisance in the Haddocks Wood area.
2. Anti Social behaviour by youths in the Halton Lodge area.
3. Youth Nuisance in the Grangeway area.

Community Activities

Members of staff from the NPU have been involved in a number of Neighbourhood days recently during which a subway on Windmill Hill and one on Castlefields were repainted covering graffiti. Also on Halton Lodge there was a Neighbourhood Clean up where all the partners and local residents including youngsters tidied the area up.

Some staff have also been helping with the Halton's Got Talent contest which is running as part of the Borough's support to Liverpool's year of Culture.

Contact

In an emergency, always contact 999

For general enquiries or to report a crime or incident dial 0845 458 0000

For Crimestoppers ring 0800 555 111

For the Runcorn NPU ring 0845 458 6381 or e-mail Runcorn.cat@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

The Quest appointment system has been running for a little over a month now, we are beginning to see a positive effect both in the time it is taking for us to make contact with the public and also a gradual reduction of other tasks as we are dealing with the issues quicker.

The issues at Grangeway are still evident, there have been a number of meetings with residents and the young people to attempt to resolve the problems. The community wants to improve the problem by working together with all the agencies. This is the first step to a 'Give us Back our Neighbourhood' Campaign The Castlefields and Windmill Hill Neighbourhood Management Board also want to be part of this campaign.

Another problem area in the couple of weeks has been the Ridgeway, Murdishaw where there has been an escalation of anti-social behaviour.

There have been a number of successes in the last month including the successful application for an Anti Social Behaviour Order. Also this month the NPU have found another Cannabis Farm at Walsingham Drive, Sandymoor, the premises had been rented out and contained 750 cannabis plants. One male was charged with cultivating cannabis.

The NPU now has identified PC's covering specific areas working with the local PCSO's. This is the first step to having PC's who are Beat Managers dealing with local issues. I will publish the list in the next week.

If you want to contact me or my team and don’t know how to you can ring 0845 458 6381and leave a message for us on our answer machine and someone should contact you within 48 hours, or send us e-mail at Runcorn.cat@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

The evening news last night had a piece about Time magazine in America saying that kids in the UK are all drunk and causing a nuisance all the time. It made me think about Runcorn and if it really is true.

We do have calls about young people hanging around and intimidating people just because they are there. Yes some of these kids do get drunk and do cause problems but it is not all of them, and if they are drunk they often get the drink they have from home or by asking adults to buy for them.

Last night, co-incidentally, the NPU along with Trading Standards ran a 'Proxy Purchase' operation, targeting adults who buy alcohol and then pass it on to the youngsters. We have prosecuted a number people recently who bought booze for kids and we will continue to run these operations. The message is don't buy booze for your kids to take out on a Friday night and if you are asked by kids outside an off licence it could cost you £80 for a fixed penalty!!!

It is often the case that the parents of these kids don't know where they are or what they are doing. People who are affected by the behaviour of some youngsters do not want to challenge them or give evidence against them as they fear they it will get worse.

A recent Panorama programme showed how a group of people helped themselves, the police and other partners to 'get the neighbourhood back'. This is not about being a vigilante but was about getting a sense of community back on the estate where anti social behaviour would not be tolerated. The community came together to say no and supported each other when one made a stand by making a statement to the police. I want to support communities that are prepared to come together collectively to say no-again I don't mean taking the law in your own hands but I mean working together to make Runcorn Safe and its residents Feel Safe.

The principle of collectively working together is the basis of the Neighbourhood Management Areas in Castlefields, Windmill Hill, Palace Fields and Hallwood Park. I am a member of both the boards and the joint lead for Community Safety on each with Alex Waller the Fire Station Manager.

Kids often say there is nothing for them to do, during the summer last year the Community Safety Partnership ran 'Friday Nights in the Park' at Phoenix Park in Runcorn and Victoria Park in Widnes. These initiatives offered activities which diverted young people away from hanging around and causing a nuisance. We hope to run these again this year and also to expand what is offered but they cost money and we are always looking for support. I am in the process of setting up a charitable fund 'The Halton Fund' which will in the long term support these types of initiatives. If you want to help with the fund contact me at Runcorn Police Station.

If you want to contact me or my team and don’t know how to you can ring 0845 458 6381 and leave a message for us on our answer machine and someone should contact you within 48 hours, or send us e-mail at runcorn.cat@cheshire.pnn.police.uk.

You could also post a response to this blog!

Hi I am Sergeant Chris Byrne I am the Neighbourhood Policing Unit Sergeant for Runcorn East which includes Castlefields, Windmill Hill, Murdishaw, Sandymoor and Daresbury.

Yesterday I was on days. I arrived for work about 7.35am and began to prepare my briefing for the staff-reviewing what had happened overnight. At 8am I briefed my staff and then at 8.45am went to the briefing room with the Inspector and Detective Chief Inspector to take part in the daily video briefing.

I then went back to my office and spoke to Lynn Parr the Castlefields PCSOs about one of her residents and also the recent theft of two boilers from newly built houses and how it could be prevented from happening again working with the builders and their security.

I then spent about an hour allocating Atlas tasks to my staff-Atlas is our records management system on which we manage our workload of crime and non crime related incidents. It is also our custody system and staff prepare prosecution files electronically using it. It is the main computer system that the NPU use.

During the morning I also had various people come to discuss issues that they had either on their beat or with individual cases they were dealing with. I gave them all advice and guidance about how they should deal with their issues.

I also discussed with one of my officers the new appointments system that is being introduced next Monday which should allow us to give an improved quality of service to the members of the public who make calls for us to deal with non urgent issues. Basically rather than people not knowing when we will initially contact them we will offer them an appointment to discuss their issue either at the police station or at their address, they will know when we should be in contact with them.

Just before lunch I had a discussion with Richard Hill and one of the other Sergeants about a problem we have been having around the Grangeway area and how we can deal with the issue of a large number of young people that are gathering there in the evening.

About 1.30pm I had some lunch for half an hour then carried on with clerical and Atlas management, I did not get the chance to go out on patrol.

During the afternoon I also spoke to a colleague who was investigating a recent fatal collision to see if there were any issues for the families of those involved or if it would have any impact on the local community.

I carried on working on Atlas until just before I went home at 5pm. As you can see a lot of my time when I am on days is spent in the office. When on lates I am able to get out more with the staff. I am passionate about people being safe and feeling safe and working towards this with all my staff as a big team.

If you want to contact me or my team and don’t know how to you can ring 0845 458 6381 and leave a message for us on our answer machine and someone should contact you within 48 hours, or send us e-mail at Runcorn.cat@cheshire.pnn.police.uk.

I'm Andy George, I am a PC in the NPU Investigative Team(IT) along with my colleagues I have responsibility for investigating vehicle crime and non-dwelling burglaries as well as dealing with people in the cells.

I arrive at work about 7.45 am when we have a team briefing. I then check what vehicle crime and burglaries have been reported overnight.

Our Sergeant allocates us follow up enquiries for the offences that have been reported.

We often go out after the briefing to arrest the people we suspect committing offences, if we arrest someone we will also search their house.

Once the house search is completed I would either go to the Custody Suite and interview the suspect if they were for one of my jobs or will go out and carry out follow up enquiries into any of the crimes reported overnight.

After Lunch I usually arrange to take statements from witnesses, complete any clerical I have to do and update Atlas.

The IT tend to deal with the more complex jobs on the Neighbourhood which can be very interesting. Recently as a team we have been involved in closing down a number of cannabis factory's in houses around the town.