Blackpool Bsafe Newsletter

Blackpool

Blackpool is Safer!

Figures out this week have shown that Blackpool’s crime reduction partnership organisation has successfully met its government set targets on crime.

Inside this issue: Proxy Sale Campaign....2 CCTV for Blackpool Taxi-Cabs................... 2 No Cold Calling.......... 3 De Vere Pop Awards.... 3 Crack Down on Binge Drinking............. 4 Traders Warned to DISARM................. 4 Emmerdale Star’s Message to Blackpool.................... 5 Mobile Phone Enforcement............... 5 National Tackling Drugs Week................ 6 BSafe Joins Facebook Revolution.....6

Celebrations have started after BSafe Blackpool has helped thrash the government’s PSA 1 targets for crime reduction, bringing some categories of crime down by over 50 per cent in the last four years. The PSA 1 targets were set to reduce British Crime Survey (BCS) crimes by 16% overall in Blackpool based on a baseline figure taken in 2003/04. Working in partnership with Blackpool police, fire and rescue, PCT and Blackpool Council the figures have actually reduced by 17.6 per cent. Councillor Tony Williams, Chairperson for BSafe Blackpool and Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities at Blackpool Council, said: “When we were first informed of our targets I have to say we were a little overwhelmed at the size of the task ahead of us. Many people said that they were unrealistic and that we would not meet the target or even come close.”

“Having said that, we cannot be complacent. We have not removed crime completely and I know that is what the people of Blackpool really want. Some areas of crime have increased very slightly but that has been attributed to the positive work we have done to increase the reporting of sensitive crimes. We have to be realistic with what we can achieve but considering the mountain we have climbed to reach this target who knows where we can go from here!”

Crimes such as All Vehicle Crime have been reduced by 43.6 per cent with Burglaries from a Dwelling coming down by 36.7 per cent and All Robbery down by a pleasing 24.3 per cent. Councillor Williams added: “This really is fantastic news. I cannot express how pleased we are and how proud I am of everyone that has been involved. In order to reach such figures the partnership has funded initiatives from head cameras for the police to sporting clubs for children. All have helped to prevent crime either through intervention or by acting as a deterrent or distraction.

Chief Superintendent Russ Weaver of Blackpool Police said: “Some recorded categories of crime have increased very slightly due to positive work we have done to encourage people to come forward and report what has happened to them when they might have felt less confident to do so in the past.”

“I also want to recognise the people of Blackpool who have helped to reduce crime. Conscientious residents who have taken crime reducing steps such as the introduction of Alley Gates and adopting the No Cold Calling zones are equally responsible for making their town a better place to live. The good news is that Blackpool is now a safer place to live and play.”

Wendy Swift, Chief Executive of Blackpool PCT added her thoughts on the news: “Blackpool PCT is delighted with the news of the partnerships achievement towards reducing crime in the



town. The PCT has led on the implementation of the highly successful Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) initiatives that aim to get offenders who misuse drugs out of crime and into treatment. People who misuse Class A drugs often commit crimes to fund their drug habit. As a result, they can get caught in a cycle of drug misuse, crime and prison. The Programme aims to break this cycle by making every stage in the criminal justice system – and beyond – an opportunity to get offenders into treatment. “The programme brings together the police, the courts, the Prison Service, the National Probation Service, treatment providers, aftercare support services. These partners work together to provide tailored solutions for drug-misusing offenders from arrest, court, sentencing and prison through to post-prison and post-treatment.”

Issue 3 – July 2008

BSafe Together

Proxy Sale Campaign BSafe Blackpool in partnership with Blackpool BID (Business Improvement District) is rolling out an initiative in the off licenses and supermarkets of Blackpool warning people against buying alcohol on behalf of young people. Purchasing alcohol on behalf of young people is an offence and you can be fined up to £5000 if caught. Police now also have powers to issue fixed penalty notices to young people who ask adults to purchase alcohol on their behalf. The campaign features posters that will be displayed in premises together with warning stickers that will be placed on bottles, cans and shelves.

J/89653 4/08

J/89652 4/08

Alcohol

Are you concerned that you may be drinking too much? The unit calculator is a good ‘first check’ to see how many units there are in your drink. The safe limits for alcohol consumption is 14 units a week for

women and 21 units a week for men, but the recommended maximum units to be consumed in a 24 hour period is 2-3 units for women and 3-4 units for men. Statistics are showing that people drink more at home than they do in pubs or clubs, and this makes it more difficult to measure drinks out. When you pour your drink at home

what may seem like a single shot could actually be the equivalent of a double at your local bar. Visit the NHS ‘Alcohol, Know Your Limits’ website at http://units.nhs. uk where you will find an online unit calculator. There is also a handy ‘Drink Diary’ where you can record your alcohol intake.

CCTV for Blackpool Taxi-Cabs Blackpool Council has teamed up with BSafe Blackpool to fund a £16,000 initiative to install CCTV in some of Blackpool’s Taxi -cabs. More than 30 taxis have been installed with the new systems over the coming weeks, with the first trialled in June. This new scheme uses state-of-the-art technology to record visual and audio in the cab and organisers hope it will help bring more prosecutions against those who have carried out crimes in cabs, as well as

acting as a deterrent. Hackney drivers have been chosen to pilot the scheme, and if the scheme is successful, it will be rolled out to private hire firms later this year. The Hackney cabs were chosen to be the first to use the scheme because they are more likely to be flagged down by customers, unlike private firms who normally arrange pick-ups in advance. A similar scheme carried out in Liverpool last year saw a decrease in attacks on taxi drivers of around 90%. 

