No safer place to live in England - Dorset Police

Dorset Home Watch
Next year Dorset Home Watch will celebrate twenty-five years
of success helping Dorset Police in the fight against crime. But
whilst Home Watch is probably one of the most effective crime
prevention initiatives ever thought of, it’s not just about reducing
burglary figures, - it’s about creating communities who care, and
where everyone feels safe. Home Watch helps foster a new
community spirit and a belief in the community’s ability to tackle
its problems. The formation of Safer Neighbourhood Teams will
bring a new dimension, which will enhance all the benefits of
belonging to an active Home Watch group.
Dorset Home Watch has in excess of 60,000 members, that’s
60,000 extra pairs of eyes and ears, helping Dorset Police to
make Dorset Safer and to make Dorset Feel Safer. The
evidence is there for all to see, just look at these success
stories:
●●● In Alderholt, an initiative run by the local watch group
helped the police in identifying vandals who caused
damage to the village hall; they were subsequently
interviewed and dealt with appropriately.
●●● In Walditch a watch member rang Bridport Police Station
with information about a suspicious vehicle seen in the
Our Approach to Equality
Dorset Police is committed to addressing all equality issues.
As detailed in the last Safer Dorset, we produced our Race
Equality Scheme in response to the requirements of the Race
Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
We are nearing the end of our Year 2 Action Plan, which details
how we are going to improve access to services, address any
employment or training issues and engage with Black and
Ethnic Minority people residing within the county. We will be
publishing our annual report in the summer and this will be
available from our website.
In December 2006 we published our Disability Equality Scheme
in response to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination
Act 2005. Our vision for the Disability Equality Scheme is a
Dorset that not only is safer but feels safer.
The Scheme contains a 3-year action plan outlining how we
intend to promote disability equality throughout the Dorset area
by:
■ Promoting equality of opportunity between disabled persons
and other persons
■ Eliminating discrimination that is unlawful under the Act
■ Eliminating harassment of disabled people that is related to
their disabilities
■ Promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people
area. Research by police revealed that the
occupant had previously been involved in jobbing
builder type offences, mainly involving poor
workmanship. A ringmaster message went out
and four more reports were received. Police located the
car and driver within an hour and the man was spoken to.
He left the area swiftly and without the opportunity to
commit offences.
●●● Two new Watch Schemes have been introduced by the
Safer Neighbourhood Teams to the Westbourne area
covering over 2,500 households. The schemes enable
residents to share important information about activity in
their area and play a key role in crime reduction. Recently
they have received sponsorship from a local company to
assist them in producing their quarterly newsletters.
●●● Last year Home Watch groups from Lilliput, Parkstone
and Poole worked together with the Police and Consumer
Protection to set up No Doorstep Selling Zones to tackle
the large numbers of cold callers working the area. The
scheme has been very successful and other groups are
working with Consumer Protection to get zones
implemented in their area.
As residents in Dorset we are very privileged, we live in one of
the most beautiful counties in the country, and also one of the
safest, and you could help to make it even safer by joining your
local Home Watch group, or if there isn’t already a group
already established why not get together with your neighbours
and form one. Your local Watch Co-ordinators can be contacted
on the following numbers and will give you all the help you
need.
Western: 01305 226570
Eastern: 01202 226214
Bournemouth: 01202 222510
Poole: 01202 227840
And if you’re still not convinced, remember, being an active
member of your local Home Watch group could save you
money on your household insurance.
■ Encouraging participation by disabled people in public life
■ Taking steps to take account of disabled people’s disabilities,
even where that involves treating disabled people more
favourably than other people.
We are now in the process of developing our Gender Equality
Scheme, which under the requirements of the Equality Act 2006
must be published by 30 April. This Scheme will outline how we
intend to promote gender equality throughout the Dorset area
by:
■ Eliminating unlawful discrimination and harassment
■ Promoting equality of opportunity between men and women.
We have also established Independent Advisory Groups to
provide challenging advice to Dorset Police on equality issues.
