RURAL UCKFIELD

Community Contact Wealden Tuesday 8 July to Tuesday 15 July 2008

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APPEALS, MESSAGES AND NEWS

Good News

Wealden Hit Crime Reduction Targets

In figures due to be released by the Home Office on 17th July, Wealden District will be identified as one of only 17 areas to hit national crime reduction targets in the South East . The Public Service Agreement or PSA targets, were aimed at local agencies working together to reduce crime and disorder over 3 years. The targets set by the government in 2005, include a range of crime types from serious cases, such as wounding and robbery, to community issues like bike they, vandalism and graffiti. The ‘basket of crimes’ were selected on the basis that they have the biggest effect on communities. To achieve the targets, The Safer Wealden Partnership (SWP) has coordinated the activity of local agencies, encouraging partners to work together and consider crime reduction in the delivery of their services. Chair of the SWP - Mark O'Brien, District Commander for East Sussex Fire and Rescue commented, 'achieving the 12% reduction targets over 3 years is an excellent achievement, the Safer Wealden Partnership is a really strong group, focused on reducing crime and improving community safety'. The work of the partnership is ongoing, it is currently engaged in identifying what people see as the priorities in their local communities, and planning work to tackle those problems. The Joint Action Group is an example of the activity that has enabled the SWP to achieved the targets, here the front line managers from partners agencies come together fortnightly and plan joint activity, bringing the expertise from their own roles. Chief Inspector Neil Honnor, Wealden District Commander said 'the South East region, is made up from 67 similar areas, to be one of only 17 to achieve these targets is a significant achievement, Wealden is a very safe place to live, and with the work of the SWP it continues to get safer'. 

Press Release

Wealden District Commanders Message - July

Chief Inspector Neil Honnor

The excellent weather in June, has made a number of events that we have had the pleasure of being involved with, that bit more special, (I did say June!). I was personally fortunate enough to attend the Uckfield Road Safety children’s day, on Monday 16th June. The event took place on the playing field outside the civic centre in Uckfield. Children from the primary schools all over the district, are invited to the event to learn some valuable lessons about road safety. Workshops are run by various agencies and private companies over the day, to allow young people to learn by experiences.

For example the highways agency marked out a road scene, placing road works and hazards which the children had to find, the neighbourhood schools officers organised a game of guess the stopping distances, and Waitrose provided an articulated lorry to help explain about blind spots. The children had an excellent time, and learnt some very valuable lessons. The Uckfield road safety event went on for the rest of the week, with officers from Sussex Police Roads Policing Unit, VOSA, Highways agency local officers and communities undertaking various road safety activities. The whole event, which stretches across a much wider area than Uckfield town, is a really excellent example of partners and communities working together.

The 16th June also saw the official launch of the Safer Wealden Partnership - Road Safety Group. The group was actually formed during 2007 to tackle the issues of road safety, which is so often picked up as a key community priority. The group meets quarterly and has introduced initiatives such as, roadside education - where anti-social and dangerous driving habits like excessive speed, not wearing seatbelts and use of mobile phones are tackled. 

Funding from the Safer Wealden Partnership, has provided large visually striking banners, highlighting road safety, for Fire Stations across Wealden District, along with leaflets and poster size stickers to be distributed at public events.

The 4 target objectives for the road safety group are identified as; Reducing the number of alcohol related collisions; Reducing the number of accidents relating to the 16-25 year age group; Reducing the number of motorcycle related incidents; and to Produce a Wealden fact sheet, as publicity for partner agencies to use in Campaigns, showing the key areas influencing collisions. The fact sheet was completed in time for the launch, now the group has to concentrate on the other 3 objectives, which together contribute to the vast majority of fatal crashes.

The week commencing 23rd June, saw another event aimed at improving the safety of children – the Safety in Action week, like the road safety day, allows young people to learn valuable lessons through experiential learning. Many of the community safety partners, put an enormous amount of effort, time and staff in to holding this really valuable event, which is headed up by the district council. Over the 5 days, almost 700 children from 22 schools around the district, visited the event at Herstmonceux castle. The children were taught about safety in relation to issues as wide ranging as farm safety to alcohol awareness, from ‘stranger danger'' to first aid. The event is in its 17th year, and is an excellent example of prevention through education, its very difficult to put a price on these events, but for me they are invaluable.

As you may be aware, we are going through a process of reshaping the organisation of Neighbourhood Watch. Earlier this month we held a meeting with the new Neighbourhood Watch Area Coordinators, to discuss their role. The reshaping of neighbourhood watch, is about ensuring the right lines of communication are made between the police and this really important voluntary community scheme. Area Coordinators are a really integral position within the organisation, they will have direct access to the neighbourhood constables and sergeants, and will coordinate the street schemes within a ward area. We need to identify at least 35 coordinators for the entire district, and still have some vacancies – if you’re interested.

