Agenda item

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

              POLICE FORCE OF SCOTLAND – UPDATE FOR ‘J’ DIVISION

7.1         Inspector Wood was present at the meeting to update the Cheviot Area Forum on performance, activities and issues across the Ward for the period 1 December 2016 to 31 January 2017.  The Ward Plan Priorities for Jedburgh and District were highlighted as Drug Dealing and Misuse, Road Safety, Anti-social Behaviour and Rural Crime.  During the reported period, Inspector Wood advised that one person had been charged with possessing a controlled substance in Jedburgh.  In terms of Road Safety – an Officer had attempted to stop a vehicle leaving Grieve Avenue, Jedburgh in order to speak to the driver.  However the driver had refused to stop and made off.  The vehicle was stopped a short time later as it entered Kelso and the driver, a 31 year old male, was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop for officers and a number of other document offences.  He was detained in custody to appear the following day.  A number of road checks had been carried out, which had resulted in two drivers being issued with conditional offers for speeding (both near to Jedburgh on the A68).  A number of drivers had been charged with various traffic offences following incidents or accidents over the last three months. Five were charged with careless driving. One of these incidents involved a vehicle striking a motorbike and the motorcyclist sustaining a number of broken bones from which he should make a full recovery.  Six people were detected and charged for driving without insurance and other driving related documentation offences.  In terms of anti-social behaviour a number of individuals had been charged with causing a breach of the peace, which appeared to be an isolated incident.  Just after midnight on 19 December 2016, police received a call from a resident in Hartrigge Road, Jedburgh after he spotted males acting suspiciously in the street before leaving the area in a vehicle.  Details of the vehicle were circulated and it was eventually stopped near Earlston, where three males were detained from the van.  Enquiries revealed that the males had entered a number of vans in Jedburgh, Ancrum, St Boswells and Newtown and had stolen a number of items, all of which were recovered.  These males, who were travelling criminals outwith the Borders, were kept in custody for court appearance.

7.2         It was reported that there had been no housebreakings in the reporting period in the Kelso area, however there was one slip in theft from a house in December and it was highlighted that members of the public remained vigilant, keeping doors locked routinely to prevent opportunist thefts.  In terms of Road Safety there was one drink driving offence reported in the Kelso area during the reporting period and many road checks carried out during the festive campaign with other offences detected in the area.  There were three drugs offences in the Kelso area in reporting period.  A number of young people had been identified and spoken to with regards to antisocial behaviour issues in High Croft, Kelso, which had reduced the issues and a preventative approach had been introduced in a bid to stop this recurring.  All calls to the police in relation to antisocial behaviour would be thoroughly investigated and where possible police would look to prevent issues from escalating, working in partnership with the ASBU and Registered Social Landlords.

7.3         There had been a serious assault near Nenthorn, during an after party following a school dance.  This was a concerning incident and one young person was reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

7.4         During the festive season, Local officers had run a very successful festive initiative in the Scottish Borders with a great deal of effort made to target driving offences in the area.  A number of road checks across the area were implemented and these detected a range of offences including a number of drink or drug driving offences across the Scottish Borders.  There appeared to be many drivers who were still willing to take the risk of driving after having consumed alcohol and the campaign allowed us to catch many of those who had offended.  Police Scotland had a great deal of information on their website in relation to winter driving and drivers were encouraged to take heed of this information when driving in winter conditions, in particular on rural roads.  There was a reminder that the deadline for the new laws on air weapon applications being processed had passed.   However if you were an existing firearm or shotgun certificate holder after that date, you would still be able to use and possess air weapons, until your firearm or shotgun certificate expired. 

     DECISION

     NOTED the report.