We are committed to making Dorset feel safe and your views
are instrumental in shaping how we do this.
The first Dorset Police lAG was started in 2004. We currently
have three lAGs. They are:
■ Bournemouth/Poole lAG (B/PIAG)
■ Critical Incident lAG (CIIAG)
■ Independent Diversity Advisory Panel (IDAP)
If you would like further information contact the Force
Independent Advice Co-ordinator in the Partnership and
Diversity Development Team at our force headquarters.
Dorset Criminal
Justice System:
Working together for the people of Dorset
The Dorset Criminal Justice System is made
up of all the criminal justice agencies in
Dorset. The Dorset Criminal Justice Board
brings together the Chief Officers of these
agencies with the aim to ensure that Dorset’s
criminal justice agencies work together to
deliver joined-up, effective and efficient justice
to the people of Dorset from the moment a
crime is reported through to the prosecution,
punishment and rehabilitation of the offender.
The Board is committed to raising the public’s
confidence by bringing more offences to justice, ensuring that
victims and witnesses of crime receive the care and support they
need and by protecting the people of Dorset.
Rod Brummitt, Chair of the Dorset Criminal Justice Board, said:
“All of the agencies in Dorset’s Criminal Justice System are
committed to delivering effective justice for the people of Dorset.
We aim to provide a high level of care and service to victims and
witnesses of crime, whilst reducing offending, protecting the public
and rehabilitating offenders.”
Did you know
●●● 16,873 offences were
brought to justice in
Dorset throughout 2006,
that’s 11% above our
national target, and since the Dorset Criminal Justice Board
was formed in 2003 overall recorded crime in Dorset has
fallen by 12.5%.
●●● Dorset Police and the Crown
Prosecution Service have secured
29 confiscation orders from April 2006
to January 2007 which will enable
£1.95 million worth of criminal assets to
be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
●●● Since March 2006 over £42,000 has
been spent on improving witness
facilities in Dorset’s courts.
●●● Dorset’s Community Service Unit
supervises approximately 350 offenders a
week and members of the public are able
to suggest unpaid work projects for the offenders to do.
●●● Her Majesty’s Prison Service in Dorset
has a unique award-winning project
that uses a mentoring system to help
inmates through the process of release
back into the community, which helps
to reduce reoffending rates.
●●● The Bournemouth and Poole Youth
Offending Team, in partnership with
education, work closely with staff and
pupils in schools to reduce bullying and truancy.
●●● The Dorset Youth Offending Team run
a project where young offenders
restore old and broken bicycles, this
ensures they are participating in a community reparation
scheme as well as learning basic maintenance and safety
skills. In the past year 74 restored bicycles from this project
have been sent to the Gambia for African children to use to
get to and from school.
For more details about the Dorset Criminal Justice System please
contact the support team on 01202 498821, email
lcjb@dorset.pnn.police.uk or visit www.lcjb.cjsonline.gov.uk/Dorset
Switch Off Before You Drive Off
Changes to the mobile phone legislation
in February mean that if you are caught
using a hand-held mobile phone while
driving you could be faced with a £60
fine and 3 penalty points on your
licence.
We all know that trying to do two things
at once is extremely difficult and driving
is a skill that requires full concentration.
Talking on the phone or sending text
messages must always wait until you
are able to pull over safely.
Please don’t put yourself or other roadusers
at risk - help us to make the roads
safer by switching off before driving off.
Stay Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive
The annual Christmas drink drive campaign took place as usual throughout December. The public were
urged to call Dorset Police with any information they had on drivers who may be under the influence of
alcohol or drugs - and the public response alone brought 20 arrests. Another 178 arrests were made
through police stop-checks.
We are constantly working hard to make the roads of Dorset Safer and therefore urge the public to pick
up the phone and call us on 01202 / 01305 22 22 22 if you know of someone who is putting their life,
and the lives of other road users, at risk at any time of the year.
Remember, Stay Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive!
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