COMMUNITY TRIGGER CORE OF NEW RAPID ACTION CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR ORDERS

The ASBO may be on the way out but in its place comes the CBO - the Criminal Behavior Order and pledges to immediately tackle low-level offending, and all forms of street crime. Police are to be given new powers to immediately confiscate iPods, stereos and other status symbols just as big-time criminals face confiscation orders. In addition troublemakers can be immediately banned from town centres and street corners for up to 2 years.

Julian Bray Chair, Park Farm NeighbourHood Watch comments:"A 'Community Trigger' can be used where more than five people make a complaint. We have to say that in our neighbourhood, Peterboroughs' Park Farm and Stanground, the local police panel are very 'on the ball' and do not wait for 5 complaints - one phone call or e-mail from PFNW is usually all it takes. We have over 100 people armed with camera phones constantly on the look out, with the new Community Order, the offender can face confiscation of his/her prized assets on the spot, such as an iPod or 'phone and made to put right any damage or graffiti without delay. It however goes without saying that if parents would exert some parental responsibility for the actions of their offspring, much of the nuisance would stop immediately. It cannot be right that a child (or adult)is seen by the parent, relative or guardian leaving the house with several large aerosol spray paint cans! The new measures are welcome and will certainly speed up what has to now for some areas been a long drawn out process."

Police are also to be given powers to force culprits to make immediate amends as an alternative to Court action. Offenders repairing the damage they have created, mending fences, clearing spray paint tagging and putting right other forms of graffiti or a litter pick. Failure to agree to do the task leaves the Court option available.

Under Criminal Behavior Orders, civil injunctions will be obtained "within hours rather than months" to stop nuisance activities, court orders will be immediately available to close a propertyand fines for people who have been a persistent nuisance.

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581

New Grit/Salt Bins Refilled & Hedge Cutting Blitz Underway

Wrap Up Warmly! More freezing weather on the way.... The new bright yellow Grit/Salt Bins have been refilled ready for the next onslaught..and we noticed the hedgecutting/ landscaping teams were out in force. Several street lights seem to be on all day at the moment so they have been reported...

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581

Peterborough hero killed by explosion in Afghanistan

Tributes have been paid to Warrant Officer Class 2 Colin Beckett, Company Sergeant Major of 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, who was killed on Saturday as he was attempting to secure an area in Shaheed, a village on the Nahr-e-Bughra canal, when he was caught in a roadside bomb.

A total of 352 UK military personnel have now died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001, including 42 who have died as a result of accidents, illness, non-combat injuries or who have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death.

Company Sergeant Major Colin Beckett, was described as a “truly special husband” by his widow.

The 36-year-old, from Peterborough, who was known as Tom, was described by his colleagues as an inspirational and iconic leader.

He joined the army more than 20 years ago and has been on deployments to Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and three tours of Afghanistan.

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581

Pesky doorstep salesmen who won't take NO for an answer!

A homeowner has won a landmark legal action against a doorstep selling double glazing firm 'Safestyle UK' - You know the one! After years of abuse and inaction by trading standards, a new law was passed and it is the little known Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. To make it work, the householder displayed a small notice on his front door :

Salesmen, do not knock.

Leave the premises.

Do not return.

The salesmen ignored the notice and repeatedly called at the house. North Lincolnshire County Council finally took the firm to Court and after a three day trial, which ended last week, the firm were found guilty of engaging in unfair commercial practice, fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £18,000 in costs. Let PFNW know if you have been pestered by dooorstep salemen.

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581

MAKING PFNW MORE INCLUSIVE

Hmm, must be Hampton, the roads are too narrow!

It is clear that recent positive developments on our own Neighbourhood Watch Scheme has resulted in the reduction of ASB incidents and a better rate of crime clear ups generally. This is likely to be countered by the slimming down of front line police activity due to budget cuts by the Coalition Government. So more than ever PFNW is looking out for you and yours!

It is also clear that Park Farm being the younger brother of the well established Stanground community, both need to jointly develop an effective local voice in the management of our affairs and with concerted lobby activities at city and county level. Simply as budgets are squeezed, we can expect local resources and services also to be hit. I am floating this as an idea, that we expand PFNW to additionally take on the pro-active role of residents association.

We seem to be getting involved on the telephone information line (01733 345581) in situations that go beyond the narrow confines of the traditional PFNW objectives. Often, the person on the other end of the line has exhausted all other avenues and turns to PFNW as a last resort. Items as diverse as flytipping and a serial lack of weed control over many years from a developers (Persimmon Homes - again!) almost abondoned land bank.

We also had well intentioned PCC Officers who dutifully take notes and that is the last we have heard from them. Still waiting for notice boards to be repaired, fence 'tagging' to be painted out and spray paint 'tags' removed from street furniture. It will probably end up with us, again, going out with the paint pots and doing the PCC's /BT's job for them. Should not be like this but the alternative is an area that looks run down and uncared for, when the opposite is true.

We scored a minor victory with the BUPA abandoned Nursery site, having involved the London BUPA main board at London head office! The site opposite Heritiage Park School, has now had a clean up and hedge trim, shame they could not apply a lick of paint to the improved boarding up though! There are many other issues likely to present themselves as the severity of the cuts begins to bite and unemployment locally starts to rise. To be very clear, we need to be selfish and put our own area ahead of citywide and seemingly distant county concerns, because we have a lively set of residents who passionately care about their environment does not mean that less financial resources should be applied to this area rather than say a vandal prone, drug dominated, rat infested run down estate.

Both examples present different and difficult challenges, the fact that most of us try and care for our 'patch' is no excuse for the city council and others to divert resources elsewhere. Let me know about the residents association idea or how it can be best approached. We already have an effective drum beating and a decent media profile, perhaps we need to invest in a larger and louder one - drum that is! Boom! Boom!

(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581

Book club Stanground library

This month we are reading 'The Devil's Acre by Matthew Plampin.

'When betrayl is second nature, trust is the ultimate gamble'

Its set in London 1853, in Colt's gun factory. The book is also on the TV Book Clubs list of Summer reads. We next meet on Tuesday 1st March to discuss this book, and collect the next one. Come along!




(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581

www.Police.UK

Today sees the launch of a new website:-

http://police.uk/

The site is currently receiving 75k hits a minute according to the Daily Mail (so it must be right). The idea is you key in your postcode and the site tells you about crime levels and police teams in your area. I haven't yet managed to access the site, as it has been down for some time due to the heavy demand.

We've already had this information for some time through our Local Policing Team, so once again Peterborough leads the way!


(C) Park Farm Neighbourhood Watch Peterborough UK Tel: 01733 345581 Broadcasters direct call ISDN 'down the line' 01733 555319 ISDN Codecs G722 & APT All Press Enquiries Julian Bray 01733 345581