Leicestershire Police will be at the meeting to provide an udpate
Minutes:
Inspector Kam Mistry, Policing Commander for East Leicester, introduced himself to the meeting. He acknowledged the diverse communities in the Ward, expressing the hope that trust and support could be built between these and the Police, and inviting them to let him know their concerns.
All to note:
· The murder on 2 March was an isolated domestic incident. The person responsible was arrested immediately and has been charged with murder;
· Following attacks on three people by a man with a knife, the Police have worked hard with the community to reassure people. The attacker was caught very quickly;
· There has not been an increase in usual acquisitive crime;
· A gang was caught doing distraction crimes at ATMs. The people concerned were not from Leicester, but it is thought they may have returned to the city;
· A lot of work has been done in relation to problems at the car park on the site of the former Sainsbury’s store. Papers have been served to require it to be cleaned, but other issues, (for example, street drinking and littering), may not stop until the site is developed;
· A Public Space Protection Order has been made for Leicester and Leicestershire, to stop street drinking. However, some of these drinkers meet others on a social basis and are not drunk;
· Anti-social behaviour around the toilets on Cossington Park and Dorset Street has been tackled. Work with the Council to ensure that the toilets were closed when they should be was ongoing and Police officers were patrolling in the area;
· Knife crime is not a major issue in relation to people living in the Ward, but some people coming in to the area are prepared to carry weapons. Work therefore is being done to educate young people not to have expensive items on show;
· The “cover up” campaign is still being run and to date there has not been any jewellery snatched this year. However, the Police are not complacent about this and continuously monitor the situation;
· The Police would like to see improvements made to cycle paths, as some chain snatches have been done by people on bikes and there are community concerns about people cycling on pavements. At present, the Police do not move cyclists off the pavement, as some roads are dangerous for cyclists;
· Anti-social behaviour has been experienced at Munnings Close and Southhay Close and has now also moved to Doncaster Road and Garfield Street. Some arrests had been made in connection with that in Garfield Street and the Police are still actively dealing with the group responsible;
· People using the takeaway food shops on Melton Road, near the NatWest bank, are parking by the barriers there. This is where two lanes merge to become one, so is a dangerous place to park. Food outlets there support the suggestion that this become a no-stopping zone; and
· Highways officers are considering introducing “red routes” in the city, where no stopping would be allowed. This could include the area of Melton Road referred to under the bullet point above.
All to be aware of the need to ensure that expensive items being carried are not visible.
Ward Councillors to speak to Highways officers to determine if a new cycle path can be introduced on part of Melton Road.
Any evidence of parking on zig-zag lines should be sent to the Police. Evidence of issues such as parking on double-yellow lines or in bays reserved for disabled drivers should be sent to the Council.
All invited to register to receive the Neighbourhood Link instant message and updates.