January 2014 Welcome Welcome to the first Partnership Update for Lichfield District, produced by Lichfield District Council on behalf of Lichfield District Safer Community Partnership.
In this issue we highlight the work of Late Night Listeners, look back on the Walk A Mile event, explain the new laws regarding scrap metal dealing, and introduce Staffordshire Police’s new Partnerships Manager, and much more.
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of Partnership Update, due out in April, please contact a member of the council’s community safety team.
About Lichfield District Safer Community Partnership In Lichfield District, local partners work together to deliver community safety initiatives through Lichfield District Safer Community Partnership.
The partnership includes members from a wide range of public, private and voluntary agencies.
The partners work together to reduce crime, anti‐social behaviour and the fear of crime throughout the district.
Changes to council’s community safety team As many of you will know, Bob Haynes, Community Safety Officer for Lichfield District Council, has decided to work part time and is job sharing with Lucie Ferneyhough.
Lucie, who previously worked in community development, started with community safety in November. She is now working closely with Bob, Jenni Coleman (Community Safety Manager), and other partners to help tackle community safety issues within the district.
Bob and Lucie are both working two and a half days a week. Bob works on Mondays and Tuesdays and Lucie works on Thursdays and Fridays, with both working on Wednesday morning.
Contact
Contact us
To get hold of Bob or Lucie about any community safety issues, please use the below contact information:
Tel: 01543 308005 Email: community.safety @lichfielddc.gov.uk
Bob Haynes, Community Safety Officer Telephone: 01543 308777 Mobile: 07977 269008 Email: bob.haynes@lichfielddc.gov.uk
To find out more, visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ communitysafety
Lucie Ferneyhough, Community Safety Officer Telephone: 01543 308777 Mobile: 07969 899900 Email: lucie.ferneyhough@lichfielddc.gov.uk
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Walk a Mile In October, Lichfield District Safer Community Partnership worked with the Pathway Project to organise a sponsored walk with a difference.
Late Night Listeners Late Night Listeners has been operating in Lichfield City centre for three years. Some 40 volunteers from various churches in Lichfield come together in teams of four to six on Friday nights and two Saturdays each month. They provide hot drinks, biscuits, and listening ears to people out between 10pm and 2am.
Many people enjoy stopping for a drink and a chat, while others who have had too much to drink are helped to sober up or provided with flip‐flops, rather than walking to their taxi in bare feet, after taking off their high heels. Sometimes people are also glad to have someone to chat to about issues that are worrying them.
Emergency services have to be called occasionally, and Late Night Listeners have often been a calming influence at the scene of a fight.
Instances of fights seem have recently reduced, and Late Night Listeners are credited by the police in helping to bring incidences from two or three a weekend down to two or three a month. Our thanks to all the volunteers ‐ keep up the good work!
No cold calling project As members of the Safer Community Partnership, Lichfield District Council, Staffordshire Police and Trading Standards are setting up a series of ‘No Cold Calling’ zones across Lichfield and Burntwood.
The zones are designed to discourage cold callers that claim to be selling goods or offering services around the house or garden. Each zone will be registered as a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. Participating residents will be given a pack that includes signs to dissuade uninvited callers. The packs will also include telephone numbers of local Trading Standards and the police, so agencies that ignore the signs can be easily reported.
We asked men to wear women’s shoes, preferably high heels, and walk a mile through Lichfield City to raise money for the Pathway Project in Lichfield and Tamworth. This is the charity that supports victims and their families who are experiencing domestic abuse.
We didn’t only ask men to take part in the walk, it was for all the family and it proved a popular and fun event with over 50 people taking part.
Notable faces on the day included our very own local MP, Michael Fabricant, the Chairman of Lichfield District Council, Cllr David Leytham, and Cllr Colin Greatorex, who sits on the council’s Cabinet.
The walk was successful at both raising public awareness of domestic abuse and in raising more than £1,100 for charity. We would like to thank everyone that took part in the event and look forward to seeing you all next year!
For more information about Pathway Project, please contact Kathy Coe on 01543 442612 or at kathycoe3000@hotmail.com www.pathway‐project.co.uk
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Introducing Marisha Place ‐ Staffordshire Police’s new Partnerships Manager This autumn, Staffordshire Police appointed Marisha Place to replace Sergeant Caroline Bailey, who for many years acted as the conduit between the agencies on a number of projects within the Lichfield District and Tamworth Borough areas.
