New cop on town beat at Swaffham
SWAFFHAM'S neighbourhood policing team has been joined by a new sergeant who spent 13 years in the Metropolitan Police Service solving burglaries and robberies.
Sgt Dave George has a total of 20 years' experience in the police force, having moved to Norfolk in 2001.
He worked as a constable in Lynn, Thetford and Terrington St Clement, and for the last two years has been a response sergeant at Terrington.
Last week, three new priorities were set for Swaffham Safer Neighbourhood Team and its partners to tackle in the town, at a meeting with local residents in the Assembly Rooms. These were:
l Anti-social behaviour in Northwell Pool Road and Northwell Place;
l Increases in burglaries and vehicle crime in the Tumbler Hill and Orford Road areas;
l Anti-social behaviour and criminal damage near Lee Warner Road and Merryweather Road.
The Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel meeting also learned what the SNT team and its partners have done in the last few months to address three previous priorities.
To fight crime affecting the retail industry in the town centre and further developing the ShopWatch initiative, two dedicated Police Community Support Officers – Michelle Thurlow and Lisa Brown – have been appointed to increase public reassurance in Swaffham.
They have been carrying out targeted patrols and holding street briefings, and the policing team has seen a drop in criminal damage in the town centre.
The White Hart pub was closed after police enforcement action was taken in partnership with Breckland Council and the community.
Reported incidents of anti-social driving in Theatre Street car park, surrounding roads and the Market Place have significantly reduced, following police attention to these concerns and the completion of questionnaires by residents living nearby.
During the last two months, two vehicles have been seized, two fixed penalty notices were issued and five vehicle owners have received warnings after being caught driving in an anti-social manner in the vicinity.
And a multi-agency meeting was held at Theatre Street car park to investigate introducing a Respect Zone to make drivers aware that residents live close by.
The neighbourhood policing team has secured funding for this purpose and it should be implemented in the next few weeks.
Renewed attention is being given to tackling anti-social behaviour and drug misuse in the Northwell Pool Road area, even though the number of reported incidents have decreased. One young person already faces an offence of causing criminal damage to a car.
The next priority-setting meeting will be held at the Assembly Rooms on Tuesday, June 16, at 7.30pm.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
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Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
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