* Updated 20/01/12*
Sergeant Stuart Bradford is responsible for the Safer Neighbourhoods team covering the Bevois Town and Banister Park areas. The team consists of:
- PC John Woodfield
- PC Paul Warren
- PC Marsha Brown
- PC Andy Barker
- PC Matt Bargh
- PCSO Lee Scott
- PC Steve Blanford - Engagement Officer
- SC Richard Brown
- SC Samantha Saldias
- SC Darren Southam
Your local priorities:
Police and Community Together meetings have been introduced throughout Southampton and are currently held quarterly in each of the Portswood police neighbourhoods.
The meetings are organised and chaired by officers from your Safer Neighbourhoods team and involve people who form part of a Key Individual Network (KIN). A KIN is a key person from the community with good contacts within that community. People currently involved include your local councillors, representatives from local resident associations , neighbourhood groups, local housing associations, care homes, housing societies, school head teachers, police, Southampton City Council and Southampton University amongst others.
PACT meetings are a formal way to identify areas of concerns of the local community, local issues are discussed and from here we set your community priorities for the next three months. Your Safer Neighbourhoods team will then set action plans to tackle the issues and use multi agency strategies to collectively address the priority with an aim to achieve the objective and resolve the problem. If you feel you would like to get involved in this process and assist with your local community issues, then please contact us and we can will advise you on how to become involved.
This is your opportunity to have a say on the priorities for your neighbourhood. If you are interested please send your e-mail to: portswood.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk.
The current priorities set at the last Police and Community Together meeting are:
- To tackle anti-social behaviour, nightime economy and student related nuisance.
- To tackle vehicle crime.
These priorities were decided at the PACT meeting in September 2011. They are currently being worked on and feedback and updates were given at the last PACT meeting, which was held on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 7.30pm, at St Barnabas Church Hall, Rose Road (Church Hall entrance on Lodge Road),
Action in relation to your priorities
You said: Tackle anti-social behaviour on Alma Road and the surrounding area.
We did: We worked in partnership with Southampton City Council to establish the strength of feeling in relation to this priority by conducting house to house enquiries and with a letterdrop. We have weekly meetings with the staff and residents at Kingsley House where we make clear the expections of the community. High visibility patrols have been conducted to reassure, deter and intervene with incidents on the street. Also, we have worked with the licensed premises in the area to reaffirm their responsibilities to do all they can to minimise discorder associated with their trading practices. Work has been done with the University to ensure that the message is clear to students that they have responsibilitites to be good neighbours. The area is subject to patrols as part of the night time economy plan for the city.
You said: Tackle anti-social behaviour in and around Bevois Town School.
We did: We have conducted environmental surveys to support this priority and have researched reported incidents and identified the hot spot times. We have targeted our patrols to match the hot spot times. Details have been obtained from youths gathered and they have been advised by Police about their behaviour and engaged by the Southampton City Council Anti Social Behaviour Team. We have worked with the school and its governing body to ensure accurate information is gained as to the extent of the issue for the school. We have offered crime reduction advice to the school with a view to making the site more secure. The school now report that the problem has reduced.
You said: Reduce violent crime.
We did: We have placed significant police resources. These have included high visibility patrols, covert plain clothes patrols and technical measures have been deployed. There have been a number of arrests where offenders have been charged. Over recent weeks, the number of reports of this type of crime has reduced.
Crime prevention
In our community there are areas that are heavily populated by students and it tends to be at this time of year when they have moved to new accommodation that we have an increase in burglaries, stolen bikes and vehicle crime. However, the victim isn't always a student but can be anyone who has left themselves vulnerable. The offenders are often opportunists and will take advantage in any way. It is important to know how you can help to protect yourself and your property.
We find that burglaries occur when front facing windows to a property have been left open and the room is vacant. This allows burglars to get access, have a look for anything valuable and steal it! Another method burglars’ use is getting in through insecure back doors. Lock your doors, make sure your garden is secure and tidy or dispose of any trees or bushes that may be hiding your property from the road. Don’t give anyone the chance to creep up to your home and break in without being seen! To protect your vehicle make sure it is left clean and tidy and any valuable property is removed when parked up. Ideally leave the glove box open when the vehicle is left unattended to stop any unnecessary broken windows and so thieves know you haven’t got anything to steal.
Keep valuable property out of sight and keep such items away from open windowsills. Ensure that ground floor windows are closed every time the room is left unattended. Burglaries occur regularly across the beat due to insecurities and we would like to remind residents the importance of keeping items safe. It is recommended that serial numbers of any identifiable property such as bicycles and electrical items are logged in case of loss. We are aware of certain areas where drug dealing occurs. We would like to ask all residents to be vigilant and to report any information about the locations and frequency of drug dealing so we can build up a better picture and allocate resources effectively to deter this acitivity.
Community Speedwatch
Community Speedwatch is an initiative that Hampshire Constabulary is rolling out across Southampton.
Speeding is one of the factors that most affects the quality of life in communities around Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It can be a factor in road traffic collisions and impacts on the day-to-day lives of people in the community. Community Speedwatch will be co-ordinated by Hampshire Constabulary in partnership with local councils and other agencies. The scheme itself relies on volunteers from communities across the two counties to get involved and help make the scheme a success. It will be run by local police safer neighbourhood teams and the community volunteers. For more information about starting a scheme, the equipment we use or becoming a volunteer, visit our website, contact your local neighbourhood police officer or contact Martyna Curtis on martyna.curtis@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
Fothcoming Beat surgeries
- Beat surgeries will be held fortnightly on a Saturday from 11am until 1pm. The surgeries are based at the Waitrose store on Portswood Road. Come along and chat to us, they are a great way of meeting some of the team.
Click here for the Beat surgery poster - If you have a communal area, notice board or any place to display this please feel free to help us advertise the Beat Surgeries.
- Our last PACT meeting was held on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 7.30pm at St Barnabas Church Hall, Rose Road (Church Hall entrance on Lodge Road). This was an open meeting for all to attend if you wanted to have an input on the policing priorities in your area for the next three months.
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. 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 view details of how we are performing against certain key criteria in your local area. Click here to see your local performance information.
How to contact us
If you would like to speak to someone about policing in your local area, please call 101 or email portswood.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
