No safer place to live in England - Dorset Police

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Purbeck Affpuddle Bere Regis East Morden Lytchett Matravers On the buses Moreton Bovington A scheme to combat bad behaviour on school buses in Purbeck has proved such a success Sandford it was shortlisted for a national Community Care Award. Wool WAREHAM Winfrith The School Bus Forum was developed by Newburgh PURBECK SECTION Studland Jennie Sykes, Police Community Support Officer Creech Corfe East West Castle Llulworth and Safe Schools Community Officer for Llulworth Purbeck with help from Purbeck police officers, Kimmeridge Swanage Worth after a number of serious anti-social behaviour Matravers issues on school buses meant that bus drivers and children were reluctant to use the buses. Jennie started by looking at police reports, contacting the local school and also the main Respect Award for bus service provider to ask for details of incidents that had been reported to them. Taking a Stand at She said: “This led to some interesting reading and I called a meeting with the schools, Studland the bus company, Purbeck District and Dorset The Studland County Councils. Eventually all the agencies Beach Users agreed that we share responsibility for solving Action Group this problem. This meeting has developed now (SBUAG) into the School Bus Forum and we have since has won a involved parent, teachers representatives, Government Award in recognition of the students and bus drivers.” hard work and commitment put into tackling anti-social behaviour and making Studland a better place to live Vehicle crime figures tumble and rest. A wide range of groups use Studland beach for many different reasons, which has led to disagreement in the past. However following the formation of the Studland Beach Users Action Group in 2004, agencies such as the Police, Purbeck District Council, Dorset County Council, Studland Parish Council, The National Trust, English Nature, Swanage Coastguard and Dorset Fire and Rescue Service; beach user groups; local businesses and resident groups have worked together to identify the problems facing the area and to identify solutions to make Studland even safer. And now the SBUAG has been given a Respect award for Taking a Stand. This award is Sergeant Jon Bleasdale reminds motorists in Purbeck to lock their cars a national award scheme run jointly by the Home Office and Crime Concern and its recipients receive £1,000 to be reinvested into the community. The SBUAG has worked proactively to tackle the inappropriate behaviour of a minority of visitors to the beach as well as other community safety issues in the In 2006 Purbeck police reported a 41 per cent decrease in car crime since 2005, thanks to public awareness and high visibility policing. Due to their success, Purbeck Police are repeating their winning vehicle crime campaign again this year starting in Easter and ending in October, to reduce the number of victims. surrounding area. Some people have Sergeant Des Connor said “Since the team here wrongly associated naturism with in Purbeck has targeted vehicle crime, it has sexual misconduct and the group has been falling year on year and the reduction this ● attempted to break down barriers and year is the biggest yet. We use a number of challenge the negative perception that strategies to alert the public and criminals, some people have of naturism. Action including Police Community Support Officer has been taken to raise awareness of (PCSO) patrols, roadside signs, a poster what is unacceptable behaviour and to campaign, leaflets in garages, tri signs on promote proper use of this outstanding municipal car parks and the reverse of car park area through a number of initiatives, ● tickets in local car parks as a way of reminding including high visibility police patrols, the public.” targeted vehicle crime campaigns and action to prevent overnight camping on Ferry Road. Sergeant Connor continued with an appeal for the public to remove valuables from their cars: “Half of the victims in the past were women who In 2005/2006 overall crime increased in Purbeck with significant increases in criminal damage and theft offences. Last year (2006/07) saw significant progress made in reversing this trend. There were 30 per cent fewer dwelling burglaries and an even bigger reduction in theft from cars (down 36 per cent). Overall last year, crime levels in Purbeck reduced by 12 per cent, including a 15 per cent reduction in criminal damage offences. Jennie got so involved that on several occasions she went on the buses and chatted to the children to see what they thought would help this situation, if they had any ideas that they would like to see happen and change for the better. Jennie said: “The forum was established and it went from strength to strength. The secret of the forum was to let the members decide and discuss the best way forward and then try out initiatives and monitor them.” left their handbags in their cars to go for a walk. I met one victim who, when questioned, told me she had left her valuables in her car approximately five feet from a sign reminding her not to do so!” ● Mark Tallis, Swanage, started several fires to the heathland causing damage to protected wildlife habitats, he was subsequently convicted of arson and sentenced to one year imprisonment in September 2006. George Harvey, from Swanage, was released from prison on licence after serving part of his sentence for Grievous Bodily Harm. He was later arrested