POLICE&CRIME2008

Who needs an 18 point Action plan

I saw a big poster advertising the Chippy News saying "18-point Police Action Plan". I then get through my letter box a copy of the said Action Plan which announces..."The following agencies ....have agreed to adopt an Action Plan". The list includes Chipping Norton Town Council. I'm a member of the Town Council and I'm seeing this Action Plan for the very first time. How can we possibly have adopted it What the hell is going on Have the Police usurped our democratic procedures now Who has actually produced this Plan What sort of legitimacy does this so-called Stakeholders Group have Who appointed them Looks a bit like local political control of the Police to me. This Plan is presumably what was hatched up at the secret meeting recently - supposedly chaired by D.Cameron (except I'm told he wasn't there for very long). The Action Plan is full of education workshops and Action days and events and newsletters and "What's my Bobby" and reviews and stakeholder meetings and drives. There's even a mention for the Neighbourhood Action Group (remember that organisation anyone) There's one event (Action No 8) which is a Community Action Day to take place in Chipping Norton to deal with Environmental Crime. Who on earth knows what Environmental Crime means....and how do you sort it out in a day. I have a terrible feeling that this probably means we all go out and pick up dog poo. Inspector Evernden has got the wrong end of the stick. What we have all been asking for is some reassurance that we would be getting more real policemen on our streets - particularly after dark. Not a single word about that in the Action Plan. The second thing we wanted was for the Inspector to come to a Public Meeting to answer our questions. That's not happening either. Looks as if the Inspector is avoiding us. Instead Action No 1 says that Gina Burrows will be organising a Public Community Safety Workshop - THIS MONTH!. The Inspector obviously believes we are all delusional and everyone is just imagining the vandalism, the broken shop windows, the fires, the stolen cars, the gangs of kids marauding the streets, the rowdyism, the fights in the Market Square every Saturday night. Whatever anyone says about Chipping Norton being safe I don't know any woman who would feel happy walking alone from the Town Centre to Cornish Road late in the evening! And I don't think any workshop is going to convince them otherwise. If anyone has actually agreed to this Action Plan as any sort of answer to people's anxieties they have been well and truly conned.

Remember Threshers - the off-licence in West Street - who had their window smashed three weeks running recently. The Managing Director of Threshers just received a letter from our local police telling him that it was not surprising this happened if the shop would persist in leaving alcohol on display overnight in the shop window. Can you credit that Last we heard is that the shop is closing down. Looks like retailers may be baling out now.

I	Hold a public Community Safety workshop
2	Chipping Norton Town Council to consider appointing a Member with specific responsibility for community safety and police liaison
3	Complete an alcohol seizure operation and parents education workshop
4	Complete a CCTV review
5	Produce and publish a Neighbourhood Action Group newsletter
6	'Not in my Neighbourhood' event to be held to raise awareness of distraction burglary and neighbourhood watch
7	All Chipping Norton media outlets to be provided with 24/7 journalistic support by TVP
8	Community Action Day to take place in Chipping Norton to deal with environmental crime
9	Continue to carry out covert test purchase operations.
10	Review of ASB Cases to be completed every week and distribution of information
11	Issue crime and incident information every month
12	Neighbourhood Police Officers will attend Town Council AGM and meetings to report exceptional issues and or incidents
13	All members of the group to sign up to receive monthly neighbourhood updates from Whosmybobby.co.uk
14	Witney Custody to be opened between 7pm on Fridays and 7pm on Sunday to deal with prisoners
15	Complete a review of the Neighbourhood Action Group
16	Arrange a stakeholders meeting to review the action plan
¹⁷	Specific local recruitment drive for Special Constables
I 8	Explore the potential for a Police/community contact point in the Town Centre and volunteers to assist in that provision

Police action plan under fire
By

A POLICE action plan to bring calm to an Oxfordshire town has been criticised because it fails to promise extra officers on the streets. The 18-point 'policing action plan' for Chipping Norton - backed by Witney MP David Cameron - was created after a rise in anti-social behaviour in the town. The plan promises community workshops, action days, and newsletters, and said to be agreed by police, councils, and the Chipping Norton neighbourhood action group.