In terms of crime this month. Since May we have been experiencing a series of house burglaries across the rural south area of the district. The entire district and some divisional police resources, have been focused on the problem for a prolonged period. As a result of some excellent detective work, a key suspect was identified in early June. Intelligence identified that the suspect had left the area, so a further fortnights work had to be undertaken to find the where he had gone. Working with colleagues in Thames Valley, we managed to catch our suspect, bought him back to Wealden and charged him with two cases of burglary and 13 cases of fraud. Since we caught ‘our man’, burglary levels have gone down to one or two a week.

It is worth remembering how much of an impact, an individual burglar can have on an area. House burglary is generally committed by a very few desperate criminals, through targeting these individuals we have successfully reduced burglary in Wealden by over 40% in two years. Furthermore we go on to manage our Prolific and Priory offenders through the PPO scheme, which focuses partnership efforts on, ‘Catching and Convicting’ then, and thereafter ‘Rehabilitating and Resettling’ them. The Wealden PPO scheme, has been one of the most successful in Sussex, with a 86% reduction in crimes committed by PPO’s.

We have also had some success in the Forest Row area, here we have been experiencing an increased level of anti social behaviour and associated crime. For some time we have been increasing levels of patrols in the village, these have paid certain dividends in that we have made a number of arrests, for damage and assaults (mainly minor ones on officers).

In Piltdown we successfully arrested a couple of people stealing fuel, this is a really important arrest, since this type of theft is becoming more and more prevalent, presumably in line with the increase in the cost of fuel. There are some basic measures that people can take to protect their fuel, both in vehicles and tanks, such as locking fuel caps, security lighting, filling up at the start of the day (for commercial vehicles), locking gates and making fences secure.

That’s it for this month, please look out for the national publicity around the 3 year public service agreement targets in July. Wealden was one of only 17 districts in the South East to meet these challenging targets! And finally we are embarking on a series of ''Meet the People'' road shows in September, visiting the four main areas of Wealden, more information will come out nearer the time but the dates are

10th September 2008 Uckfield Civic Centre 7pm

17th September 2008 Crowborough Pine Grove 7pm

24th September 2008 Heathfield Community Hall 7pm

2nd October 2008 Hailsham East 7pm

Wealden District Commanders Message - July

Chief Inspector Neil Honnor

Burglary  - Framfield

Sometime between 3pm and 5pm on Thursday 10th July a burglary occurred in Streele Lane, Framfield, Uckfield. The person(s) responsible broken into a garage at the premises where they removed a ladder .It is believed that they then approached the rear of the property and used the ladder to climb up to a bedroom window. Having broken the window they gained entry to the property and made their way downstairs where they stole numerous high value antiques.

The items included where a number of high value antiques were stolen comprising of regency rosewood clock, silver cigarette box, French carriage clock, George Third tortoiseshell tea caddy, George Third mahogany barometer with an engraved label reading ‘J.Collier’, a pair of Spelter figural lamps, a Regency mahogany eight day striking bracket clock and a Hannah Barlow china lamp of a donkey vase. The total amounted to £15.000 worth of goods stolen.

If anyone witnessed this incident they are asked to contact Uckfield CID at Uckfield Police station on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 1421 of 10/07/08 or alternatively Crimestoppers  anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Road Crash -  Herons Ghyll

Around 8.35am on Monday 7th July a two vehicle road crash occurred on the A26 Herons Ghyll which left six people injured in hospital including three young children. The collision involved a silver vehicle heading north and a blue vehicle heading south.

Police are appealing for witnesses, it is believed that several vehicles left the seen before the police arrived. If anyone witnessed this incident they are asked to contact PC Michael Simmons at the Road Policing Unit on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 294 of 07/07/08 alternatively Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

CRIME REPORT

Vehicle Crime

Contact Information

In an emergency dial 999
For less urgent matters call the Sussex Police Call Handling Centre on 0845 60 70 999 (open 24 x 7).
E-mail Sussex Police to report crime, click on http://www.sussex.police.uk/contact_us.asp
Please quote the relevant serial number and date if you are responding to a reported crime, if not, ask to report a crime and request the serial number.

Information about any type of crime can be given anonymously by calling CRIMESTOPPERS (open 24x7) 0800 555111 or email www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

To find out who your local Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers are and how to contact them go to http://www.sussex.police.uk type in your post code and you’ll now find the names of all your local neighbourhood officers. Click on their pictures and you’ll see their personal profiles and contact details.

Free Home Fire Safety Visits by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fire Safety advice available at http://www.esfrs.org/

Other Contacts
Safer Wealden Partnership: Dave Law Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator 0845 6070999 ext. 33231 Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Trading Standards: 01323 418200 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
British Transport Police: 0800 405040

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