Patroller's Notice Board - June 2008 

Welcome to a new feature from the Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership – the Patroller’s Notice Board. This is a whistle-stop tour of what your Patrollers have been up to in the last couple of months.

Helping Prevent Burglary

The Patrollers are central to a new scheme helping to prevent burglaries in the Borough by providing top tips about home security. Known as the ‘Rapid Response’ team, Patrollers will leaflet an area offering a free crime prevention survey. They’ve also been trained by Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue to deliver Home Fire Risk Assessments, which can be carried out at the same time to minimise disruption to residents.

If you would like more information about this project or you receive a card yourself, please contact the Patroller Service on 0161 342 3010 (answer machine available when out of office hours)

Tackling Fly-tipping in Ashton St Peters

Patrollers are joining forces with Regenda  housing to tackle fly tipping in the Holy Trinity area. Key to the initiative is community education through schools to advise residents about how best to dispose of rubbish.

The Patrollers are working with local children to come up with a poster to help deter fly-tipping which will be then be sponsored by Regenda.

Patroller’s Celebrate Chinese New Year

Patrollers in Ashton helped bring in Chinese New Year in February with the help of a dragon dance at the steps of the Town Hall.

The event was captured on video and can be seen on You Tube

Operation Slingshot – Tackling Criminal Damage and Anti-Social Behaviour

As part of an ongoing campaign to tackling criminal damage and anti-social behaviour, Patrollers were part of a multi-agency operation involving TMBC Trading Standards staff, local police and Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue across the Borough in March.

The operation involved test purchasing operations in off licenses, Home Fire Risk Assessments, community clean-ups and high visibility patrols.

Godley Football Tournament 20th May 2008

New Charter Housing  and ASDA have provided sponsorship for a football tournament organised by Patroller Peter Donlan and the South Greater Manchester Police Neighbourhood Team. The event will take place on the at Leigh Primary School, Hyde.

Crime Prevention Day - Shopping Precinct on Droylsden Town Centre, 29th March 2008

Organised jointly by the West GMP Neighbourhood Team and Patroller Andrew Fogg, Droylsden West PACT (Partners and Communities Together) held a Crime Prevention Day to offer advice and to highlight the need for Crime Prevention initiatives within the home. Ashton Park garden centre along with B&Q donated shrubs and thorny bushes. By having such items planted close to windows and fences go some way into deterring burglary. Personal attack alarms donated by B&Q and aimed primarily at students were handed out.

Droylsden West PACT would like to thank all those that helped make the day a success including New Charter Housing, GM Fire & Rescue Service, The AA, ward Councillors and of course the people of Droylsden.

Push for Home Watch in Droylsden

The Patroller Service in Droylsden alongside the Police Community Support Officers (PCSO's) for the West Ward have been instrumental in the setting up of seven new Home Watch schemes. Every household was visited and leafleted informing residents of the benefits of supporting Home Watch in the fight against crime and anti social behaviour.

Welcome Home Adrian!

Ashton Hurst Patroller, Adrian Shortt has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Adrian spent three months training and a further six months on duty as part of the Immediate Response Command. From everyone in Tameside Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership, welcome home Adrian and we’re proud of you!

Statistitcs

Over the last 12 months, the Patrollers have been busier than ever working with partners to help tackle crime and anti-social behavior. Below are just some of the impressive statistics that show how hard our Patrollers have been working on local priorities:

• Since last July when the Rapid Response scheme to tackle burglary was launched, over 2400 leaflets have been distributed to local residents. This has helped contribute to the 48% reduction we’ve had in burglary.
• Patrollers have responded to just under 400 complaints about dog fouling. Every report that’s made prompts a leaflet drop of the area advising local people about the laws around not ‘scooping poop’. Where Patrollers find people who refuse to take this advice and continue to leave their dog mess, Fixed Penalty Notices are issued on the spot.
• Fixed Penalty Notices are also issued for people littering our streets. In total 286 FPNs were given out by Patrollers last year for littering and dog fouling.
• Patrollers responded to just under 200 complaints about flytipping. Investigations are carried out by the Service and details passed onto the Council’s Environmental Enforcement for further action to be taken such as enforcement.
• Patrollers have investigated over 780 reports of abandoned vehicles. This work is part of the Council’s rapid response to removing vehicles that have been left abandoned – some of which are at risk of criminal damage and arson. The scheme can contributed to fantastic reductions in vehicle related arsons which has helped Tameside be one of the best performing Boroughs in Greater Manchester for such offences.
• Also relating to vehicles, Patrollers work with the DVLA to target those people that refuse to buy tax discs for their cars. We often find that these are the same people without insurance. Last year alone over 1570 vehicles were reported to the DVLA for further action to be taken.

The Patrollers are on duty up til 10pm, Monday to Saturday in your community

To find out more about the Patroller service or to report any concerns you may have, call 0161 342 3010.  Answer machine available out of office hours.