Minutes of the Neighbourhood Watch Meeting held at the Wedgwood Sports & Social Centre on

Wednesday 18th June 2003 at 7.30 pm.

Present   20  members attended plus the police below

   Police Representatives  PC Andy Holland

In the chair George Jackson

 

1.    Apologies for absence

   Apologies were received from:  7 Members
  
2.    Minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 5th March 2003

      The minutes were read and passed as a correct record.

3.    Matters arising from the Minutes

      There was no further information on the canalside incident.

4. (a)    Report from Police Representatives
   
Burglary Dwellings  1 bds had been reported. In Old road whilst an elderly resident was in hospital entry to the property was obtained by breaking a transom window and then opening main window - an untidy search followed and cash ca £200 was taken - no other items.

Burglary other buildings

In March there were five incidences all involving sheds - doors forced and items stolen included golf clubs later found abandoned on the tow path.  Sheds of properties on Meaford road were accessed from the canal path.

Also  in March a child's electric car was taken from a house in Tittensor Road.  This was recovered later at the Plume of Feathers but the culprit escaped.

 In April there was a break-in at the Londis shop at Leeses Garage; thieves took cigarettes.  The car was recorded on CCTV but identification is proving difficult.  There was a similar break-in at Hixon the same evening.

Vehicle Crime

Thefts of vehicles - an Escort was taken from Flaxman Close in May - not recovered.
   
Thefts from motor vehicles
   
There were nine incidences in two of which the attempts to gain entry were unsuccessful.  In the remainder entry was usual obtained by forcing doors or boots or smashing windows, and again, items' taken included a handbag (from a secure boot) and CD/cassette players- in one case the haul included 59 CDs.  At the Golf Club driving documents were taken but the theft of the car foiled by a steering wheel external lock.  Power tools taken.

Diesel fuel was stolen from Cottage Furniture and a petrol hedge trimmer left at side of road stolen

5.    Other crime

In another incidence a car tyre was slashed - could be an aggro attack.
There was still some nuisance around the shop in Ivyhouse Drive and complaints from elderly residents on the Park due to youths playing football.  Two females had been served with Anti Social Behaviour Orders with good results.   
  
6.    Any Other Business

 In March, we heard a report of the Police Performance Review for the period April to December 2002.  The review included categories including: burglary dwellings, vehicle crime, violent crime, domestic violence, disorder and nuisance, drugs, major crimes/incidents, 999 calls, immediate response.

This evening Mr. P. Proctor gave us the updated results for the full year year April 2002 - March 2003 which compared results for the year ending March 2002.

 Some Examples

All Crime and Detection - down by 7.37% - the largest reduction in England and Wales (average increase of 7.01%).

Burglary Dwellings down by 20.1%.  Burglary commercial premises down 78.7%.

Vehicle Crime - down 18.95%. Theft of mvs down 20.9%. Thefts from mvs 18.05% decrease.

Violent Crime increased by 2.7% against the Average increase of 22.12%.

Public & Nuisance Disorder down by 4.19%.

999 calls - target response to answer 90% of 999 calls in 10 seconds.  Performance 90.46%.  Percentage of public satisfied with arrival of police in response to call 91.5%.  Note there are 2.8 million calls per year.

Conclusions - decrease in overall level of recorded crime.
Detection rates among the best nationally.
Strong performance in dealing with priority crime.
Target achieved in answering 999 calls.
Officer productivity rates have increased.

7.    Date and Place of the next Meeting

The next meeting will be at Wedgwood Club on Wednesday September 17th.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.05 pm.

 

   Signed ................................

                 Chairman

  17th September 2003