Chiltern & South Bucks Policing Issues Forum
Chiltern & South Bucks Policing Issues Forum –
18th May 2021 6-30pm
– Held via Zoom.
Chair: Andy Garnett
Introduction – AG – Welcome and introduction to the purpose of forum. We currently have 55 people on line. Robert will go into the responses in more detail but we have had over 650 responses to the survey.
Matthew Barber Police & Crime Commissioner for TVP –
Introduction and talk on his priorities.
Strong local policing - more police officers, strengthening neighbourhood policing with both police officers and community support officers. Focussing on the crimes that matter most to residents.
Fighting serious organised crime - cracking down on the threat from “county-lines” drugs gangs to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
Dealing with cyber-crime and fraud - investing in the technology and resources the police need to protect individuals online
Improving criminal justice - supporting victims of crime, bringing more criminals to justice and reducing reoffending.
Tackling illegal encampments - ensuring a fair but firm response to illegal encampments and reducing the effect on communities. There is new legislation coming in which will help in dealing with incursions.
Speeding. Community Speedwatch is being re-introduced with a new pilot system. The data from Speedwatch will be fed into Roads Policing tasking and also influence local authority speed limits.
Q. Is there any way that there could be more police stations? – Burnham needs a base.
A. There is currently a review on neighbourhood policing in TVP however, I would rather spend money on officers than buildings. Less front counters but more police bases.
Q. Victims and perpetrators are often in disadvantaged circumstances. Can I remind police that they are able to refer people to the Chiltern area foodbank.
Q. How is a Conservative PCC different to other parties PCC’s?
A. Although I am a Conservative I regard the role as being non-political. I don’t have any party whip. My loyalty is to securing the best for TVP.
Q. Can Speedwatch be set up quickly in Holmer Green?
A. If there has been an existing scheme then yes. If not, then the new groups will follow the pilot scheme. See PCC website. Community Speedwatch scheme · Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner (thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk)
Q. Is speeding more important than burglary and drug offences?
A. No it’s different. We are developing a new approach to SpeedWatch along with our Roads Policing units.
Q. Regarding drug use in public – is it worth reporting to police?
A. Yes. Contact 101 or report on line. Although there may not be any immediate answer to helps develop intelligence on where the issues are.
James Ellis – Inspector TVP responsible for the South Bucks geographical area.
Buckinghamshire Council have 16 community boards of which 7 are in the Chiltern & South Bucks LPA. There is a varying degree of usefulness in police attending these meetings. This forum is more relevant.
The neighbourhood priorities were previously decided by this forum. These priorities feature in our daily patrol plans. There is an expectation that officers contribute to the priorities, as well as assisting with emergency calls. As well as local priorities we have TVP priorities and national government requirements. Lots of competing demands. The patrol plan allows us to feedback to members of the public what we are doing and where we are doing it.
The online meetings are of great use to police. There are a lot more attendees than people who will attend a hall in person. Community Boards are useful for police to attend when there is a specific item people may want to know about and discuss.
With regards to anti-social behaviour we have been using the legislation to good effect. Our Closure Orders are in double digits as are our Criminal Behaviour Orders which helps towards reducing demand.
Inspector Richard Vine Inspector TVP responsible for the Chiltern geographical area.
The Neighbourhood Teams will have a further 2 PC’s in July and 4 new PCSO’s should be with us by the end of the summer.
Burglary – there is a 41% reduction in residential burglary compared to the previous year. There is a 56% reduction based on a 5-year average. There have been 4 burglaries in the last two weeks.
ASB – we have conducted numerous operations with regards to youth ASB in various areas including complaints of drug use. We have disrupted 12 County Drug Lines (CDL) from London and several local drug dealers who are awaiting trial.
Q - How can we work towards reducing the number of nitrous oxide canisters littered around streets and parks?
A – We have discouraged shops from selling them to youths however they do have a legitimate use and can be easily bought on line. If you see youths abusing canisters, please report.
We have recently had a week with the National Crime Agency dealing with modern slavery. Scrap dealers, nail bars and car washes were targeted. There were several referrals to agencies who may help.
We have had a week of action targeting metal thefts. This is primarily catalytic convertor thefts. We worked with garages establishing a scheme where owners of cars that are vulnerable to catalytic convertor theft are able to get the car marked. There was also one arrest.
Keyless car theft. A number of cars are being stolen by thieves picking up the signal the key gives out and using it to open and start a car, usually on a drive. It is important to shield the car key. Wallets can be bought or even putting the key in an old tin box will block the signal.
Speeding. We are the only Neighbourhood Team in TVP to do lots of speeding operations and respond to public complaints. There are not many prosecutions as most of the people caught are only just above the speed limit. We have secured additional support from the Roads Policing Specials and from the camera vans.
In the last quarter, TVP issued 538 tickets, the vans have issued 694 and 710 from the static cameras. Speeding is a societal problem. It needs to become anti-social like drink driving.
