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Local Information Local Information Police Commander reports on achievements
Police Commander reports on achievements Print E-mail
Written by Nikki Watson   
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 15:53
With the summer in full swing it seems an opportune time to update you on policing in your local communities.
Somerset East policing district has made some very noteworthy achievements since I last wrote.  
1. With input from our specialist teams, our analytical capability and our response/neighbourhood teams, working together with our communities, we have recorded a reduction in overall crime of 6.5% in the first 100 days of the current crime year. This is the best reduction achievement by any BCU in Avon and Somerset so far this year and means that there have already been 323 fewer victims of crime when compared to the same period last year.
2. In particular I am pleased to be able to report that as a result of long term work from our neighbourhood teams together with partner agencies and in conjunction with local night time economy venues violent crime is down almost 10% on the previous year which has resulted in there being almost 100 fewer victims of this crime type this year. 
3. Also worth noting is this years reduction in recorded criminal damage of 15% so far (160 fewer victims). 
4. Our customer satisfaction indicators continue to improve with improvements in the overall satisfaction for our handling of crime improving by 4.3% and ASB by 12.6% (from differing baseline start points) during the last year.
5. As a result of our engagement work within our communities the number of reported cases of ASB has reduced by 22% since 1st April which means 862 fewer people have been affected so far this year.
However, there are always areas and opportunities for improvement and one such area this year is theft from motor vehicles (TFMV). Although the overall longer term trend remains one of ongoing reduction TFMV has increased when compared to last year.  The district analytical team is tasked with identifying individuals, hotspots or local trends so that we can effectively target those responsible to best effect. In addition our IMPACT team continues to work with our highest profile nominals in order to prevent and deter opportunities to offend. As you will be aware, most of this crime is opportunist and is occasioned because valuables have been left on view or the vehicle left insecure. Once again I would ask that you help spread the message that removing money and valuables from sight and locking your vehicles are an effective deterrent against this sort of crime.
With the warm weather upon us we have seen a recent spate of ‘walk in’ burglaries where opportunists have targeted a property having noticed that doors and windows have been left open whilst the owners are out in the garden. Since April 1 this year the district has recorded 132 burglaries (just over one per day in an area with more than 80,000 households).  We would therefore encourage people to take a common sense approach to household security simple precautions such as securing doors and windows that are ‘out of sight, out of mind’.
To bring the above statistics alive I thought it would be helpful to give you some examples of recent successes in reducing crime and detecting the offenders in your local area.  The increase in the price of scrap metal has resulted in a number of crimes where metal has been stolen.  On 2 August 2011, an Operation was conducted jointly with the British Transport Police in relation to theft of metal cables in the South Somerset area.  Three offenders were arrested red handed and have been charged to court.  
On 3 August 2011, staff from the Frome Neighbourhood policing area jointly with Road Policing officers and VOSA conducted a crime reduction initiative at Standerwick Market in Frome. During the Operation roadside checks were conducted on vehicles transporting livestock and a number of offences were detected and dealt with.  The Operation gave officers the chance to give out crime prevention advice and “Shutting the gate on rural crime” literature.
In response to community concerns regarding anti social driving behaviour officers conducted an Operation on the District jointly with District Council staff where vehicles were stopped and examined.  This enforcement action sent a positive message to those previously engaged in anti social driving behaviour and has resulted in a huge reduction in this type of behaviour.
In my last letter I mentioned our Rural Crime Initiative.  I am pleased to report that the number of farms signing up to our Farmwatch Initiative is continuing to increase.  The officers involved in this work are now working closely with local farmers and have achieved some substantial successes in respect of rural crime.  This team has also been involved in investigating theft of metal which has resulted in the successful arrest of offenders stealing lead from one of the local schools in the Yeovil area.
We receive valuable support and assistance from a thriving Special Constabulary membership on the District.  In the last few months they have assisted us with numerous investigations and our regular Relentless Operations.  If there is anyone who is interested in becoming a Special Constable or a Police Volunteer there are a number of exciting opportunities in this area and I would be happy for those interested to make contact with me.
We have recently launched a new online consultation facility at 0community to give us feedback regarding what works well and what needs to be improved in relation to community safety in their area. This is a real opportunity to influence decision making and make a real difference in communities.  Please can I ask you to publicise this to the members of the community you come into contact with.
I would also like to make you aware that from September 2011, Avon and Somerset Constabulary will be changing from the 0845 456 7000 general enquiries telephone number to the National 101 non emergency telephone number.  In an emergency the public should still call 999 such as when a crime is in progress, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened however, the new number should be used in all other situations.  
Thank you for reading this newsletter, which is intended to regularly keep you updated with what is happening in Somerset East District.  If you have any feedback for me then you can contact me on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
If you want to hear first hand about witness appeals, crime reports and press releases for your community then you can register for a fresh e-mail service on our force website of www.avonandsomerset.police.uk.
Yours sincerely
Nikki WatsonChief SuperintendentDistrict Commander – Somerset East District
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