for breaching his licence and recalled to prison, he was then released on licence again but was rearrested in February for breaching his licence again and was back in prison when Safer Dorset went to press. Darren Ginbey, Ferndown, committed several till snatches at Post Offices and shops across Hampshire and Dorset (including Wareham). He has been convicted and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment in August 2006. A year on, the forum’s hard work really paid off and the behaviour improved dramatically, with both drivers and passengers much happier with the journeys. Buses have now had CCTV installed, identity cards have been created for both children and drivers and in some cases splitting groups up has had a huge impact. Pictured above is Jason Gover, Chairman of Bus Committee of the Purbeck School Parliament, PC Dick Clapp, Swanage Community Beat Officer, Karen Jaggs, Community Safety Officer, Purbeck District Council, Georgina Heane, Parent Governor for The Purbeck School, Terry Spracklen, Principal Education Transport Co-ordinator, Dorset County Council, Jennie Sykes, Safe Schools and Communities Officer, Dorset Police, Stuart Gamage, Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, Jess Clark, Prime Minister for the Purbeck School Parliament, Murray Goosen, Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, Dawn Wilks, Assistant Head Teacher, The Purbeck School Get in touch: Inspector Ashley Adams Call 01202 22 22 22* and ask for: Section Commander for Purbeck (Swanage and Wareham): Inspector Ashley Adams (pictured); Wareham Neighbourhood Station Sergeant: Sergeant Jon Bleasdale Swanage Neighbourhood Station Sergeant: Sergeant Jane Mooney Swanage Police Station Argyle Road, Swanage Open 0900 - 1700 Monday - Friday and 0900 - 1300 Saturday Swanage@dorset.pnn.police.uk Wareham Police Station Worgret Road, Wareham Open 0800 - 1800 Monday - Sunday wareham@dorset.pnn.police.uk *Only call 999 if a crime is in progress or lives are in danger. 12
CID/CJD Hitting the Criminals Where it Hurts The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is designed to take the profit out of crime. It provides wide-ranging powers to be able to seize any proceeds of crime from convicted criminals. The main motivation for criminal activity is profit. Criminals traffic in drugs, illegal immigrants, prostitution and contraband goods and are prepared to commit crimes ranging from simple theft to murder in order to make money. In Dorset we have an Economic Crime Unit, who have been working very hard over the past few years to put measures in place to ensure that Dorset Police maximises its powers under the Act. In the past year alone, we have seized over £3.5 million from criminals - including £1.8 million in cash. The money seized in Dorset goes to central government but, under the Asset Recovery Operation Dismantle Update Operation Dismantle was established in April 2005 to tackle the supply of Class A drugs across the County. It set out to identify and tackle the most violent drug dealing offenders within the County and this ethos remains as relevant today as it was when Dismantle began. To ensure that we are able to identify and tackle individuals who are known for both violence and Incentivisation Scheme, Dorset Police receives back a proportion of the cash taken from criminals. This money is then reinvested in fighting crime. It is also used to fund other policing activity, such as the recent end-of-year performance adverts you may have seen or heard in your local media. As Detective Inspector Sue Wynn, head of the Economic Crime Unit explains, “Criminals have been living off the proceeds of their crimes for too long and we can now better protect youngsters from the negative role model this creates by seizing assets and removing mislaid notions of ‘gangster glamour’.” The Economic Crime Unit are keen to know about anyone suspected to be living off the proceeds of crime and if you have any information, please call 01202 or 01305 22 22 22 and ask for the Money Laundering Unit. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to report information relating to people who make a profit from crime. Class A drug offences, drug analysts are in place. They collate information and evidence and pass this to a dedicated team. Decisions are then made on the best action to take. Dorset Police are committed to tackling drug dealing across the County and our core role within the drugs arena is one of enforcement. We strive to tackle not only drug dealing but other crime which may be linked and will continue to target those involved in the supply of drugs for their criminal behaviour. As a result of the excellent work carried out, Operation Dismantle has contributed to the seizure of Proceeds of Crime Assets, amounting to £1,840,482 for 2006/07. Focus on...Dorset Police Special Branch Dorset Police Special Branch is one specialist department within the wider Criminal Investigation Department (CID). It is based around the county with offices at the force headquarters in Winfrith, Bournemouth, Bournemouth International Airport and Poole Port. Special Branch in Dorset has developed, like others around the country, from a historical standpoint of countering purely Irish Terrorism - to what we see and expect today to counter the threat from international, Irish and domestic terrorism and extremism. Our work is conducted in support of the government approach to counter-terrorism, focusing on four key factors: Detective Sergeant Dave Webster