Southend Central

Update

Update from Sgt Bill Potter Town Beat Sgt (26/01/2012)

Members of the Town Beat Section continue to attend the main Ward NAP meetings to answer any question relating to the Town Centre and Seafront areas, and we work with you all to resolve any issues arising. We remain pro-active around policing issues within the Town Centre and we feel as though we have achieved a decrease in crime and anti social behaviour again last year. We have certainly significantly reduced the disgraceful crime of purse theft. We ran two policing Operations over the festive season and this helped keep crime and anti social behaviour to a minimum. We now have a well established Beat Surgeries with the leading financial institutions and both shopping centres in town. These are now advertised on the web page. This continues to be a real worthwhile innovative idea well received by the retail community and members of the Public. We have lost the town centre police accommodation kindly provided by the Local Authority but we are already in negotiation with South East Essex College and the Victoria Shopping centre and hope to have facilities there shortly. This will maintain the visible policing presence in the town centre.

Essex Police is under reform and there is reorganisation in all areas of policing. We aim to be far more efficient in all aspects of our work. The Neighbourhood Policing Team will take on a slightly different format but it will continue to bring a real community focus and proactive approach to crime and disorder. The reform process will start in March and will certainly benefit and enhance Operation Magpie and the night time economy. We will continue to work with the retail community on day-to-day policing and to provide essential support to the many coordinated events throughout the year.

ASBO’s
The four anti-social behaviour orders (ASBO) in place on young people who were causing significant problems to members of the public and retail outlets in recent years have now expired and thankfully those who were subject to these Orders have remained within the law and we have experienced very few issues. This will be closely monitored and fresh applications made should things deteriorate. Direction to leave legislation is helping to exclude anti social people from the town centre. We are now targeting the Street drinkers and will pursue ASB Orders if they fail to respond to routine policing tactics.

The exclusion area around the town centre and seafront which is applied to persons who are charged with offences and bailed to court has worked well all year. This continues to restrict the movement of offenders within the town centre and provides a safer environment for law abiding members of the community.

Our next large event will be the annual Chinese New Year celebrations on Saturday 28th January 2012 and there is a large policing operation planned to ensure the safety of the Public and to prevent and deter crime and disorder.

Seafront

The sea front office was completed last year and will be open at peak times. We worked hard last year to engage with other agencies to bring activities to the seafront during school holidays. We will continue to develop this idea particularly as Marine Parade continues to attract the family atmosphere to the newly redeveloped seafront area. The fountain remains a huge attraction and has changed the whole ambience of the area. The sun was kind to us last year and we have had a successful ACE Cafe motorcycle event, Easter Bank Holidays and a successful air show. There was no major disorder and planning for this year’s events and the events around the Olympics and Her Majesty the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations are well under way. We continue to monitor the cruisers along Marine Parade and Western Esplanade and the under age drinking issue on Friday and Saturday nights in and around the sea front and Lucy Road. Our next large event will be the annual ACE Café event on Monday 9th April 2012. A large policing operation is planned to ensure the safety of the Public and to prevent and deter crime and disorder. Last year’s attendance was the best I have seen for many years and we only had one fight to contend with. This shows that the Seafront Traders Association, Clubwatch (Association of Licensed Premises), the Police and other Partner agencies are working well together to deliver quality events which are safe and well organised.


MILTON WARD

Update of 27/09/11
Police are increasing patrols in and around Seaforth Road and other areas in relation to the drinking and ASB issue reported by residents. Police have also been in liaison with the Southend Multi Agency Anti Social Behaviour Team (SMAART). SMAART are looking at a number of ways to assist including devising ASBO's on the worst ASB drinkers. This month saw PC William CHEUNG join the Milton Ward Neighbourhood Team as another Neighbourhood Constable for the area.

Update of 24/11/11
The operation by the police (Op Floyd) to combat drinking and asb around the Seaforth Rd and Manor road was successful. Results for this operation within areas of the Milton Ward were as follows, six arrests made (for alcohol related offences) and twenty one Section 27 notices issued (to leave the area notifications). There were also seven stop and searches and twelve anti social behaviour referrals made. The Southend Multi Agency Anti Social Behaviour Team (SMAART) provided good support for this operation. Feedback from residents has been positive and showed a reduction in drinking and ASB in the area around Seaforth Road and Manor Road.

