Rural North Safer Neighbourhoods

Covering Lathbury, Gayhurst, Ravenstone, Sherington, Stoke Goldington, Tyringham and Filgrave, & Weston Underwood.

• The style of policing in Milton Keynes is changing. The police and partner agencies, such as Milton Keynes Council, Parish councils, the Fire Service and Health Service are joining resources to allow us to deliver a service which matches the needs of our local communities.
• Generally, the focus of agencies such as the Police has been set by Central Government through the Home Office, which has meant that the majority of our time is spent dealing with the more serious offences. It has been recognised that in doing this we have not paid as much attention to the lower level problems that spoil your quality of life. To correct the balance, a new system of work has been introduced, which nationally is known as Neighbourhood Policing, but in Milton Keynes is called Safer Neighbourhoods. The reason for the different title is to reflect the fact that in Milton Keynes the project is truly a multi-agency one, and that the issues you may be experiencing aren't necessarily just police related. Indeed you may raise issues that have little to do with the police service, but if the issue is one of the top three things that worries, annoys or upsets you then we want to hear about it.
• We will pull all of the responses together and work out which are the three top issues for you as residents or businesses within Rural North as well as include your issues within the profile of the Neighbourhood in which you live. It is important therefore that you identify where the issue is occurring, so that we can deal with it appropriately. All neighbourhood based issues will be tackled under the guidance of a Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) which will steer and monitor the work of the police and partner agencies. We will give you regular updates and feedback on progress throughout the coming months. If you would like to be kept informed directly on both the NAG and other community safety issues, please let us have your e-mail address.
• This is your chance to focus attention to the things that concern you, so please make your views count by taking a few minutes to complete the questionnaire distributed in the village recently and return it in the prepaid envelope. Alternatively we will be holding a public meeting which will be advertised locally shortly.
• If you are interested in becoming involved in the NAG please contact the Safer Neighbourhoods Project Manager on the number below.
• Thank you very much for your time and input.

The following information was supplied by Rachel McQuilliam, Acting Community Relations Manager, Tel: 01865 846324, Thames Valley Police.

Police Community Support Officers – how do they make a difference to LPA name?

• Communities are benefiting from an increase in the uniformed presence on their streets as the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) grows across Milton Keynes. Their introduction has been one of hot debate, opinion has been divided and there has been a great deal of media coverage; yet there is still confusion about their role and powers.
• Chief Inspector Andy Standen, Local Area Commander at Milton Keynes police, said: “A common misconception is that PCSOs are being used as a replacement for police officers and I would like to reassure people that this is not the case.
• “PCSOs are part of policing teams in this area and they provide crucial support to their police officer colleagues. They also work closely with staff, like neighbourhood wardens, from local councils and housing associations.”
• Thames Valley Police employ nearly 500 PCSOs across the Force area. All kinds of people, of different ages and backgrounds, enjoy getting out on the streets of their community; meeting the residents and business people and finding ways to improve their quality of life.
• Their job is designed to allow them to spend around 80 per cent of their time patrolling and, although they cannot arrest people, they have other powers which allow them to deal with lower-level crime, such as vandalism, which affects peoples’ lives but is very time consuming. This, in turn, frees up the police officers they support and enables them to focus on solving crime and tackling priority offenders.
• If you haven’t met your local PCSO yet, keep an eye on the local press and publications for details of any events they may be organising. Or simply stop them on the street and say hello! You can also find out more about policing in your area at www.thamesvalley.police.uk
• This is a full list of the powers available to PCSOs:
  • Power to issue local authority fixed penalty notices (FPN) for dog fouling, littering, graffiti and fly-posting
  • Power to remove abandoned vehicles
  • Power to issue penalty notices for cycling on pavement
  • Power to carry out road checks
  • Power to direct traffic
  • Power to issue a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for a range of offences including the unlawful sale and consumption of alcohol by people under 18 years of age; fireworks offences; causing harassment, alarm or distress, and trespassing on a railway
  • Power to seize vehicles used to cause alarm
  • Traffic wardens’ powers
  • Power to require persons drinking in designated area to surrender alcohol
  • Power to require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol
  • Power to search for alcohol and tobacco
  • Power to seize tobacco from a person aged under 16
  • Power to seize drugs and require name and address for possession of drugs
  • Power to require name and address for anti-social behaviour
  • Power to disperse groups and remove young persons to their place of residence (S 30 Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003)
  • Power to require a person to wait for 30 minutes
  • Power to enter and search any premises for purposes of saving life and limb or preventing damage to property
  • Power to stop and search in authorised areas and enforce cordoned areas (Terrorism Act)