But a group of independent Chipping Norton councillors, called Chippy First, has criticised the plan, and claim it has not yet been adopted by the town council. Councillor Gerry Alcock said the town had been plagued by drinkers, causing trouble on their way back from pubs at the weekends, and was pleading for more officers. Please can we have a couple of policemen between 11pm and 2am, because at the moment, the perception is the town has been abandoned by police. What we have all been asking for is some reassurance that we would be getting more real policemen on our streets - particularly after dark. Not a single word about that in the action plan."

Councillor Keith Greenwell said: "Nowhere does it refer to increased policing, and the people of Chipping Norton are no longer interested in initiatives that do not address the fundamental concerns that more proper police are needed on the streets of the town, particularly overnight at the weekend." In September, police received 61 reports of crime in Chipping Norton - or two crimes every day. Figures show among the crimes there were 17 reports of criminal damage and six assaults, and on one weekend, there were three assaults, including a youth with a BB gun, one domestic incident, four thefts, and two reports for criminal damage.

But the policing plan has been backed by Mr Cameron. He said: "We all have a responsibility - politicians, police, neighbours, businesses - to strengthen our communities and create a society that is safe. The most effective way of achieving this is to work in partnership, and I welcome this 18-point action plan." The area police commander, Chief Inspector Dennis Evernden said: "The Chipping Norton area has seen a six per cent reduction in crime in the past six months, compared to the same period last year. "There has been an increase in the number of police officers and police community support officers, and the neighbourhood team also has the additional resources of CID, roads policing, scenes of crime, and the police support staff, who, for example, deal with phone calls, coordinate the Neighbourhood Watch schemes, and give crime reduction advice." A monthly report issued by Chipping Norton's Sgt Rosemary Dilsaver in October promises extra officers on patrol at weekends to deal with anti-social behaviour up to the new year.

Burglaries in West Oxfordshire down 25%

Latest figures show the number of burglaries taking place in West Oxfordshire is down 25 per cent compared to last year, leading police to urge residents to do all they can to help them drive them down further. So far since 1 April, 2007, there have been 98 burglaries in the district; that compares to 130 for the same period in 2006. In West Oxfordshire the detection rate for this same period is currently 39%, four times that of last year.

Throughout November, Thames Valley Police is focussing on burglary as this time of year traditionally sees a rise in the number of burglaries. Thieves take advantage of the clocks going back and the longer, darker evenings, and they also know people are starting to store presents in their homes in the run up to Christmas.

Det Sgt Craig Kirby, who leads West Oxfordshires burglary team, said: These figures are really encouraging and our officers are doing all they can to clamp down on burglaries in our area. We have taken a robust stance to domestic burglary offences. A dedicated team of officers, made up of experienced detectives and police constables, has been established. It is ensuring a consistently high level of investigation as well as the targeting of key suspects, and it is producing excellent results. More impressively the team has achieved such a good detection rate. In reality this means four times as many offenders are facing arrest and prosecution, a clear deterrent to those committing burglaries in this area. We have also been establishing strong cross border links with neighbouring forces such as Gloucestershire, West Mercia, Warwickshire and Wiltshire. Regular meetings and the sharing of intelligence means cross border offenders are quickly identified and can no longer hide in neighbouring counties. An equally important strategy has been our commitment to crime reduction. West Oxfordshire benefits from excellent partnership work between the police and other agencies, including West Oxfordshire District Council, the fire service, housing associations and private care agencies. This has enabled us to conduct high profile crime reduction campaigns such as the Bogus Caller awareness days, which have received support from Mr David Cameron, MP. This has enabled us to provide support to the more vulnerable areas of our community and reduce the number of victims here. The police or residents can not become complacent, and working together, we must do all we can beat the burglars; not just during this vulnerable period, but permanently.

