Sergeant Steve Goodier is responsible for the Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods team
The team comprises
- Sergeant Steve Goodier
- PC Martin Rogers
- PC Lesley Metcalfe
- PCSO Kevin Cooke
- PCSO Katie Ralphs
- PCSO Neil Harris
- Station Enquiry Officer (SEO) Julia Cash
- Station Enquiry Officer (SEO) Sheila Winnard
- Station Enquiry Officer (SEO) Mandy Gould
PCSO Kevin Cooke PCSO Neil Harris
PCSO Katie Ralphs PC Martin Rogers
Your local priorities
Locally, we work with your community to find out what matters most where you live. We will work with you and our partner agencies to agree the main priorities for the area and how we will work together to tackle them.
The top three community priorities for Ryde Town are:
(Updated: August 17, 2010)
- Addressing problems caused by drinking and drunken behaviour.
- Preventing crime and the fear of crime when large groups of young people gather in public places.
- Tackling the problems caused by drugs.
These are the priorities that people in your local area have agreed with the Safer Neighbourhoods team. You can influence these priorities by contacting your team, attending a meeting or speaking to members of the team when you see them out and about.
Visit this link for details of community meetings in the Ryde area
You can now watch the Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods team on the beat through the police force's official YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialHantsPolice
Police beat newsletters
Please click on the link below to read the latest newsletter from your local Safer Neighbourhoods team:
Ryde Town beat newsletter 2010.pdf
You can read monthly updates about the work of your local Safer Neighbourhoods team in the Isle of Wight Beacon magazine. Go to: http://www.iwbeacon.com/2010.aspx
Action we have taken in relation to your priorities
Operations Inferno and Brother
Update: June 2, 2010
The Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods team is part of the force's summer campaign to prevent anti-social behaviour. There were 677 fewer reports across the island last summer and we want this downward trend to continue. The Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) in Ryde is being enforced with seizures of alcohol when it's fuelling disorder and potential crime. Operation Inferno is being repeated with high visibility patrols run over two weekends in May 2010. There were two arrests and several people were lawfully dispersed because they were involved in anti-social behaviour. Vulnerable missing people were returned to safety. Operation Brother is starting with our colleagues in the Targeted Patrol Teams (TPT) visiting hot spot areas of anti social behaviour.
Operation Sheridan
Update: May 14, 2010
PC Nathan Lucy with Wightlink staff on Ryde Pier
The police force on the Isle of Wight is expressing its thanks to Wightlink passengers and staff for their support in preventing the supply of illegal drugs across the Solent. Latest figures for the past year show drugs with a street value of approximately £9,000 were seized by police officers and search dogs on dedicated operations at ferry ports. Substances found included heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis with 20 people arrested.
PC Nathan Lucy of Hampshire Constabulary’s Isle of Wight Dog Support Unit said: “We can prevent drugs coming to the island at the earliest opportunity by working at the ferry ports. Officers have received terrific support from Wightlink. I would also like to thank the majority of law abiding passengers for their patience and co-operation during these operations. The Isle of Wight is a safe place and we want to stop drugs misuse affecting the community.”
Isle of Wight Community Safety Inspector Mark Bell added: “These operations take place thanks to a combined effort involving the Isle of Wight Community Safety Partnership and the Drug Action Team, which are committed to work that demonstrates drugs will not be tolerated on our island.”
Action we have taken in relation to your priorities
(Updated: August 17, 2010)
You said: Address problems caused by drinking and drunken behaviour.
We did: We have provided information to the independent Ryde Pubwatch scheme, which has banned 36 people who were causing problems on licensed premises. We’ve been working with the Isle of Wight Roads Policing Unit (RPU) in stopping motorists and prosecuting them for failing breath tests. We are able to confiscate alcohol from people drinking in the street because parts of Ryde are covered by a Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) where it can be an offence to drink alcohol after a request not to do so by police. The alcohol can be confiscated. Failure to comply without reasonable excuse is an offence for which a person can be arrested, and fined if convicted. We used other lawful powers to remove 15 men off the island after an arrest linked with damage to plants and urinating in public places whilst under the influence of alcohol. This is an example of how we have used section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act to address this issue. There were 436 fewer victims of crime in Ryde town centre during 2009/10 compared with 2007/08.
You said: Prevent crime and the fear of crime when large groups of young people gather in public places.
