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Friday, November 9, 2018
Used needles shock figures
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found around Bognor Regis each year. THe shocking tally of the discarded drug addicts' equipment was revealed this week. Senior Arun District Council member Cllr Trevor Bence (C, Aldwick E) described the figures as worrying during a debate about policing in the area. "Drugs are the biggest single issue we are facing. In the last year and a half, just on street cleaning, we have removed over 1,100 used needles from the streets. We have collected over 300 from our parks and green spaces. "In addition to that, in the last part of the regeneration of Hotham Park, which took about a year, we were forced to remove 400 used needles. THat should astonish all of you," he told councillors at Arun's full meeting on Wednesday. "We need to recognise all this drug taking is going in the dark corners of our towns, our parishes, our villages - the areas where no-one else is around. "We need to think long and hard about how we want our community policing. We need to react to get the service back to where it should be." Cllr Bence said Arun was also working with the police about situations of cuckooing, where vulnerable people's homes are taken over by drug dealers, in its council properties. His comments came during a debate which expressed anger at the withdrawal of regular PC and police community support officer patrols by Sussex Police in Bognor
and the growing level of public and trader dissatisfaction that had led to. THe motion called on Sussex's Chief Constable, Giles York, to urgently tackle the problem by reinstating dedicated PC and/or PCSO patrols in the town centres and other communities. THe motion by the council's Lib Dems was plate size only agreedStandard unanimously after amendments by the ruling Tory group to make Mr York the target of the anger rather than the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne. Cllr Paul Wells (LD, Hotham) said: "We get the needles dropped in Bognor Regis town centre, not just in toilets, the multistorey car park but behind shops as well. "Drugs Available and needles are9.00am the biggest -issue 11.30am and they are ongoing. We see youngsters dealing drugs in the town centre. We know who they are. THere was almost a fight between two groups when I left my shop tonight." Bognor Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 Cllr Dr James Walsh (LD, Beach) said oldstyle community policing was invaluable Tel. 01243 756170 BrickKilnGardenCentre in tackling crime - and had to be restored. "It is the eyes and ears of a community. It's about the small bits of intelligence that don't amount to anything by themselves but mean a lot when they are pieced together." Cllr Gillian Brown (C, Aldwick E), Arun's leader, said: "We are all concerned about police numbers and the anti-social behaviour that is going on everywhere. We all need to feel safe in our neighbourhoods."
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Boxers' delight at new photo
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Remembering 100 years on - see page 10
Calls by residents for park action
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