Security tips for this time of year include: Fit five-lever deadlocks on all external doors and fit locks to the top and bottom of patio doors. Fit door chains or door bars to be used when strangers call. Install locks on all windows that are easy to reach from outside. Keep house and car keys well away from external doors and windows. Consider motion-activated external lighting - this can be a deterrent for criminals and will also enhance the personal safety of occupants. Trim trees, shrubs and hedges that might hide an intruder from neighbours or passers-by. When away from home set lamps on timer switches to come on at dusk.

If you would like specific crime prevention advice, contact your local Crime Reduction Office via , or log on to the Thames Valley Police website at www.thamesvalley.police.uk .

NEW YEAR VANDALISM

Somebody from the Rugby Club writes in the Forum : If any one was around Greystones this evening (Tuesday Jan 1st) at about 5.00pm did they notice anything suspicous The Rugby Club, Bowls Club, and the main Greystones building were all broken into. Fortunately the Rugby Club alarm scared them off but not before a large amount of damage was done to the club. It would appear that the police tracker dogs that turned up might have found the culprits.

Claire Jarvis from the Lido writes: "Sadly, we've also had more vandalism over New Year at The Lido with windows smashed in. It's just so depressing. Like all the other individuals, businesses and voluntary organisations who are dealing on a regular basis with the aftermath of vandalism, we are again counting the cost - not just in terms of making immediate repairs or initiating yet another insurance claim, but also in terms of our time and energy".

YET MORE MINDLESS VANDALISM

Claire Jarvis writes: The Lido was targeted by arsonists this afternoon (January 3rd). Following the window breakages earlier this week, this is another utterly pointless and mindless piece of vandalism. One of our neighbours called the Fire Brigade when he saw smoke coming over the wall mid-afternoon. The disabled loo had been broken into, paper taken and a fire had been started in one of the skimmers these are the outlets from the pool into the filtration and pumping system. The lid on the poolside had been lifted and the fire started in the cavity. The fire crew were great (as ever) and put the fire out very quickly, but the damage will be significant as the plastic piping is burnt out not only in the skimmer and on the side of the toddler pool, but also all along the piping under the paving stones where the fire was spreading. The police have attended and collected some evidence left by the culprits. Another grim and dispiriting episode The Rugby Club, the Bowls Club and The Lido all places run by local volunteers for the benefit of the wider community and all targeted by vandals in the past week alone. I feel outrage and despair in equal measure.

Thanks to Jemma Callow and the Banbury Guardian for their coverage of the latest spate of vandalism in the town. Jemma's piece captures exactly the real sense of anger which now exists in Chippy. After the pre-Christmas sequence of attacks involving shop windows, arson attacks, vandalising buses, breaking windows at Holy Trinity School and thefts from the allotments, some arrests were made and there was a real feeling that perhaps we were getting somewhere. Now the problem seems to be starting all over again. Is it the same people Do the Police know who is responsible Have any arrests been made As we have said often enough before on this website, lack of information is one of the main frustrations which people feel. Earlier this week a group of councillors asked the Mayor to propose a meeting with the Police to discuss the latest turn of events and see what steps might be taken to avoid continuing problems and how the public could help. No response so far!

Pictured above are Clubhouse manager Francis Moreton
and Rugby Club president Ian Rumble

FIVE TONNES OF LEAD AND COPPER PIPING STOLEN FROM TRAVIS PERKINS

Police are appealing for witnesses after a break in at the Travis Perkins site in Station Road, Chipping Norton during the night of 16th /17th January. At some time between 5pm on Wednesday and 7am Thursday, thieves broke into the site by cutting through its gates and broke into the main building. From here they stole 9,000 worth of lead and copper piping. PC Alaina Boswell from Chipping Norton station said: this was a well-planned and high-value burglary, which is being linked to another crime in Stratford-upon-Avon. They stole five tonnes of metal, we think using the owners own forklift truck to move it to a waiting vehicle. They must have used an HGV to transport such a large amount of metal away from the site. Did you see anything going on at Station Road on Wednesday night Local knowledge could hold the key to us tracing the culprits, so please get in touch if you did see something suspicious.

