Agenda item

Update report by Police Inspector detailing ongoing work and initiatives in the Cheviot area. 

Inspector Carol Wood was present at the meeting to update the Cheviot Area Forum on performance, activities and issues across the Ward for the period up to 31 August 2015.  The Ward Plan Priorities for Kelso and District had been reviewed and amended and were highlighted as Dishonesty, Road Safety, Antisocial Behaviour and Drug Dealing and Misuse of Drugs.    The Ward Plan Priorities for Jedburgh and District had also been amended and were highlighted as Drug Dealing and Misuse, Road Safety, Anti-Social Behaviour and Rural Crime.  In relation to the planned priorities for Kelso and District it was reported that under Drugs Dealing and Misuse of Drugs Police Scotland were undergoing a test phase on a new stop and search database, which went online on 1 June 2015.   Validation and testing of the data was ongoing and data collected since it began was not available but statistical information would be provided to the local scrutiny board.  A number of stop/searches were carried out in June, July and August and a total of 3 offences were recorded in relation to drugs offences in the Kelso and District area.   Personal safety advice in relation to drugs was contained on the Police Scotland website http://www.scotland.police.uk/keep-safe/. 

The public were encouraged to inform the Police of any information they might have in relation to drugs misuse, however, if they wished to remain anonymous they could contact Crimestoppers on 0800555111.  In relation to road safety, roads policing officers carried out a total of 12 road checks in the ward area during the last quarter up to 31 August 2015, with particular emphasis being given to the re-education of young drivers.  In a bid to improve the driving skills of all young drivers in our area Safer Communities continued to promote the Skills For Life, young driver campaign and courses remained available in October and November 2015.  This was an offer of free advanced driver training and had already proven to be extremely popular.  There were 19 road traffic offences committed in the Kelso and District area between June and August 2015, eight of these were in relation to speeding offences and five were MOT offences.  Local and Roads Policing officers would continue to deal robustly with anyone found to be speeding.  During August, PC Howgego carried out a number of parking patrols of Kelso Town Centre, which had resulted in 11 warnings and 6 FPT tickets being issued for parking offences.  It was emphasised that those working in the town centre should park in adjacent car parks to prevent overstaying and then subsequently being issued with a ticket.  In regard to Dishonesty, thefts continued to be an issue within the Kelso area, Officers continued to work to detect and prevent such crimes and crime prevention advice was available on the Police Scotland website.  Residents were requested to continue to remain vigilant and keep doors and windows locked to prevent opportunist criminals.  It was further reported that autumn might bring casual workers into the area who were looking to carry out gardening or other maintenance work.  Some of these people might be looking to overcharge elderly or unsuspecting residents and the public were encouraged to be vigilant and if they saw people working on a neighbour’s property, or got people touting for work in their area, it was recommended not to use them but opt for a local reputable firm.  In relation to Antisocial Behaviour which was a priority, the police were working with partners at the Antisocial BehaviourUnit in Scottish Borders Council, Victim Support Scotland, and housing providers, along with the public, to tackle such matters. Regular patrols were carried out at known hotspots, and premises were proactively targeted and individuals where antisocial behaviour had been an issue.  Anyone who was the victim of this type of behaviour should report it, at the time of the incident, to the police. If it was an ongoing issue, this should be reported to the Antisocial Behaviour Unit helpline on 0800 028 5711.  Seven Fixed Penalty Tickets were issued during the period within Kelso and District Ward covering 6 Breach of the Peace and 1 Drunk and Incapable.

7.1     In terms of Jedburgh and District, it was reported that during the last quarter there were five stop/searches carried out which recovered prohibited substances.  Three house searches were carried out in the ward area during the last quarter, which had resulted in drugs and a cannabis cultivation being recovered.  Four individuals had been reported to the Procurator Fiscal for drug possession and drug production offences  and Police Scotland continued to focus on this area of business, as the affect it had on local communities was well known.  In relation to road safety a total of four road checks were carried out in the ward area during the quarter to 31 August 2015.  Two fixed penalty tickets were issued - one for speeding and one for the use of a mobile phone.  Two warnings were given to drivers for the anti-social use of a vehicle.  During the last quarter, three drivers had been charged with driving whilst under the influence of alcohol as well as a number of other road traffic offences.  The drivers were male and female and were aged 19, 51 and 52.  These incidents were in St Boswells and Jedburgh.    Two further drivers had been charged with careless driving following police attendance at road traffic accidents.  In terms of Anti-Social Behaviour only one fixed penalty ticket was issued over the reporting period for anti-social behaviour.  However, a 22 year old female was reported to the Procurator Fiscal and had her music equipment seized after she caused a disturbance for her neighbours.  The police continued to engage with those responsible for any youth antisocial behaviour in the ward area and the Community Beat Officer and Locality Integration Officer regularly discussed youth issues and working with partners including education to proactively tackle such issues.  In relation to rural crime over the last quarter there had been a small number of rural thefts.  Of particular note was that three vehicles were broken into whilst parked near to the Wallace Monument at Dryburgh.  These were tourist’s vehicles and all had a quantity of goods stolen.  This particular crime that had raised its head time and again over the years and it was very disappointing.  Although the Police tried to give attention to these locations, as the crimes were so sporadic and the locations fairly remote, it was very difficult to ‘be in the right place at the right time’ to catch those responsible.  Advice to farmers and residents in rural areas to take as many safety measures as they could to secure their property continued to be circulated.  If anyone wanted specific advice they were advised to contact their local community officer either by phoning Jedburgh police station or emailing them via the Police Scotland website link.   Officers in the Community Safety department based within Scottish Borders Council were also on hand to give information on joining Farmwatch, SB Alert etc.  Pro-active visits to itinerant scrap metal dealers continued as well as liaison with a number of partners to ensure premises were being run appropriately.  

7.2     In terms of Initiatives and Planned activity it was reported that as the darker nights were approaching, there would be an increase of patrols by the community officers in an effort to deter and prevent incidents of youth calls, which could be prevalent at this time of year.  Police Scotland continued to promote the National Hate crime campaign, which was in its final week.  The purpose of this was to raise awareness on what hate crime was, how it affected victims, families and communities and included information on the methods available for reporting such instances/crimes.  The campaign had been advertised on various social media platforms and a serious of posters had been circulated in the local communities.  The Student Safety campaign was launched on 31 August 2015 and more information was available on the Police Scotland website with linked to information on how students could keep themselves safe.  Social media sites had been used to full advantage and had included a film and interactive quiz.  Police Scotland also launched the messaging system Instagram with this campaign.  A large proportion of the young people in the Scottish Borders were engaged in further education and the aim was to support young people to remain safe during their time as students.

DECISION

NOTED the report.