Swaffham beat gets stronger
POLICE coverage in Swaffham and its surrounding villages is to step up a gear following the appointment of two new officers.
PC Dave Johnson and Police Community Support Officer Michelle Thurlow will be joining the Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) to fill posts which have been left open in recent months and will take the complement of officers involved in the scheme to five.
The move coincides with a successful few months for the SNT in its bid to tackle low-level crimes such as anti-social behaviour, graffiti, criminal damage and inappropriate use of motorcycles.
Last Tuesday 43 members of the public attended a Community Action Group meeting at Swaffham’s Assembly Rooms, to help the SNT form its priorities for the next two months.
SNT leader Sgt Kevin Jervis said: “These meetings are about giving members of the public a chance to have a say on how police work should be prioritised.
“We do not decide what the priorities will be, it is the people who turn up who decide.
“These meetings are getting bigger all the time. People are realising that if they have issues we do listen to them and we do everything we can for a successful resolution.”
At the previous meeting residents reported problems in Sporle regarding youth disturbances in the village centre. The issue was made a priority for the SNT and the number of calls made to the police has since dropped.
For the two months prior to the meeting 25 complaints were made, but since it was made a priority only 13 calls were registered.
Similar success was recorded in relation to an anti-social resident living in Sporle Road, Swaffham.
New priorities have now been set to tackle disturbances caused by motorcyclists riding on the footpaths of Denny’s Walk, Narborough, and criminal damage on Chantry Lane, Necton.
Sgt Jervis said the success of the SNT can be attributed to a multi-agency approach.
He said: “In Sporle Road we had a resident who was causing a lot of problems with anti-social behaviour. We worked very closely with the housing association as the tenancy agreement was not being adhered to.
“The tenant has since left the address and at the moment it has been resolved through a partnership working.”
Despite enjoying a promising few months the SNT is keen to build on its success and hopes to encourage other groups in the community, such as pensioners, sixth formers and foreign nationals, to engage in the process.
The next Community Action Group meeting will be held at Swaffham’s Assembly Rooms from 2pm on Thursday, December 6.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 26 C
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