NHW news & crime report

You can still be in Neighbourhood Watch

We continue to get enquiries about membership of Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch from those who have been members for many years and from potential new members.

Sadly, the not-for-profit organisation has now closed down because of a lack of volunteers to administer it on a regular basis. All that now has to be completed is the disposal of its remaining assets and the closure of its bank account. The cash balance will be transferred to Birstall Parish Council for re-distribution to other community organisations. The Parish Council has been the main financial supporter of the Watch since the lockdown prevented us from collecting the annual subscriptions from our members.

It is anticipated that these tasks will be completed by October.

The Watch has a Facebook page and this will continue to operate, managed by Karen Moon, who has done so since it started in 2011.

Our other online services, the Website and Email address, will also continue, managed primarily by me, until their hosting subscriptions expire sometime next year.

The Watch Phone is in a similar situation and will remain connected for the time being.

The Watch is also registered on Leicestershire’s Neighbourhood Link and Neighbourhood Alert and will stay active there, also for the time being.

It is hoped that these links will provide a useful resource for information and advice for any group of neighbours who wish to set up their local Neighbourhood Watch scheme that they can adapt to the needs of their own area.

This is the pattern of the majority of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes throughout the country, where residents in small villages and small communities within larger urban areas work together to protect each other from criminal and other anti-social behaviour.

Why not ask your immediate neighbours whether they are interested and organise a meeting to discuss how to proceed?

There is a lot of help and information on how to do this available online (see our Newsletter also in this edition of the Birstall Post) or contact us by email or phone for further guidance.

Please keep safe and crime-free,

From Ed Chambers, Chairman, Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch

community, providing crime prevention advice, and encouraging the use of security measures to make properties more secure. Attending reports of burglaries to secure any evidence, and pursue reasonable lines of enquiries to identify any offenders.

Vehicle Crime

Police aim to tackle different elements of vehicles crime such as theft, TWOC and ASB caused by vehicles

Police aim to tackle vehicle crime through the use of Problem Management Profiles. This will be targeted patrol times to disrupt the use of ASB with vehicles, and disruption tactics on a wider scale using specialist officers.

Theft and associated offences will be targeted by pursuing reasonable lines of enquiry to assist identify and prosecute offenders in a timely manner

Tackling County Lines

Police are developing and targeting people within the area that are drug dealing, exploiting vulnerable people by cuckooing addresses and causing antisocial behaviour from this type of crime.

Gathering intelligence from the community, providing a robust response by executing search warrants, and applying any necessary closures order to stop criminality and protect the public.

Birstall Specific Theft (retail specific)

Due to the high amount of retail thefts being reported within Birstall, the local beat team will be completing a review and working with retail outlets in order to offer recommendations linked to hardening crime prevention and requesting support from partner agencies, with the aim of identifying and targeting the offenders, leading to a reduction in crime.

Drugs - Development of Intelligence

Local officers are out and about within Birstall and Wanlip, speaking to local residents to gather current/accurate information and intelligence that can be acted upon in order to hold drug dealers/users accountable, which will subsequently make our streets a safer place.

Road Safety - Excess Speed

Speeding vehicles is an ongoing issue on our roads - that is very well established. As a policing team, we will be out on the roads at locations highlighted by local residents on a sporadic basis. Please watch your speed. If you are concerned about road safety in Birstall & Wanlip, request enforcement and make a difference. Find out more by visiting the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Road Safety Partnership website: www.speedorsafety.com where you can complete a short Community Concern Site Request.

Message from PC 1365 Stu Venables

We have executed another search warrant from the courts in regard to drugs, this time on Wanlip Avenue. During this time drugs were located within the address and one person was arrested and subsequently charged with possession.

We will keep on securing warrants from the courts to keep the pressure on criminals, but we can only do this if the information keeps coming in, so please do not ignore something you see, please report it without delay, either online, via 101/999, or CrimeStoppers.

I am pleased to say that at the time of writing this message, we have not had a burglary within Birstall since May 21, which is fantastic news.

Meanwhile, Steven Lakin, who was arrested and charged for some of the burglaries within Birstall, has pleaded guilty at Crown Court and was sentenced to two years, 8 months in HMP.

In regards to the thefts from our local supermarkets, we have now arrested a couple of the main offenders and as a result, the thefts have now significantly reduced.

If you could help us out, we are trying to get everyone signed up to Neighbourhood Link, which is where we share up-to-date information, which is mostly email based and allows you to respond. Please see further details by visiting the website: www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk

All the best and stay safe

PC 1365 Stu Venables

Crime Update

Crime summary: Birstall & Wanlip

June 20, 2023, until July 12, 2023

Violence with injury 6, Violence without injury 16, Vehicle Crime 5, shoplifting 4, all other offences 1, criminal damage 3, possession of offensive weap- on 1, public disorder 2, drug trafficking 1, misc crimes 1

The last burglary dwelling reported to have been committed within Birstall and Wanlip was on May 21, 2023, on Curzon Avenue.

Similar to last month, in regards to vehicle crime, the vast majority relate to theft of number plates.

Events

Beat Surgery - Saturday, August 12, 2023 - Between 4 pm and 6 pm located at the Robert Dickinson Building on Sibson Road (within the Short Stay car park).

Beat Surgery - Sunday, August 27, 2023 - Between 10 am and 12noon, (venue as above).

Please feel free to attend, meet your local officer, ask any questions or discuss any community concerns you may have. Additionally, local residents can bring their cycles to the surgeries to have them officially marked for free — information regarding the scheme can be found on the website: www.bikeregister.com or explained on the day.

Upcoming events

We are holding a BikeRegister event between 12noon and 3.30 pm on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28, at St James Church, Church Hill, Birstall which will be part of the Summer Fete.

Feel free to bring along your cycle and get it marked for free.

I am also planning on conducting further road safety operations; this will be targeted towards the fatal 4 offences (Speed, Drink/Drugs, Seat belt and Mobile Phone) around Birstall & Wanlip.

PCSO 6174 Jon Harrison will be looking to conduct further Beat Surgeries from Brunchies café on the Hallam Fields Estate and will post further information via Neighborhood Link. For further information on Neighbourhood Link please feel free to look at the following link: http://www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk/ be one of the hottest in June, and, accordingly, the competition was shortened. The winners (pictured above)were Christine Harrison, Diane Price and Chris Townsend. The event was rounded off