OLD COLWYN EAST RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
Community Beat Manager Report by Constable Roscoe
14th April 2004
14th April 2004
Community Beat Manager Report by Constable Roscoe 14 th April 2004
The Chair introduced the Community Beat Manager, Constable Vicky Roscoe.
Question –Parking is a problem on the corner of Station Road and Cefn Road often completely excluding a view down Station Road to persons emerging from Cefn Road. This is a very dangerous issue. There is a single yellow line there, this is not enforced.
Answer The officer remarked that following the recent changes to the parking in the road, when she had been on duty, she had not seen any unlawful parking. Any such parking would be dealt with at the officer’s discretion by advice or by issuing a ticket depending on the circumstances.
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With relation to antisocial behaviour, she commented that calls are often delayed and the offenders have left prior to police arrival
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Drug users apparently believe that their mobile phones are tapped in the Old Colwyn area and that is the reason that they use public phone boxes.
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With relation to the drinkers in designated areas, the police are aware and try to patrol at the significant times, for instance 4 to 5 pm on a Saturday. When people are caught, it is up to the Council to prosecute and the police have to warn the people concerned the first time, consequently they have to be caught twice before they can be prosecuted. They are often dealt with by means of a juvenile nuisance form.
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Councillor Glyn Jones replied that it was in fact a police power under the Police Reform Act 2002 and in fact in certain circumstances would become arrestable.
There was some discussion about the offence concerned which is that of failing to stop drinking in a designated area when required to do so by a Constable or failing to hand over the liquor. It is police practice in Colwyn Bay to take the liquor off the offenders and warn in the first instance.
There was some comment about the Rat on a Rat concept that the number was not available when someone had tried to get hold of someone over a period of five hours one day. Constable Roscoe stated that the number concerned was a crime stoppers number and all crime stoppers calls would be resourced. There had been a very good case as a result recently where crack cocaine had been seized.
A resident asked “ Why won’t you pay the same attention to ordinary information?”
Answer All information is logged and assessed to ensure that it is the best information available. The assessment is done by the intelligence unit. That is if it comes to me direct, by email or anonymously. Obviously if a person living opposite a house has times and perhaps certain days and times that people are going to a house and registration numbers of cars that call at the house regularly, that would be highly assessed and we would be able to get a warrant.
The resident continued, I get the impression from the agenda that drugs sale and purchase continue openly, it is easily seen, commonplace and regular.
Answer It can be the case that the vehicles that pull up are from Liverpool. We can get the vehicle stopped by the ANPR team. They are the ones where you see a camera vehicle with several other police vehicles and a police motor cyclist. Often the vehicles are not owned by the people using them.
We get information about drugs activity but if I am on duty in uniform I won’t see it going on. I am often recognised when I am in civilian clothes.
There was a point made about information pertaining to a house which was used for drug taking. Names of those attending were passed to the police. A person suffering from a drugs overdose had been put outside the door for the ambulance to attend. The management had given notice to quit to the occupants of two of the flats for drug taking and the police had said there was insufficient information for a warrant.
Constable Roscoe said that It was up to the Inspector who had to sign for a warrant and it had been assessed and there was insufficient evidence for a warrant as there was a common front door and there were other residents in the building.
The point was continued that the flat numbers were specific to the inside flats and the flat numbers could have been specified. Activity had been seen there perhaps a week later with officers going into the flats but nothing was known about that activity.
Constable Roscoe made the point that there was not much information coming forward from the public. It needs to be specific, descriptions, registration numbers, and times and so on.
The damage in Old Colwyn East included three shop windows
A resident asked with relation to vehicle crimehow many offences there were of theft of motor vehicle and was told that there were none.
Councillor Bob Squire then asked if the figures were actual reports and was told yes He then asked if it was possible that any charges would be emanating from the reports.
Constable Roscoe replied That if an offender is outstanding for a crime, the system shows that the crime is undetected until the offender is arrested. It is therefore unreliable and quite a job to secure the results. It would be nice to know, historically it would be possible.
Councillor Squire Well that would be nice. It is similar to the CCTV figures, if 10,000 incidents are recorded, the information is wasted unless there is shown a relationship to offenders arrested, charged and convicted. The public wants to here that the police are taking cases on.
A resident said that when he originally tabled the point that it would be nice to hear of police successes, he did not intend that more stats be produced, in a list of offences just to occasionally say that an offender has been taken to court or arrested. We need good news.
A comment was made that for whatever reason the number of antisocial incidents was high. 76 people had found it necessary to make calls to the police about problems.
It was pointed out by Constable Roscoe that the Sergeant in charge of the CBMs had instructed that a rowdy bus be manned by the department every weekend, to pressure the groups who caused the problems.
Regarding a written question about whether the police were told about calls to the Antisocial helpline, Constable Roscoe said that they were not although she does liaise with the housing officer. She was not aware if the persons manning the line were trained.
In answer to a written question about CCTV incidents not recorded for statistical purposes or resourced by the police Constable Roscoe replied that whenever a call is received from the CCTV, an incident is created in the control room and therefore they are recorded statistically.
They are attended on merit alongside other ongoing incidents, the Control Staff may decide to monitor an event.
We are trying to get the ACR to resource Antisocial behaviour incidents quicker.
The secretary then gave input regarding a Police consultative meeting at Betws y Coed the previous evening when the Superintendent said that Communications will be a separate Division when it moves to St Asaph. This will have training and other advantages.
In answer to a written question about ASBO’s, Constable Roscoe replied that on initial arrival on the scene of an incident the officer decides how it will be dealt with, Juvenile Nuisance referral or other intervention, only where everything else such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts have been tried and failed will an ASBO be applied for.
There are 4 in Colwyn at present. numbers are on the low side in Old Colwyn at present, if bad behaviour of those given warnings etc stops, the Police will not seek an ASBO.
Details of all such incidents are collated and held by Stuart Lloyd the ASBO officer. He can be contacted through the Community Service Department and may be able to help with numbers of warnings etc.
Constable Roscoe said that there is a rowdy bus containing CBM officers every weekend and it is their job to police antisocial behaviour.
She offered her mobile number to be contacted with such ASB calls not response calls- 07774016832
Constable Chris Williams- 07867638345
She said she would not answer if engaged but people could leave a message. She repeated that if response is required, the caller should call 999 for an emergency or 08456071002 if not an emergency.
Constable Roscoe was thanked by the Chair for her input and there was a round of applause.