We did: PC Martin Rogers organises an operation to run alongside existing weekend evening patrols to target specific hotspots where groups of young people are reported to be causing concerns. We recommend young people for positive and responsible youth projects. PC Lesley Metcalfe is working with the Gatekeeping project, which is helping families who are experiencing difficulties in Ryde. They can be offered help through partner agencies working together to provide support and guidance.
You Said: Tackling problems caused by drugs.
We did: We increased patrols and the number of searches carried out on known illegal drug users. Due to a recent change in the law, the former ‘legal high’ mephedrone became a banned class B substance. We are ensuring this information is communicated regularly to the public to deter usage and explain the consequences and the dangers. We would like to thank Wightlink ferry passengers and staff for their support in preventing the supply of illegal drugs across the Solent. Figures for 2009/10 show drugs with a street value of £9,000 were seized by police officers and search dogs on dedicated operations at ferry ports. Substances found included heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis with 20 people arrested. Officers can prevent drugs coming to the island at the earliest opportunity by working at the ferry ports. We would also like to thank the majority of law abiding passengers for their patience and co-operation during these operations, which are possible thanks to a combined effort involving the Isle of Wight Community Safety Partnership and the Drug Action Team. The Isle of Wight is a safe place and we want to stop drugs misuse affecting the community. Officers from the Ryde Town and Rural East Neighbourhoods teams were filmed for a video showing us conducting ‘Street Mapping’ surveys of households. You can see this video on Onboard TV’s Wightlink ferries channels and on the police force’s YouTube channel. Go to http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialHantsPolice
Action we have taken in relation to your priorities (2009)
You said....Reduce problems caused by drinking and drunken behaviour
We did....Groups of people reported for rowdy or drunken behaviour were moved on from Ryde Esplanade and Simeon Street Recreation Ground and arrested. Searches led to alcohol and cannabis being seized from people involved in anti-social behaviour. There were more than 120 fewer crimes in Ryde town centre between April and December 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.
Sergeant Steve Goodier, Councillor Wayne Whittle, and PCSO Katie Ralphs at North Walk, Ryde: September 2009
You said.....Prevent crime when young people gather in public places
We did.....Nuisance motorists were issued with warnings. Their vehicles, which included cars and mopeds, can be seized by police if they are involved in similar offences again. One man was removed from Ryde after he was involved in vehicle wheel spinning. He was banned from entering Ryde. Other motorists received warnings for speeding and loud car stereos. A mobile CCTV camera was put up along North Walk by Isle of Wight Council. Mr Christopher D’Arcy Ryan, a resident of Appley Rise said: “I’m grateful this matter has been addressed. The police’s action has been successful, and I believe the Council’s CCTV camera helped as it was a deterrent, improving the quality of life and sleep for local residents.”
You said....Tackle problems caused by drugs
We did.....On Saturday, December 12, 2009, Ryde SNT officers carried out a drugs dog and reassurance operation throughout Ryde town focusing on licensed premises. This was carried out with the assistance of a black labrador called 'Blue' and his handler PC Ellis. The response from the public was positive and we had no issues with any member of the public in relation to being searched, or sniffed by the dog. The licensing trade were also very positive and welcomed our actions. The Safer Neighbourhoods team regularly supports officers from Isle of Wight CID, the Priority Crime Unit and Dog Support Unit in carrying out high profile and undercover drugs operations in the town and at ferry terminals. Police are detecting more than 90% of reported drugs offences. Officers act on information to prosecute suspects responsible for drugs supplies and help people affected by substance misuse receive effective treatment.
Justice Seen, Justice Done
An Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) remains in force until September 10, 2011 against Terry Paul Watts, aged 21, of West Street, Ryde. The order prohibits him from: Possessing any alcoholic beverage in a public place, other than in a licensed premises, and other than during 0800 – 1800 provided that during those times, it is sealed in the original container. Deliberating abusing, threatening, intimidating or annoying any other person on the Isle of Wight. From entering specific parts of Ryde, Isle of Wight.
Man jailed in historical Ryde rape case after police investigation with DNA profiling
An investigation by detectives from Hampshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Department, Scientific Services and Isle of Wight CID led to a man being sentenced on Friday, March 19, 2010 to eight years in prison for an historical rape in 1990.