In May and June, the new Community Speedwatch will be rolled out.
Roads Policing covering Buckinghamshire will be committed to towns within the county next month.
Theft from motor vehicles. There has been a 34% reduction in the last 12 months. Theft of motor vehicles is down 7%.
Drugs. Drug crime is up 74% in the last year. This is due to the wishes of the community to focus on drug dealing and use.
Violence against the person. This is up by 29% in the last year. Domestic abuse is up by 24%.
Fraud. We have been working with Action Fraud in supporting older people who may be victims of scams. There was a discussion regarding cyber-crime.
Q. The forum is mainly old people giving a response to the questionnaire. Why can’t police attend the Bucks Council Community Boards? Withdrawing is not the answer.
RV. We are engaging with the boards. A lot of the Community Board time has nothing to do with policing. The coordinators can invite us if a police response is required. We will attend if there is a need.
There was further discussion regarding attending the 20 plus parish councils. RV and JE said they had both made themselves available to most Community Board meetings in the last 12 months. Often, they have not been required to contribute.
Q. Is the reduction of burglaries due to Covid?
RV – last year, before Covid there was a 37% reduction. During lockdown the reduction is 54% and the most recent figures show a 41% reduction. This sustained reduction is because people are at home.
Q. Gerrards Cross have put money aside to purchase CCTV for the town centre. I cannot find anyone in TVP who will monitor them. Who does monitor them?
JE – TVP do not monitor CCTV. Previously it was the responsibility of the district councils and presumably it is now Buckinghamshire Council.
Report on the questionnaire by Robert Gibson.
There have been 674 responses to the online questionnaire. This is way above the usual number of responses.
The top concerns are burglary, ASB, speeding, drug dealing and littering. These are the usual main concerns however child exploitation has risen in importance. Other concerns are dog theft, fly-tipping and lack of police presence.
These concerns are generally the same in all community board areas. This information will be passed onto the community boards.
The age profile shows most responders are over 60 and few under 35. 25 of the responders declared they were councilors.
The focus on burglary from the forum has contributed to the numbers falling.
Open forum.
Q. The PCSO for Chalfont St Peter has provided us with crime information when we needed it but lots of information is available on line and does not always need an officer to attend parish council meetings.
Q. Cyber-crime – how can the local police help to tackle it? The importance of not giving people your details either on the telephone or online was discussed. Make sure you report any such incidents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The date and time of the next meeting to be decided at a later date but hopefully the meetings will continue to be every three months.
Meeting closed 8-20pm.
18th May 2021 6-30pm
– Held via Zoom.
Chair: Andy Garnett
Introduction – AG – Welcome and introduction to the purpose of forum. We currently have 55 people on line. Robert will go into the responses in more detail but we have had over 650 responses to the survey.
Matthew Barber Police & Crime Commissioner for TVP –
Introduction and talk on his priorities.
Strong local policing - more police officers, strengthening neighbourhood policing with both police officers and community support officers. Focussing on the crimes that matter most to residents.
Fighting serious organised crime - cracking down on the threat from “county-lines” drugs gangs to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
Dealing with cyber-crime and fraud - investing in the technology and resources the police need to protect individuals online
Improving criminal justice - supporting victims of crime, bringing more criminals to justice and reducing reoffending.
Tackling illegal encampments - ensuring a fair but firm response to illegal encampments and reducing the effect on communities. There is new legislation coming in which will help in dealing with incursions.
Speeding. Community Speedwatch is being re-introduced with a new pilot system. The data from Speedwatch will be fed into Roads Policing tasking and also influence local authority speed limits.
Q. Is there any way that there could be more police stations? – Burnham needs a base.
A. There is currently a review on neighbourhood policing in TVP however, I would rather spend money on officers than buildings. Less front counters but more police bases.
Q. Victims and perpetrators are often in disadvantaged circumstances. Can I remind police that they are able to refer people to the Chiltern area foodbank.
Q. How is a Conservative PCC different to other parties PCC’s?
A. Although I am a Conservative I regard the role as being non-political. I don’t have any party whip. My loyalty is to securing the best for TVP.
Q. Can Speedwatch be set up quickly in Holmer Green?
A. If there has been an existing scheme then yes. If not, then the new groups will follow the pilot scheme. See PCC website. Community Speedwatch scheme · Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner (thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk)
Q. Is speeding more important than burglary and drug offences?
A. No it’s different. We are developing a new approach to SpeedWatch along with our Roads Policing units.
Q. Regarding drug use in public – is it worth reporting to police?
A. Yes. Contact 101 or report on line. Although there may not be any immediate answer to helps develop intelligence on where the issues are.
James Ellis – Inspector TVP responsible for the South Bucks geographical area.
Buckinghamshire Council have 16 community boards of which 7 are in the Chiltern & South Bucks LPA. There is a varying degree of usefulness in police attending these meetings. This forum is more relevant.