Update of 19/01/12
Feedback from the local community at the last Milton Neighbourhood Meeting revealed an increase of drinking of alcohol in London Road, Southend between Princes Street and the High St. Police have been maintaining further high visibility patrols in the area to assist in reducing the ASB issues. The Southend Council CCTV Dept have been made aware of the issue.. The Police Town Beat Section have continued patrols in the area and this has led to a number of stops and seizures of alcohol. The Towen Beat Section have also been actively stopping persons cycling on the pavements.

Update from Inspector Norris, Southend Central Neighbourhood Inspector 19/01/12 -

I am Inspector Leigh Norris and I have been the Southend Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector for a little over two years. I have over fifteen years policing experience, the majority of which has been in the Southend district and I have worked at all police stations within the borough. This has provided me with a lot of knowledge and experience of working in such an exciting and diverse town. The rest of my time has been spent on the Force Support Unit and on short term strategic projects at Essex Police Headquarters. I have enjoyed my time working in this role and have an excellent team of committed, knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff working alongside me. We have achieved much in the last two years through a direct approach to tackling crime and disorder based issues by working in isolation and with partner agencies including South Essex Homes, housing associations and Southend Borough Council amongst others.

These include:
Reducing crime and disorder around Southend town centre's night time economy through partnership working and Operation Magpie patrols

Pro active work around the Hamlet Court Road area tackling drugs and anti-social behaviour through Operation Nestor;
Reductions in town centre based purse dipping offences and especially around Christmas time through Operation Jubilant;
Dealing with drug misue offences in the town centre tower blocks (Victoria Ward) including a Crack House closure;
Reducing street prostitution and kerb crawling in the Ambleside Drive area (Kursaal Ward) through Operation Trestle patrols;
Using technology including Bluetooth, Twitter, body worn video and mobile fingerprint devices and the media to great effect to publicise our work, help to reduce and prevent crime and publicise crime patterns and enhancing visibility of staff through increasing the number of cycle trained staff, securing a town centre policing base in 2011 and deployments with high visibility tactical vests to increase reassurance to the public.

Please contact me at Southend Police Station on 01702 423140, through my Twitter account (@SouthendInsp) or via e mail at leigh.norris@essex.pnn.police.uk if there are any issues or questions you wish to discuss.

Further information -
Sgt Ashley Holland is the Community Police Sergeant for Milton Ward. Sgt Holland is heavily involved in role of delivering long term solutions to residents’ problems.

KURSAAL WARD
Within the Kursaal Ward of Southend, operation Trestle has been running since September 2009, looking to tackle the issue with prostitution and associated anti-social behaviour in the general areas of York Road, Ambleside Drive, and Riviera Drive. The operation is relatively unique, in that its persistence is the key to it's sucess. Whilst several past operations have had an impact, when the operations cease, the problems merely revert back to how they were over a very short period of time. The priority for the ward and consists of monthly outreach operations, where drug and alcohol teams patrol with officers, offering all the help and support possible to try and negate the prostitutes need to work. The second aspect is zero tolerance patrols by covert and unmarked police officers.

To date, over thirty arrests have taken place, of both prostitutes and kerb crawlers.

Two Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) have been successfully obtained on the two most prolific offenders, banning them entirely from the area.

Twelve Acceptable Behaviour Contracts have been issued to Kerb Crawlers.

The general feeling from the residents is that the operation is finally having a significant impact, with the recent months being a record low regarding the amount of prostitutes seen by police, and calls concerning prostitution from members of the public. To give an idea of the impact the operation is now having, in 2009 Police recieved a total of 179 calls in relation to sex workers and kerb crawlers. Throughout 2010 this had dropped to 47 calls.

This has led to residents feeling safer in their streets. Police agree with the residents that just because things have improved immensely, this does not mean the problem is 'solved' and a constant presence is required to keep the pressure on both the prostitutes and kerb crawlers. As such the operation will continue indefinitely.