A jury returned a guilty verdict on Keith Davison, aged 52, of Binstead Hill, Ryde, Isle of Wight after a week-long trial at Portsmouth Crown Court in January 2010. During the evening of Saturday, August 4, 1990, a 24-year-old woman had been working at a fast food outlet in Ryde. She finished work around midnight and started to walk home along the town’s seafront by herself. The woman became aware of a man who she thought was following her. This man approached her from behind and placed his T-shirt over her head. He threatened to hurt the woman if she did not comply. The man pulled her down a grass bank on Ryde seafront and raped her.
Advancements in technology and science enabled samples from material found at the original crime scene to be used to produce DNA profiles. In 2004, Hampshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Department began a new inquiry as part of Operation Alveston, a series of investigations into a number of ‘cold case’ rapes. Familial DNA searching was a technique used in this case by the Forensic Science Service (FSS). It is based on the fact that individuals who are related are more likely to have similar DNA profiles. The trial heard how DNA obtained from Keith Davison’s daughter when she was arrested for an unrelated crime produced a possible link to DNA taken from the scene of the rape in 1990. A voluntary DNA mouth swab sample was later obtained from Keith Davison in 2008. This sample matched the DNA profile of material taken from the crime scene in 1990. The chance of obtaining a match from a person taken at random from the general population is in the order of one in one billion.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Maker, head of Isle of Wight CID, said: “Rape is a terrible crime that can have a lasting psychological effect. Police are able to apply the continued advances in forensics technology to our cold cases, and we will never give up on rape offences until we bring those responsible to justice.”
Doctor Colin Dark from the Forensic Science Service said: "The FSS is delighted to have been able to assist Hampshire Constabulary with this inquiry. Advances in DNA technology allowed us to revisit material retained from the original investigation and use familial searching to provide officers with a new avenue to investigate. The meticulous scientific work undertaken by the FSS, together with the determination of Hampshire Constabulary has resulted in justice for the victim.”
Ann Smout, Crown Advocate for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Hampshire & Isle of Wight said: “The DNA evidence helped to build a very strong case against Mr Davison. It supported the account of the victim and that of a witness who provided a statement at the time. The conviction is testament to the bravery of the victim who immediately reported the rape and has supported this prosecution despite the time that has passed. It must have been very difficult to relive the ordeal, but we hope that the case brings her some closure and shows that people can be brought to justice no matter how much time has passed."
Speaking after the verdict in January, the rape survivor said: “I’m relieved there was a guilty verdict, but saddened that this case has affected other innocent people. I would like to thank family, friends and the police for their continued support. I’m very happy with how this new investigation has been handled since 2004. I hope my experience can encourage more victims to have the confidence to report rape offences. If the police had not collected and stored the DNA, we would not be here today with a conviction.”
A new dedicated rape investigation team has been set up to review more unsolved rape and serious sexual offences across Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Ten experienced investigators make up the team, codenamed Operation Galaxy, and are responsible for reviewing and re-investigating unsolved rape and serious sexual assault cases from the past. Leading the investigation team, Detective Inspector Pete Swan said: “Operation Galaxy provides us with a unique opportunity to progresspreviously unsolved rape cases and complements the wider work beingundertaken across the force to improve our response to these serious crimes. We are using the latest developments in forensic science and DNA technology to revisit these cases and bring those responsible to justice.We will use every investigative tool available to us to track down offendersand solve cases. We are working closely with the new CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Unit in order to ensure these cases are managed effectively and in the best interests of victims from the outset.”
Prolific graffiti offender brought to justice by police in Ryde
by Duncan Smith
PC Martin Rogers and IW Council ENO Katharine Arblaster
A series of criminal damages in Ryde on the Isle of Wight was stopped and solved thanks to persistent enquiries by a local neighbourhood police officer. PC Martin Rogers of the Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods team investigated numerous reports of graffiti in the area during October and November 2009.
A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested and charged with criminal damage. He appeared before the Isle of Wight Youth Court in December 2009 when he was found guilty. The teenager was made the subject of a youth offending referral order for nine months, a six-month parenting order, and told to pay £625 compensation to Isle of Wight Council and £50 court costs.
During October 2009, police started to receive reports from Isle of Wight Council Environment and Neighbourhoods Officer (ENO) Katharine Arblaster about a recurring graffiti tag appearing on public places in and around Ryde. The tag was found in at least 14 locations including the Royal York Hotel in George Street, a disused garage in East Street, a pedestrian shelter at the Canoe Lake, and public seating in Puckpool Park.