If you have information about this incident, please contact PC Boswell who can be contacted via the Police Enquiry Centre on . If you dont want to talk to police and dont want to leave your name, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111

Machete man's sentence cut

A CHIPPING Norton man who ran amok with a machete after his ex-wife took up with another man had his sentence reduced by top judges on Tuesday. William Russell Forester, of West Street, was originally jailed for three years and nine months at Oxford Crown Court last October after admitting threatening behaviour, damaging property and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

London's Appeal Court heard the 44-year-old was in a state of emotional turmoil when he tried to smash his way into the former matrimonial home last April, finally using a slab of concrete to force his way inside. The machete-wielding divorcee then wrestled with his wife's new boyfriend, Aaron Baker, who had to resort to using a hammer to contain the attacker. Mr Justice Wilkie - sitting in London's Appeal Court with Judge Peter Beaumont - said Forester had spent the evening drinking in the pub and materialised at the home of his ex-spouse, Sandra, in the early hours. After hurling threats and obscenities at the house and surrounding neighbourhood, Forester approached the front door and tried to gain entry.

Mr Baker saw the marauder's hand snaking through the front door in an attempt to get in, although he was thwarted at this point. Forester later threatened to "slice" Mr Baker up with the savage blade. Mr Justice Wilkie said Forester was undoubtedly guilty of an "appalling" offence, but said medical evidence suggested he may have been influenced by the effects of withdrawal from anti-depressants at the time. It was also significant that neither Mr Baker, nor Forester's ex-wife, bore him any lasting ill-will, having simply "got on with their lives". The judge cut Forester's sentence to two and a half years.

POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES

Police are appealing for witnesses after an incident in Chipping Norton left a man seriously injured. A 23-year-old man was found at around 5pm yesterday (29th January) in Back Alley off Hailey Road with lacerations to his throat. He was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital by air ambulance where has been treated and is currently in a stable condition.

The local Police Commander Dennis Evernden issued the following statement at 11am.

I am able to confirm that the injuries sustained by the local 24 year old man found lying in Back Alley, Hailey Road Chipping Norton at about 5pm yesterday evening were self inflicted and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. If anyone has any information about the incident they are encouraged to bring it to the attention of the investigating officer Detective Sergeant Dick White of Witney CID on or anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

I will be recommending recognition for another local man who discovered the injured person, selflessly administered first aid and summoned help.

A TEENAGER has been praised by police for his quick thinking that helped save the life of a man found with serious throat injuries in Chipping Norton on Tuesday. The 16-year-old alerted emergency services when he came across a man with lacerations to his throat in Back Alley off Hailey Road, Chipping Norton at around 5pm. The youngster administered first aid to the 23-year-old man, summoned help from nearby residents and got blankets to help keep the injured man warm until an ambulance arrived. Detective Sergeant Dick Smith, who is leading the investigation into the incident, said: "He did a very good job. Certainly if he hadn't come along when he did it could have been a lot worse. "I would praise his quick thinking and also the other local residents who came out from nearby houses to help."

Simms was a thorn in the side of businesses and residents in Chipping Norton

Anthony Simms, aged 21, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to six months imprisonment today (28th Jan) for a number of crimes committed in the Chipping Norton area. He pleaded guilty at Banbury Magistrates Court to the theft of a motor vehicle, a Rover 45 that was stolen in Chipping Norton overnight on the 14-15 January. He also admitted to driving this vehicle and pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.

