Crime Log: February 2010

Crime figures continue to decrease against the same period last year (December 2009 compared to December 2008) with total crime down by 81 incidents. Significant decreases were in Tormohun down by 40, Preston down by 31, Blatchcombe down by 29 and Roundham-with-Hyde down by 25 incidents.

Increases in crime over the Christmas period were apparent in Berry Head-with-Furzeham , Goodrington-with-Roselands, St Marychurch, Wellswood and Cockington with Chelston.

Although all but one of our categories have seen total ward numbers decrease, there were significant spikes in vehicle crime across several wards. With this in mind our partner agencies are urging residents to ensure that no valuables are left in vehicles and that any suspicious activity is reported to the non-emergency number.

Domestic burglary figures continue to fall, decreasing by 12 incidents against the same period last year. The great work being done in the Blatchcombe and Preston wards with ‘Operation Stay Safe’ saw a decrease of 7 incidents in Blatchcombe and 4 in Preston. Tormohun also saw a significant decrease from 9 incidents last year to only 4 this year.

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) numbers also continue to decrease across the board with a drop of 58 reports. We are not resting on our laurels however and continue to proactively target communities that are feeling the effects of this type of offence. Our most recent initiative is the formation of a ‘PACT Team’ (Partners and Communities Together), whose number one priority is to respond to resident complaints surrounding ASB in their neighbourhoods.

The PACT team was set up to provide a proactive policing presence in Torbay and to deal quickly and effectively with local concerns surrounding ASB, public disorder and alcohol misuse.

The two teams of four officers usually focus their efforts on the harbourside on a Friday and Saturday night and have been known as the night–time economy team. Trained in advanced licensing legislation, public order and weapon and drugs identification, these experts are now being used in our communities. The PACT team operates on a different level to their neighbourhood policing counterparts in that they are reactive to the immediate needs of the community; going in and dealing with an issue quickly and aggressively in order to give the community short-term, impactive alleviation from the issues. Our Neighbourhood Beat Managers (NBM’s) are there throughout - gathering evidence and maintaining law and order, and providing the community with reassurance - and afterwards in a supportive role implementing the changes and ensuring that the issues are completely eradicated. The NBM’s are there long after the PACT team have gone, providing long-term support to the community and ensuring regular operational policing continues to maintain public order.

Having only been operational for just over a month, the team has already made a dramatic impact on the community of Chelston by assisting with the Mallock Road house closure. Residents’ complaints became so overwhelming that the situation was designated a priority for the Police, Council and Safer Communities.

Sgt Dave Pebworth, commented; “Mallock Rd is an example of multi-agency working at its best. Residents coming forward and telling us what was affecting their quality of life has led to us being able to end the nightmare and close down the house. If people had not had the courage to come forward then there would have been little that we could have done to solve the problem. We are really reliant on testimonials and evidence to support any actions we consider taking. Consultation actually shapes the service we deliver. Only by listening to our residents’ concerns can we actually ensure we are dealing with the issues that matter most to our communities.”

The next phase of ‘You Said, We Did’ – a local campaign whereby YOU tell US what issues matter to YOU and we use them to shape the way WE work over the coming year, is also underway. All of Safer Communities Torbay’s partner agencies have been attending community events and meetings across the Bay asking for you to help us deliver better services. Feedback forms are also available on our website and can be filled out online.

The feedback you provide us with is used to find out about residents’perceptions of crime in the Bay, what issues actually matter to you and how you see these issues successfully being dealt with. We know that we live in a low crime area and that we ARE safe, but we need to know how we can make you FEEL safer.

Torbay’s low crime figures have not made us complacent. The Council, Police and partner agencies are keen to know about crime and anti-social behaviour across the Bay, how residents feel about it and where their concerns lay.

The ‘ You Said, We Did’ campaign feedback that we receive directly feeds into Safer Communities Torbay (your local Community Safety Partnership, which includes the Council, the Police, the Fire brigade, Health and Probation) and the results are analysed so that the Partnership can see where best to use its resources over the coming year.

• Crime Log
  Details of the crime level statistics for Torbay (February 2010).
  Last updated: 15/07/2010 (46 KB)