PC Martin Rogers said: “It was clear these acts of criminal damage were linked to the same person. The offender had even started to write ‘catch me if you can’ in some places. Photographs of the graffiti tags were analysed with support from staff from Isle of Wight Council’s Community Safety Services, which runs an online graffiti gallery.
“We acted swiftly to solve this crime series as such vandalism is sometimes the first stage of an offender committing more serious offences. The sight of graffiti can also raise the fear of crime among residents and visitors. The reality is there have been more than 100 fewer crimes in Ryde town centre compared to last year, but it is just as important for people to feel safe and confident about where they live.”
Isle of Wight Council’s Community Safety Services Operations Manager Simon Dennis said: “We have a contractor that will remove obscene graffiti within 24 hours. The Council also records the tags left by the perpetrators with the police to look for and target repeat offenders. We will always take action against the perpetrators because it costs us, the taxpayers, tens of thousands of pounds a year to clean up this graffiti.” To report graffiti, you can phone a dedicated Isle of Wight Council hotline on (01983) 823515 or go online to www.iwight.com/graffiti
Robert Gary Cass, aged 26, formerly of Queens Road, Ryde, was sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2009 when a jury found him guilty of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent against 19-year-old Joseph Triccas outside an address in Slade Road in Ryde in 2007. Mr Triccas received serious injuries that left him partially paralysed.
A 22-year-old man from Ryde pleaded guilty in court to assault by beating and received a 12-month exclusion order from all pubs in the Ryde and District areas, a 12-month supervised community order, and six months' alcohol treatment. Speaking after the sentencing hearing at IW Magistrates Court on April 23, 2009, Sergeant Steve Goodier said: "The Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods team has a zero tolerance attitude towards alcohol related violence, which residents tell us consistently is their number one priority for police to tackle. We work with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to put evidence against offenders before the courts, and welcome responsible actions by licensees to restrict the opportunities such criminals have to cause crime in the area. The independent Ryde Pubwatch has already banned this man from licensed premises belonging to the scheme, and an exclusion order imposed by the court goes a step further by banning him from all pubs in the Ryde area for a year. We are committed to working with the community to maintain Ryde town centre as a place where residents and visitors are safe and feel safe."
More action taken by the Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods team
Policing at Ryde's Illuminated Carnival
Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team Sergeant Steve Goodier said: “I would like to thank the organisers and vast majority of spectators for making this year’s Ryde Illuminated Carnival on Saturday, September 5 a safe event. No major incidents were reported during the carnival procession, which attracted large public crowds. Police gave informal warnings to a small minority of spectators at risk of interfering with the path of the carnival procession. Officers warned a number of people without official peddling certificates who were attempting to sell goods along the route. An overall total of 17 police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were on duty along the route of carnival on Saturday, September 5. These included officers from Ryde’s two dedicated Safer Neighbourhoods teams, and officers from the Island Support Unit (ISU).
Sergeant Simon Lythgoe and PC Alex Coyne of the Island Support Unit (ISU) on duty in Union Street during the 2009 Ryde Illuminated Carnival
Operation Nemesis making Solent seafarers safer
by Duncan Smith
The Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team is working with Isle of Wight Council's Community Safety Service on protecting boat owners from criminals during Hampshire Constabulary’s Operation Nemesis to prevent burglary and theft. Sailors and harbour masters across the island are receiving advice on crime prevention tools and techniques to deter thieves and protect valuable property on board boats. The Isle of Wight mobile police station visited Ryde Harbour during May 2009 to demonstrate how a unique property marking system can be used to prevent marine crime.
SmartWater is a liquid that can mark someone’s valuable property with a unique DNA-style forensic code. These codes are stored on a secure database together with the owners’ details. SmartWater fluoresces yellow and green under UV light allowing recovered items to be linked to their owner, and the thieves who stole them. The Isle of Wight Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), which introduced SmartWater to the island, is contacting harbour masters and members to increase awareness within the sailing community.
Police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from the Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team, and Ryde-based Isle of Wight Council Environment and Neighbourhoods Officer (ENO) Katharine Arblaster, provided SmartWater packs to boat owners who expressed interest in marking and registering their valuable property. Sailors using Ryde Harbour were also shown a DVD depicting the advantages of SmartWater, and given Home Office advice booklets on how to keep a boat secure.