Update of 23/01/2012

There have been 5 acceptable behaviour contracts issues to kerb cralwers who have had to come into the police station after being stopped by police in the red light area. This agreement provides evidence to police to prosecute drivers if the vehicles return to the area for the purpose of prostitution.

There have been 6 arrests of prostitutes and there have been a further 4 arrests of persons wanted who were found in the area after police patrols.

There have been 2 persons arrested by Neighbourhood Officers for drugs offences in the Kursaal Ward.

VICTORIA WARD
Recently residents in Victoria ward have reported suspected drug dealing within the Victoria housing blocks. An operation has been set up regarding this area which includes further high visibility police patrols within the blocks, stop checks and drugs searches. This operation is continuing for the foreseeable future. High visibility patrols in addition to covert patrols have been regularly actioned on a weekly basis in the housing block area.

This has seen a massive reduction in Drug activity since the Police operation was set up, Police will still continue to show a presence.

Around the Chelmsford Avenue area we are working with residents, members of the local mosque there and partner agencies to reduce parking issues in the vicinity and anti-social behaviour. Increased police resources have also been allocated to assist in this area.

A number of warrants and arrests have been actioned in relation to our ward priorities. Police patrols will still continue within the Victoria ward.

Victoria ward policing team have increased patrols in all the hotspot areas within the ward and will continue to target these and any new hotspots if they appear.

We are always actioning new patrols and looking at acting on new information recieved by the public.

The Victoria NAP meeting of 22/02/11 brought up some youth ASB issues in the ward which are currently being addressed.

NAP meeting of 26/4/2011 advised that we have now engaged with the local youths and this is now not a ward priority, we will still work with the youth community to make sure that this continues.

The new priority is ASB on the Balmoral Estate Westcliff Drug dealing and Damage, we will be doing plain clothes and uniform patrols to try and combat these and work with partner agencies.

08/06/2011- We are working with partner agencies to assist in reducing ASB in the area of Balmoral and have made some arrests since the last NAP meeting.

28/06/2011 - The Victoria NAP met on Tuesday 28th June 2011 and it was agreed that Drug dealing became a priority with the boundry of the Kursaal Ward as they didnt want it coming on to Victoria ward, so a joint operation will be put in place with the Kursaal ward to tackle this issue.

23/08/2011 - The Victoria Neighbourhood Meeting (NM) - The outcome from this meeting was that there is an ongoing problem with drugs in the Balmoral Estate and also in the East Street/Sutton Road area. These are the revised Neighbourhood priorities for this ward.

Police will increase patrols and work with other angencies.

20/12/2011 The Victoria Neighbourhood Meeting (NM) -The residents at the last Victoria NAP meeting were supportive of police action in the Balmoral area in relation to drug activity. The outcome from this meeting was that residents wish to keep the neighbourhood priority concentrating on the reported drugs issues in and around the Balmoral estate.

24/01/2012 Southend neighbourhood policing team have executed a number of drugs warrants in the Victoria ward which have resulted in drugs being seized and arrests made.
Operation South is currently live which is focusing on crime related activity around the tower blocks near the town centre.


Sea Front-

It was noted late last year, with all the key individuals and sea front traders, that the increased high visibility Policing during core times has helped to reduce crime.
The sea front Police office is closed (and a new one is underway) due to major construction work on Marine Parade. The office will be moved slightly along Marine Parade and once re-opened we will be sharing the office with Southend Foreshore and St Johns Ambulance service. This will greatly improve liaison and enable the office to be open for longer periods.
Although the office will be closed I will still be patroling the area during core times and always available on my mobile number when on duty.
Since Simon Patterson, Licensee of Chinnerys Public House, Marine Parade, Southend became chairman of the Sea Front traders association (SSIBA) liaison with Police and the local Council have greatly improved. It is also very helpful that he is Chairman of Southend Club Watch and has involvement with various other groups within the Borough of Southend.
Another area that has helped with communication with sea front traders is that they have joind the Town Link Radio System. This is a radio system used by numerous premises within central Southend and means all traders who are part of the system have direct contact with Council CCTV and Sea front and Town Beat officers.

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