and recently retired Detective Constable Adrian Hugill were awarded with a Chief Constable’s Commendation at a recent Dorset Police Awards Ceremony. Dave and Adrian had to investigate the extremely difficult case of a two-year old boy being physically abused by his mum’s boyfriend. The case was complicated and lengthy, the boy was admitted to Poole hospital with life threatening injuries when we first became involved and soon it was discovered that he also had a number of historical injuries. The boy’s mother and boyfriend continually denied causing any harm to the boy. Experts ●●● The prevention of terrorism ●●● The pursuit of terrorists ●●● The protection of the UK from terrorists ●●● Preparedness with the appropriate resources and people to respond to any terrorist incident Dorset remains one of the safest areas to live but it is important to ensure it remains this way. Responsibilities of Special Branch therefore include: ●●● Gathering and analysing information ●●● Initiating and developing policing operations ●●● Providing, initiating and maintaining counter terrorism security Special Branch also work with others to ensure the safety of the high profile VIPs that Dorset attracts, for example Prince Charles who visited in 2006. Special Branch officers and staff are trained to the highest level and form an integral part of policing in Dorset. Excellent Work by Officers in the Criminal Investigation Department were called in and Dave and Adrian showed extreme professionalism and resilience to ensure thorough and accurate evidence could be presented at the trial. The pair worked tirelessly and during the investigation over 100 statements were taken and over 1000 documents collated. Following a two-week trial, the boyfriend was convicted of wounding and cruelty against the boy and received a nine year prison sentence. The mother pleased guilty to cruelty and was given a 39 week suspended prison sentence. The two year old boy was expected to die but happily, has now made an almost full recovery from his injuries and is living locally with a foster family. Conditional Cautions - Now in a Police Station near You! Fingerprints and DNA sample are taken from an offender in custody Criminal Justice Division As the Criminal Justice Division (CJD), of Dorset Police, we are responsible for all the activities that take place once an offender is detained and brought into custody - from the moment that person is booked in, through to the final resulting of a case dealt with at court and the archiving of related case papers. The processes involved in bringing an offender to justice can seem complicated, but at all times our focus is on providing the very best service to victims and witnesses. The overall aim of our work is to serve communities fairly and bring more offences to justice. Dorset Criminal Justice Division works in support of the Force’s corporate plan. With this in mind, we aim to: ■ Provide consistent high standards of service to victims and witnesses; ■ Bring more offences to justice; ■ Raise public and professional confidence in our service delivery. Conditional Cautions have arrived in Dorset this year. A Conditional Caution is a new type of caution that can be issued to adult offenders who admit their guilt. It is given to offenders who have committed a criminal act, but one that would not result in going to prison. It is a type of caution with enforceable conditions attached to it. This means that the offender will receive a caution provided that they comply with conditions that are relevant to the offence they have committed. In every case the victim of the crime is consulted, and their views are always taken into account. The Crown Prosecution Service decide on appropriate conditions. If these are successfully met within an agreed time limit the caution is completed. If not, the offender will be prosecuted for the original offence. Their failure to comply with the conditions can also be mentioned in court, and then taken into account when sentencing. Conditional Cautions do not replace the simple adult caution, which we will continue to use in Dorset. Nor would they be used in cases where it would be more appropriate to charge the offender and send them to court. They are a positive initiative to help us to deliver swift justice for victims of crime, putting wrongs right without the involvement of the courts. They have proved extremely popular with victims of crime in the trial areas, and with police officers. For example, earlier this year a band playing in Boscombe had an argument, during which one of the band members deliberately damaged the car of another band member. The offender was arrested, and dealt with by being given a conditional caution. His conditions were to pay compensation to the victim to repair the car - and also to write a formal letter apologising for his actions. Johannes Oosthuizen, the patrol sergeant who dealt with above case, said “This is an excellent example of how a conditional caution can work best for the offender and the victim. A first class result!” 13
Page 1 and 2: Integrity Professionalism Fairness
Page 3 and 4: Making Dorset Safer and Making Dors
Page 5 and 6: Christchurch Winning the anti-socia
Page 7 and 8: Your Force in Your Community Commit
Page 9 and 10: Bringing Information to the Communi
Page 11: North Dorset Everybody needs good n
Page 15 and 16: Eastern Crime isn’t HALF what it

No safer place to live in England - Dorset Police

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