Isle of Wight Crime Prevention Officer Michala Bailey said: “Although burglary rates are low on the island, we are keen to reduce them further because of the impact theft can have on victims. Opportunist thieves can find boats easy targets if valuable items such as outboard motors and navigation and radio systems are not secured. Marking property is just one of many simple things boat owners can do in just a few minutes to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.”
Simon Dennis, the Operations Manager for the IW Council's Community Safety Services, said "SmartWater is a real success and definitely a positive way forward for agencies and individuals to work in partnership to help prevent burglary and theft on the Island."
Boat owners who applied SmartWater to property on their vessels included Frederick Fox of Binstead, Isle of Wight, and Colin Russell of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Mr Fox said: “Boats can be so vulnerable and it was annoying when thieves took an outboard motor from me years ago. I can see the police are taking this seriously, and I believe SmartWater will work in telling criminals to leave sailors alone.” Mr Russell said: “I think it’s a good idea. It’s so easy; a deterrent to the type of thieves who’ve stolen outboard motors, fuel and radios in the past.”
For more information, you can log onto www.saferwight.org.uk/smartwater and http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/vehiclecrime/vehiclecrime32.htm
Operation Tri-Sign
Police officers with the Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) developed a plan to combat anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.
Operation Tri-Sign was a high-profile co-ordinated campaign designed to improve community safety at the start of the island’s summer tourist season in 2008.
A number of three-sided ‘tri-signs’ were put up on seven streets in Ryde. They displayed safety messages to residents and a warning to criminals who might be operating in the area.
Under 21 drinking ban in Ryde
Isle of Wight Council and Hampshire Constabulary are working together with off-licences in Ryde to tackle alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in the town.
15 off-licences, from specialist stores to supermarkets, refuse to sell alcohol to anyone aged under 21 on Friday and Saturdays. Launched in May 2008, this was the first time such a formal project was introduced to the Island.
Although alcohol can be purchased legally by anyone aged 18 or over, the Isle of Wight Council and police licensing teams believe the tighter voluntary regulation is helping to stop problems involving drunken youths.
Pub Watch
The independent Ryde Pubwatch holds regular meetings, shares information and uses the Shop Watch radio system after shopping hours.
Police fully support the aims and objectives of the Pubwatch scheme, which are to achieve a safer social drinking environment in all licensed premises throughout the island. “The island benefits from eight watches with some 148 members, who meet regularly to discuss issues relating to social responsibility in relation to alcohol, the safety of regular customers, and visitors to members’ premises on the island. The schemes are supported in each case by a local police officer, but all decisions to ban troublemakers are made by the members themselves. The police do not have any voting rights at meetings, nor are recommendations made by officers. The police are referred to only for factual information, which is then only disclosed when relevant to the issue under discussion. Pubwatch is therefore a scheme run ‘by licensees for licensees’, supported by the police.
On the island, this network has been further enhanced by the creation of a Pubwatch website, which can be viewed at www.iow-pubwatch.co.uk This is not a police website, nor is it maintained by the police. It has a public page, and ‘members only’ pages, which contain images of banned persons. This site has proved extremely valuable to members as a means of identifying troublemakers throughout the various watches across the island.
The strength of Pubwatch is unity of purpose, exemplified by the motto ‘banned from one banned from all’.
How you can take action
Come and tell us what is important to you in your neighbourhood, and play your part in setting local priorities.
Ryde Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team hold Community Engagement Forums, Neighbourhood Surgeries and Street Surveys so that you can tell us your community issues and priorities. Click this link for details of community meetings in the area.
If you would like to speak to an officer or would like to invite a member of the team to attend your Neighbourhood Watch, residents association or other local meeting to talk about crime and anti-social behaviour, contact us on the details below.
You could also volunteer to help the teams working in your local area and make a real difference to your neighbourhood. Click here for more information about police support volunteers.
Crime mapping and local performance information
Hampshire Constabulary has joined with partner agencies in the two counties to provide you with local information about crime and disorder, using a system called CADDIE. On the bottom left hand side of this page, you can enter your postcode into CADDIE to view information about your local area.
You can also see how we are performing against certain key criteria in your local area:
Link to Ryde Town Neighbourhood Performance page
How to contact us
Ryde Police Station, Station Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2QH. Phone: 101 or 0845 045 45 45.
Email: rydetown.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
Online links to partner organisations in the Ryde Town area:
Ryde Town Council
http://www.iwight.com/parishcouncils/parishcouncilsdetail.aspx?id=30
