ON THE BEAT - Policing figures looking healthy
WE ARE now fast approaching the end of our policing year on March 31. For those of you who follow the performance figures, they are still looking very healthy in Eastbourne.
Our total crime is down year on year by 8 per cent. This equates to 611 fewer victims of crime. Burglaries of people's homes are down by more than 10 per cent and vehicle crime has dropped an amazing 23 per cent this year which means 143 fewer victims.
I do not report on those figures for the sake of it. I am keen they give all of you a sense of what we are working hard to achieve in Eastbourne with our partners. I hope you can all take from those figures a sense of security and confidence that whether you live in or are visiting Eastbourne you are at a very low risk of being a victim of crime and if you are that unlucky, with a detection rate of 39 per cent we are likely to catch them and secure a successful conclusion through the courts or via other means.
As I have said before I am really keen to know that my team provides a quality service to you all, and as such, we undertake an amount of feedback surveys to ensure we are getting it right. We have recently launched a Community Call Back service in Eastbourne, where members of my team are calling all victims of vehicle crime and criminal damage and asking for your views on the service you received. We will also use the call to advise you about your local team and how to get in touch with them. I can assure you this service is not taking any staff away from patrolling the streets, it is undertaken by office based staff.
On February 5 the Eastbourne Street Pastors Scheme was launched. They are an inter-denominational church group who work in partnership with both us and Eastbourne Borough Council. The street pastors currently provide a presence in our town centre on Friday nights and will soon be able to provide a presence on Saturday nights when sufficient volunteers have been trained.
They are there because they care. They can listen and can provide assistance and support, not just to people who have had too much to drink, but also to those who may be vulnerable due to other reasons. They provide a really valuable service to the community as they help those people who are at a greater risk of becoming victims of crime, which all helps our efforts to keep the people in our town safe, and seeks to support public reassurance during our busy weekend periods.
On February 5 I was privileged to attend the East Sussex Divisional awards ceremony in the town where I presented certificates of merit to members of staff, police officers and also members of the public. It is a brilliant day as it puts into context the extra mile that so many people travel to "do the right thing". The awards are for bravery, tenacity in crime enquiries which goes above and beyond, and also saving lives, which is such an important part of our business.
This month, our work reflects the link between illegal drugs and anti social behaviour in our communities. We have undertaken a number of drugs warrants at addresses across the town with great success. We arrested five people and seized an amount of drugs and cash. One person has been remanded in prison awaiting trial. We will not stop in our relentless pursuit of those who deal drugs in this town and blight the life of so many.
We always want to receive information about drugs or crime in Eastbourne. You can call the police direct on 0845 60 70 999 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Any time you wish to talk directly to me about policing in Eastbourne or have any ideas about how we could improve our service to you I am keen to know! You can email me, jayne.dando@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call me on 01323 414012.
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Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