Marisha Place is currently based in the Annex at the Police Mutual Building Assurance Society, Queen Street, Lichfield. Of her appointment, Marisha said: “I have worked for the police since 2005, starting as a front desk Enquiry Officer for a year covering Lichfield, Burntwood and Tamworth. I then became an Intelligence Officer for Burntwood and District, which, after a few years, also incorporated Lichfield. I became Partnership Manager for Lichfield and District in September. “The role involves working with partner agencies, keeping communities safe and reassured. I am also the domestic violence and mental health lead for Lichfield and District police.”
To contact Marisha, call 101, extension 5653 or email marisha.place@staffordshire.pnn.police.uk
Identity theft warning
Scrap metal dealers
Will you be doing a spring clean this year? If you are, will you be throwing away your old bank statements and other personal information?
In recent years, metal theft has had a significant impact on communities, businesses and local councils. In December, the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 replaced the registration system for scrap metal dealers, created by the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act.
The new act provides local authorities with a licensing regime that supports legitimate dealers. It also provides the powers to effectively tackle unscrupulous operators.
Your identity is one of your most valuable assets and criminals can use this information to open bank accounts, take out credit cards, and apply for state benefits in your name.
If your identity is stolen, you can lose money and may find it difficult to get loans, credit cards or a mortgage until the matter is sorted out.
So, if you are thinking of doing a spring clean this year, please make sure you shred all your personal information before disposing of it. You can find out more about identity theft at www.actionfraud.police.uk
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Under the new legislation the definition of scrap metal dealers has been extended to include motor salvage operators, and the provisions in the Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001, under which they operate, has ended.
The act makes it an offence to buy scrap metal for cash, and the only authorised way to pay for scrap metal is a non‐transferable cheque or an electronic transfer of funds. It also make it an offence to not obtain and verify the seller’s identity, which is punishable by a fine.
This applies to the scrap metal dealer, the site manager and any person, who under arrangements made by either the scrap metal dealer or the site manager, has responsibility for fulfilling this requirement on behalf of the business.
For more information about the act, visit www.gov.uk/government/ publications/scrap‐metal‐dealer‐act‐2013‐licence‐fee‐charges
>> Scrap metal licences for the district can be downloaded at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/scrapmetal
OPCC funding The introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in November 2012 brought about significant changes to police and community safety funding, with all related funding streams being brought together under the PCC’s control.
The total amount of funding available across Staffordshire in 2013/14 is £1.3 million and will increase significantly to £2.5 million in 2014/15.
Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire’s PCC, is to commission outcomes to support his priorities within the context of his Safer, Fairer, United Communities strategy. There are three funding streams:
The Local Deal Fund (working title): total £1.75 million, available on an on‐going cycle although the amount available may vary. More information, including the process to apply for this funding, should be available soon with projects starting in April 2014.
The Local Policing Fund: £250,000: current bidding round closed.
People Power Fund: £500,000 available from April 2014, maximum bid £3,000.
For more information email: local.policingfund@staffordshire.pcc.pnn.gov.uk
Crime prevention advice For advice on how to protect yourself and others from crime, visit Staffordshire Police’s website which has an ‘Info and Advice’ section on crime prevention.
It includes information on how to make sure your possessions are not targeted by thieves, how to deal with anti‐social behaviour, warning signs of child sexual exploitation, fraud and much more.
The section also gives instructions for how to register your mobile phone for free with immobilise. Another interesting feature is advice on internet safety. This includes tips for Facebook users and links to further advice, such as the Get Safe Online website.
To access the crime prevention advice, visit: http://www.staffordshire.police.uk/info_advice/ crime_prevention/
Supporting Families Supporting Families was set up to help families with multiple issues, often responsible for causing problems, costing society a large amount of money in terms of the many services that deal with them without getting to the root causes. This is money spent simply containing families in dysfunction and hopelessness.
In November 2011, the government‐funded Troubled Families Programme was established to reduce crime and anti‐social behaviour, improve school attendance, and get more people into work or work programmes.
Locally, 31 families in phase one have been identified and have a lead agency and a key worker with a second phase of 38 households being developed.
For more information, email wayne.mortiboys@staffordshire.gov.uk
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