Further to these offences, he pleaded guilty to three incidents of shoplifting two in Chipping Norton Somerfield and one at the Co-op in Milton-under-Wychwood and four other shoplifting offences at Somerfield were also taken into consideration. All seven offences took place in December and January. Simms was sentenced to six months for the theft of a motor vehicle, six months for the seven shoplifting thefts and three months for driving whilst disqualified, which will be served concurrently.

Det Sgt Craig Kirby of West Oxfordshire police said: Simms is a drug addict who was impelled by his habit to committing a string of minor crimes. This culminated in the theft of a car, which he attempted to sell for scrap at a breakers yard in Banbury for just 80. This is first time he has gone to prison. This sentence shows that the police and the criminal justice system will deal robustly with the likes of Simms, who was a thorn in the side of businesses and residents in Chipping Norton and elsewhere.

Crime in Chippy is a tale of two halves!
Most crime was well down but half of all crime in Chippy is
accounted for by Criminal Damage and that was up by 20%

CRIME overall in Chipping Norton dropped between April and December 2007 by more than seven per cent according to figures released by the British Crime Survey (BCS). The biggest drop in crime was for robbery, which dropped by 100 per cent over the same period (and must mean there weren't any robberies over this period at all), wounding (including domestic violence) which fell by 45.3 per cent and burglary from dwelling which fell by 28.2 per cent. Other reductions in crime included a 25 per cent drop in theft of bicycles, a 10.67 per cent drop in vehicle crime and common assault (including domestic violence) which fell by 11.52 per cent. Chief Inspector Dennis Evernden, Local Police Area Commander said: "We have achieved some very good reductions in the most serious crime categories. In total there have been 37 fewer victims of serious crimes this year in Chipping Norton."

But here's the catch. Half of all crime in Chippy is Criminal Damage and that rose by nearly 20 per cent.

Chief Inspector Evernden commented: "This is equal to one extra crime each week compared with last year. This has to be unacceptable This is directly linked to anti-social behaviour and is in the main committed by a small minority of young people under the age of 25 and often under the influence of alcohol. It is this offending that undoubtedly is behind the levels of fear of crime that far exceed the reality of the reducing levels of crime in Chipping Norton. I have put considerable increased policing over the weekend night time hours into arresting the rise in damage that was being suffered and this was as a direct response to calls for action from the community. Tackling criminal damage must be the priority of everyone in the community. The police will play its full part However much of the complexity of underlying causes such as lack of parenting skills together with the underage alcohol consumption issues that blight so many of our communities, needs everyone to find sustainable solutions.

Extra patrols tackle underage drinking

Extra patrols tackling underage drinking and confiscate alcohol from youths begin tonight. Youngsters drinking in streets and parks across Oxfordshire will be targeted in a two week crackdown to coincide with the school's half-term holidays. Police will target known drinking hotspots and anyone under 18 found with alcohol will have their booze confiscated.

Insp John Fox, Thames Valley Police's alcohol and violent crime co-ordinator, said: "Under 18s put themselves at risk by getting drunk and losing control. We know from anecdotal evidence that some young people who get drunk go on to become either a victim of crime of an offender causing vandalism or committing anti-social behaviour. We will be confiscating alcohol from under 18s and hope to send a clear message that this is illegal and unacceptable."

As well as confiscating alcohol from youths police hope to gather information on any licensed premises that sells drink to anyone under age. Prof John Newton, regional director for public health at NHS South Central, said: "Underage drinking is a real concern for the NHS. The damage that drinking causes at such a young age is a tragedy and can be easily underestimated by the young people concerned." Police spokesman Rebecca Webber said it is unlikely any youths caught with alcohol would be arrested. She added: "It is not specifically an offence to have alcohol in you possession and there will only be arrests if there is a public order offence. The youths details' will be taken down and the alcohol will be disposed of."

The NHS estimates every day across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight around three people under 18 are admitted to hospitals as a direct result of alcohol.