The neighbourhood priorities were previously decided by this forum. These priorities feature in our daily patrol plans. There is an expectation that officers contribute to the priorities, as well as assisting with emergency calls. As well as local priorities we have TVP priorities and national government requirements. Lots of competing demands. The patrol plan allows us to feedback to members of the public what we are doing and where we are doing it.
The online meetings are of great use to police. There are a lot more attendees than people who will attend a hall in person. Community Boards are useful for police to attend when there is a specific item people may want to know about and discuss.
With regards to anti-social behaviour we have been using the legislation to good effect. Our Closure Orders are in double digits as are our Criminal Behaviour Orders which helps towards reducing demand.
Inspector Richard Vine Inspector TVP responsible for the Chiltern geographical area.
The Neighbourhood Teams will have a further 2 PC’s in July and 4 new PCSO’s should be with us by the end of the summer.
Burglary – there is a 41% reduction in residential burglary compared to the previous year. There is a 56% reduction based on a 5-year average. There have been 4 burglaries in the last two weeks.
ASB – we have conducted numerous operations with regards to youth ASB in various areas including complaints of drug use. We have disrupted 12 County Drug Lines (CDL) from London and several local drug dealers who are awaiting trial.
Q - How can we work towards reducing the number of nitrous oxide canisters littered around streets and parks?
A – We have discouraged shops from selling them to youths however they do have a legitimate use and can be easily bought on line. If you see youths abusing canisters, please report.
We have recently had a week with the National Crime Agency dealing with modern slavery. Scrap dealers, nail bars and car washes were targeted. There were several referrals to agencies who may help.
We have had a week of action targeting metal thefts. This is primarily catalytic convertor thefts. We worked with garages establishing a scheme where owners of cars that are vulnerable to catalytic convertor theft are able to get the car marked. There was also one arrest.
Keyless car theft. A number of cars are being stolen by thieves picking up the signal the key gives out and using it to open and start a car, usually on a drive. It is important to shield the car key. Wallets can be bought or even putting the key in an old tin box will block the signal.
Speeding. We are the only Neighbourhood Team in TVP to do lots of speeding operations and respond to public complaints. There are not many prosecutions as most of the people caught are only just above the speed limit. We have secured additional support from the Roads Policing Specials and from the camera vans.
In the last quarter, TVP issued 538 tickets, the vans have issued 694 and 710 from the static cameras. Speeding is a societal problem. It needs to become anti-social like drink driving.
In May and June, the new Community Speedwatch will be rolled out.
Roads Policing covering Buckinghamshire will be committed to towns within the county next month.
Theft from motor vehicles. There has been a 34% reduction in the last 12 months. Theft of motor vehicles is down 7%.
Drugs. Drug crime is up 74% in the last year. This is due to the wishes of the community to focus on drug dealing and use.
Violence against the person. This is up by 29% in the last year. Domestic abuse is up by 24%.
Fraud. We have been working with Action Fraud in supporting older people who may be victims of scams. There was a discussion regarding cyber-crime.
Q. The forum is mainly old people giving a response to the questionnaire. Why can’t police attend the Bucks Council Community Boards? Withdrawing is not the answer.
RV. We are engaging with the boards. A lot of the Community Board time has nothing to do with policing. The coordinators can invite us if a police response is required. We will attend if there is a need.
There was further discussion regarding attending the 20 plus parish councils. RV and JE said they had both made themselves available to most Community Board meetings in the last 12 months. Often, they have not been required to contribute.
Q. Is the reduction of burglaries due to Covid?
RV – last year, before Covid there was a 37% reduction. During lockdown the reduction is 54% and the most recent figures show a 41% reduction. This sustained reduction is because people are at home.
Q. Gerrards Cross have put money aside to purchase CCTV for the town centre. I cannot find anyone in TVP who will monitor them. Who does monitor them?
JE – TVP do not monitor CCTV. Previously it was the responsibility of the district councils and presumably it is now Buckinghamshire Council.
Report on the questionnaire by Robert Gibson.
There have been 674 responses to the online questionnaire. This is way above the usual number of responses.
The top concerns are burglary, ASB, speeding, drug dealing and littering. These are the usual main concerns however child exploitation has risen in importance. Other concerns are dog theft, fly-tipping and lack of police presence.
These concerns are generally the same in all community board areas. This information will be passed onto the community boards.
The age profile shows most responders are over 60 and few under 35. 25 of the responders declared they were councilors.
The focus on burglary from the forum has contributed to the numbers falling.
Open forum.
Q. The PCSO for Chalfont St Peter has provided us with crime information when we needed it but lots of information is available on line and does not always need an officer to attend parish council meetings.
Q. Cyber-crime – how can the local police help to tackle it? The importance of not giving people your details either on the telephone or online was discussed. Make sure you report any such incidents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The date and time of the next meeting to be decided at a later date but hopefully the meetings will continue to be every three months.
Meeting closed 8-20pm.
