Last updated on: Friday, September 3
The Safer Neighbourhoods Team for Yateley is: PC Tony Stuart (first left), PC Paul Knaggs (far right), PCSO Andy King (third right) and PCSO Karen Campion (second right).
Graffiti Removal week by Hart District Council
The week will run from September 20 until September 24.
We are asking residents to report any sightings of graffiti to us, this information will then be forwarded to the council for their attention.
We are based out of Yateley Police Station.
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.
Our community priorities are:
- To prevent thefts of hanging baskets and garden furniture
- Tackling anti-social behaviour in the One Stop and KFC area of Reading Road
- Stop nuisance vehicles on the common land including the disused runway
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.
Actions we have taken in relation to your priorities
You said: There was an increase in garden furniture and hanging baskets disappearing over night
We did:
We are currently conducting high visibility patrols, targeting areas that have suffered. Further to this, we are giving all victims reassurance and advice. We advise residents to place garden furniture away at night in a locked shed or garage.
If this is not possible, then place it in such a manner that it cannot be seen by passers by. Hanging baskets, pots and ornaments should ideally be placed in well lit areas maybe using a floodlight system or indeed secured to a fixed surface or the ground.
Pots should be weighted at the bottom and if possible ornaments marked. We would continue to urge our residents should they suffer a theft of this nature to please contact us, so we can update high visibility patrols and continue to visit all victims.
You said: There is a problem with anti-social behaviour in the One Stop and KFC area of Reading Road
We did:
We called together the local businesses and completed a crime prevention survey to help businesses identify ways of securing their properties. A new bench has now been installed on the green and bin collections have been increased.
We have also worked with KFC to improve their CCTV system. We will continue to monitor the area and try to identify ways to engage with young people who gather here.
High visibility patrols continue to be carried out by local officers at KFC and the One Stop Shop to deter teenagers from gathering in the evenings and at school holidays and these locations are a priority for these patrols. The Probation Service Community Payback team has assisted with a general clear up of the area. This includes painting two of the local bus stops, and work within the grounds of St. Peters Church in Yateley where groups used to gather. Teenagers seen in the church entrance have been spoken to and educated by PCSOs.
Yateley Town Council has assisted with cutting back foliage in the areas where anti-social behaviour occurred. This helps local police and Hart CCTV to identify and have a better view across the hotspot areas. The fencing outside of KFC has been upgraded and this has assisted to minimise groups of youngsters.
A PRIME meeting was held recently and concluded with positive feedback from local businesses on Reading Road. Patrols and business interaction will continue throughout spring and summer, especially the school holidays.
This area has now been further highlighted within the remit of the summer Anti-Social Behaviour campaign and in doing so will be targeted for continued high visibility patrols by officers.
You said: Stop nuisance vehicles on the common land including the disused runway
We did:
PC Paul Knaggs set up Operation Sealey which is an operation where we all target problem areas on the common with high visibility patrols offering advice, giving fixed penalty notices and section 59 warning orders to offenders.
We have been maximising the use of car, foot and cycle patrols working alongside our targeted patrol teams on a regular basis. In relation to this operation numerous cars, vans, motorbikes and quad bike users have been stopped, spoken to and disposed of in the appropriate manner.
There has been a great reduction in the use of vehicles on the common and unused runway, however there are a few people who choose to ignore the police warning signs.
You as the public are helping the operational effectiveness by keeping the calls coming in on a regular basis and indeed photos being provided in some cases.
Offenders brought to justice
In relation to Operation Sealey offenders have been given advice, fixed penalty notices and Section 59 warnings to offenders. Signs remain in the area advising that there is no access from the Blackbushe Sunday Market entrance. The area is coned off by Safer Neighbourhoods teams, this adds extra deterrent.
Several offenders have been arrested and dealt with for shoplifting at local convenience stores. Enquiries are further ongoing with this matter and local shops continue to provide high quality CCTV footage to assist ourselves.
Young people who have been behaving in an anti-social manner have had their details forwarded to Hart District Council. Warning letters in relation to their involvement have been sent to their parents and guardians and in one instance arrests have been made and offenders remain on bail.
Alcohol continues to be confiscated by teenage groups who drink underage in the local area . Roadside searches have also been conducted on vehicles and people alike, and this has led to drugs being seized.
There have been several drug related offences where suspects were given cannabis street warnings, cautions and charged.
Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch is still under the guidance of the police and Walter Seymour, the Yateley Neighbourhood Watch area coordinator.
We have seen the scheme grow from 28 streets to 62 streets and more.
Six monthly meetings are held at the Tythings. If you would like information about becoming a Neighbourhood Watch street coordinator please contact the Yateley Beat Team for more information.
Pub Watch
Pub Watch was set up and is currently being split into two schemes. There is to be a group for Yateley and a group for Blackwater. The Yateley Pub Watch is chaired by Tony Jones from the Blackwater Valley Golf Club.
Shop Watch
Shop Watch was launched in an attempt to bring together the shops and help them identify the local youths causing repeat problems.
A banned from one, banned from all approach was advised. This was a way to unite the shops and not make them feel isolated. Further meetings will be set in the coming year. If any shop missed the first meeting please contact the beat team for further information.
The officers at Yateley will always continue to serve the local community to the best of their ability. The priorities are only three areas brought to our attention as main concerns.
How you can take action
Beat Surgeries
Beat surgeries are an ideal opportunity for you to come and speak to us and let us know what concerns you may have. It is also a great way for your Safer Neighbourhoods Team to meet local residents.
- Friday, September 17 at the Co-op from 4.30pm until 6.30pm
- Friday, October 15 at Waitrose from 2pm until 4pm
- Tuesday, November 2 at the Library from 1pm until 3pm
- Thursday, December 16 at the Co-op from 4.30pm until 6.30pm
Beat surgeries at the above locations have proved to be beneficial and it is an ideal opportunity for the team to engage with residents within the community and listen to their concerns, issues and ideas.
Please contact us on the details below to find out more details. Come and tell us what is important to you in your neighbourhood, and play your part in setting local priorities.
Your Voice Counts - community priorities
Your Safer Neighbourhoods team wants to hear from you. Have your say on what the policing priorities should be for your area, by clicking here to download a copy of the form and send it back to your local team.
Volunteering
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 any of the officers responsible for policing your local area, please call 101 or email the Yateley Safer Neighbourhood team