The results of our own poll!!
Time to close because for the last day or so somebody has been relentlesly
clicking on "no concerns" slowly raising it from No 10 to No 4!!
When the Police carried out a survey they found that "Speeding" was the top concern,

Chippy Teenagers join Police Action Group

A group of teenagers in Chipping Norton have had enough of their age group being branded as troublemakers - and have set out to change opinions. Duncan Davis, Emily Manning, Holly Whitaker, Nick Frampton and Annabel Yeomans, all sixth-formers at Chipping Norton School, have joined their local Neighbourhood Action Group, to show that young people can make a positive contribution to their community. The action groups are made up of volunteers who work with the police to identify and solve problems in the community.

The group of five pupils decided to join when a police officer visited their school and told them they were looking for young people to give their views at the meetings. Emily Manning believes the contribution she and her peers makes is important - despite facing some hostility from other young people. She said: "We want to get our views across and, through our association with the school councils, we can put forward the things that people our age want addressing. We have encountered a bit of intimidation since we got involved, but I think we all feel it is important we have our say in how our neighbourhoods are run. There are areas in Chipping Norton that you know not to go at certain time of night, the steps of the Town Hall for example. I suppose us joining up could combat the stereotype of all young people in the town as trouble makers."

But Holly Whitaker said they were not getting involved in the action group just to discuss issues surrounding the behaviour of young people. She said: "There are other things that are important to us, and everyone else in the town. Parking is a problem in Chipping Norton, and bus travel for people our age is also expensive, because we're charged at an adult rate." Pc Simon Towers meets the group at Chipping Norton police station every six weeks. He said: "We were pleasantly surprised to have so many young people getting involved - at most we had hoped for one.We were looking for volunteers to represent a group which makes up a large part of our community. These young people all have a social conscience and they have all successfully brought important issues to the fore."

Golf buggy driven into Lido
By

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson once famously drove a Rolls Royce into his home town swimming pool for a stunt.Now someone has touched bottom gear by driving a golf cart into it. Organisers of The Lido at Chipping Norton are not best pleased because they fear the prank could become a copycat craze of Mr Clarkson's fundraiser.

The buggy was taken from the town's golf club and driven more than a mile - either through the town or across country - and then rammed through a perimeter fence at the open-air pool in Fox Close.Lido director Claire Jarvis said yesterday: "It is incredibly dangerous. The pool is closed this time of year and the water in there is filthy and very cold. A kid could easily drown." It was discovered last Saturday morning and arrangements are being made to remove the buggy from the pool with a crane.

The buggy was taken from the golf club, at Southcombe, late on Friday night or early Saturday morning. Police, who are investigating theft and criminal damage, do not yet know what route it took to the pool.Police are keeping an open mind on whether the incident was an imitation of Mr Clarkson's stunt, televised for Top Gear in June, 2005. The celebrity, who lives in the town and is a chief fundraiser for The Lido, wanted to recreate the actions of Keith Moon, late drummer of rock band The Who, whop drove a car into his swimming pool.

Mr Clarkson was yesterday unavailable for comment. His spokesman Lucinda McFarlane, said, however: "I can't believe anyone has done that. The last thing they want is for it to become a copycat thing. Fortunately, there is no damage to the pool itself, but driving it here was no accidental destination. There is a comic quality about it, but what I am extremely concerned about is that this does not become a thing to do and that others will seek to copy it. Jeremy Clarkson's stunt three years ago was well managed and helped us to raise money with a location fee. This was criminal damage and stupid."

The golf club has confirmed the buggy, one of a fleet hired from Mox Ltd at Banbury, was stolen, but did not want to comment. It is understood the buggies can cost up to 1,000 each. Police spokesman Toby Shergold appealed for anyone who saw the thief driving the buggy to call .He added: "We have sent our forensics team to see if there's anything they can pick up on and we have talked with The Lido about ways to improve their security. We want to hear from anyone who saw the buggy being driven from the golf club, to The Lido or anywhere in between."

The Lido, a registered charity, opens for a new season on April 26.

Chippy Teenagers join Police Action Group