Agenda item

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

7.0     POLICE FORCE OF SCOTLAND – UPDATE FOR ‘J’ DIVISION

          Inspector John Scott was present at the meeting to update the Cheviot Area Forum on performance, activities and issues across the Ward for the period up to 1 September 2016.  The Ward Plan Priorities for Jedburgh and District were highlighted as Drug Dealing and Misuse, Road Safety, Anti-Social Behaviour and Rural Crime.  In relation to Rural Thefts, Police Scotland had launched a series of information documents to keep rural communities safe.  The rural communities of Scotland were safe places in which to live and work. However, the nature of the environment and way of life meant there were some crime prevention tips particularly relevant to rural life that were worth bearing in mind.  Much of the crime prevention advice outlined in other areas of ‘Keep Safe’ was equally relevant to urban or rural area, but there were issues unique to rural communities such as:  Protecting Livestock; Securing Farm Machinery; Theft from fuel tanks; Securing tools and horse tack.  The information could be accessed at the following link  http://www.scotland.police.uk/keep-safe/home-and-personal-property/rural-crime.

7.1     In terms of Road Safety, there have been 8 instances of drink driving in the Kelso area in the reporting period, and police continued to receive calls from the public in relation to this and will always act on these calls, with officers making extensive enquiries to detect offenders.  The public were encouraged to report all drink drivers either directly to the police on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 55 111.  The Skills for Life programme and young drivers programme continued to run. This provided  free driver training and could be accessed through the Skills For Life page on Scottish Borders Council website.  With the rural roads and challenging driving conditions encountered in the Borders, new and young drivers were encouraged to take advantage of the excellent service.  There have been 13 drugs offences in the Kelso area in the reporting period and across the Scottish Borders there had been a number of cannabis cultivations detected by the police including 2 in Selkirk being the biggest seen in the country.  It was highly likely that criminals would be growing cannabis often on industrial scale in properties in our area.  The signs to look for are: people visiting the property on a regular basis to tend the plants; blacked out windows, either through curtains or bin liners etc; a smell of cannabis, the plants have a very strong smell; and rented properties that do not have people living in them.  Information from the community was always being sought, and any suspicions should be reported to either the local police station or call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.  All information will be treated confidentially and the Police would always act on the information. 

7.2     In terms of Jedburgh and District, it was reported that official stop and search figures would be reported to the Police and Fire Scrutiny Board.  Officers stopped a vehicle where the occupant was believed to be in possession of controlled substances.  On searching the vehicle the officers found different kinds of drugs which had an approximate value of between £13,800 - £29,000.  After struggling violently with officers, the male was arrested and charged with a number of offences.  He appeared at court the following day where he was remanded in custody.  A further two individuals had been charged with possessing controlled substances over the last three months.  In relation to Road Safety, during the reporting period a number of road checks had been carried out.  This resulted in one driver being given a warning for the anti social use of a vehicle in Jedburgh.  A number of drivers had been charged with various road traffic offences following incidents or accidents over the last three months: two people had been charged with drink driving; three people had been charged with careless driving; and two people had been charged with dangerous driving.  On 11 July 2016, Police in Jedburgh stopped a provisional licence holder driving his vehicle.  The male proceeded to try and drive off from the officers whilst one of them was still dealing with him, which resulted in the Officer being dragged along the ground for some distance before being thrown to the ground.  The car made off however the driver was subsequently traced and arrested.  He was charged with culpable and reckless conduct as well as other driving offences and has appeared at court.  There was one fixed penalty ticket issued over the reporting period for anti-social behaviour the police continued to engage with those responsible for any antisocial behaviour in the ward area and there were a number of ongoing matters being dealt with in Jedburgh.  These are being addressed through partnership with the Anti Social Behaviour Unit and relevant Landlords.  In terms of rural crime , there had been very few reported crimes during the last three months.  There was a fire reported on 30 August where hay was set alight in a field near Ancrum and a small amount of damage caused to a combine harvester.  Enquiries are ongoing into this incident.

7.3     Police Scotland consultation continued and Inspector Scott asked that all community councils promote this across their communities.  They were interested in hearing from all sections of the community including minority groups and young people, as all views would shape the future priorities of the police in the area.  The online consultation was open all year which allowed everyone to participate when it suited them and gave the flexibility of being able to re-submit the consultation if their priorities changed.  The link for the survey is https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8LMB9WX

DECISION

NOTED the report.