BSafe Blackpool has launched a new initiative, which targets Cold Callers in the area. By now most, if not all of the 65,000 residents of Blackpool, should have received their “no cold calling” information packs through the door, giving them all the information they need to know to be able to say NO to cold callers. Included in the pack is a window sticker that should be attached to the front window, where any unwanted callers can see it. If residents are still pestered by unwanted callers there is a number on the back of the sticker that they can ring with any complaint they may have. This will invoke action against the callers. There will also be strategically placed road signs that will be displayed on every road entering Blackpool to inform travelling sales people that they are not welcome in Blackpool.

De Vere Pop Awards The prestigious De Vere POP (Problem Oriented Partnerships) awards honoured all the groups and initiatives that have made a difference in the community through working together to solve an identified problem. The awards, now in the 9th year, were sponsored by the De Vere Hotel Herons Reach and were open to any of the BSafe Blackpool Partner agencies such as Lancashire Fire and Rescue and Blackpool Council, as well as the Police.

The group often proved intimidating to the local residents and were occasionally involved with underage drinking, criminal damage and causing a nuisance. When police were called to the area the youths were making use of a very low fence and overgrown trees and bushes to make their escape.

New fencing was erected in the area, which meant it was easier for police to approach the group and talk to them about their behaviour. Regular licensing checks were carried out in the area to stop underage sales and a purpose built shelter was put in place to make sure the group had somewhere safe to congregate that did not cause a nuisance.

Understanding that young people like to hang out with friends and that this did not always have to be a problem, Sarah Darwen of Lancashire Constabulary and Les Ball of BSafe Blackpool decided to tackle the issues that were contributing to the overall problem.

Regular police patrols were also used to speak to the youths and encourage them to make use of other local facilities.

The judges of the awards had the task of filtering the mountain of nominations put forward to them, but they managed to whittle the results down to 20 initiatives that all received an award. Superintendent Richard Debicki then presented the awards. The Juvenile Escape took this year’s award for Blackpool and the overall De Vere Award. The Juvenile Escape initiative tackled a problem of large gatherings of young people on St Edmunds Road. 

The awards ceremony was a tribute to all the hard work the partners have done to remove the problems that affect residents in Blackpool and Fylde boroughs.

Alcohol Strips to Crack Down on Binge Drinking... BSafe Blackpool is supporting the Police in their efforts to impact on binge drinking by providing testing strips for officers to use.

Police are delighted with the strips, which will help with two main issues that they have to deal with. Firstly the problem of ‘Street Drinkers’, where people are drinking alcohol out of non-alcoholic containers and secondly youths that are causing alcohol-related nuisance including anti-social behaviour, violent crime and criminal damage.

Whilst officers can confiscate alcohol and dispose of it when it is in branded containers it can be more difficult to identify alcohol when young people are drinking it from soft drinks containers.

By testing the drinks, the Police can prove if it is alcoholic and tell how strong the drink is and therefore confiscate or dispose of it.

Traders Warned to Blackpool Trading Standards, in partnership with Lancashire Police, are warning traders in Blackpool to check changes in the law surrounding the sale of imitation guns or face the consequences. From 1st November 2007 any trader found in possession, or offering guns, banned under the new legislations, will face wide-ranging sanctions from stock being seized, potential arrest and prosecution. The penalties on conviction could lead to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 or both. The Trading Standards Enforcement Team have paid visits to traders advising them of the regulations and warning them to remove the guns from sale and return them to their supplier. An imitation firearm is anything that has the appearance of being a gun, whether it is capable of discharging a shot or not.

Disarm

Inspector David Old from Blackpool Police said: “Imitation firearms are often difficult to distinguish from the real thing. There have been a number of occasions in Blackpool where armed officers have been deployed to sightings of people with guns, which have turned out to be imitation firearms. People who take such weapons into the public arena are putting themselves and others at risk. Therefore any measures to limit the sale of imitation firearms in Blackpool are very welcome, and we will support trading standards in enforcing the new legislation.”

The new regulations, governing the sale or manufacture of replica firearms, are detailed in the Firearms Act 1968 as amended, Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 and the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (Realistic Imitation Firearm) Regulations 2007 Any further information or guidance leaflets can be obtained from Trading Standards at 125 Albert Road, Blackpool or by contacting the Service directly on the telephone number 01253 478375. 

Emmerdale Star’s Message to Blackpool Emmerdale actress Kelsey Beth Crossley dropped in at Palatine Leisure Centre when she visited her hometown of Blackpool to launch a youth summer scheme. More than 250 teens packed into the South Shore centre to meet the star and sign up for a jam-packed summer of sporting and musical fun.

The ‘Your Space’ scheme, which is running until the end of August, is a bid to keep South Shore teens aged between 11 and 17 occupied and off the streets. It is a free scheme, which includes supervised sessions in sports such as football, netball, basketball, hockey and rugby. Andy Dziegiel, Police Community Support Officer for the Palatine area said: “The launch was really well attended, having Kelsey Beth there was a really big draw and lots of youngsters signed up for the scheme. “Your Space is great because it

gives the kids something to do in the evenings which not only stops them from prowling the streets but also keeps them in a safe environment.” The scheme will run every Wednesday evening until August 20 at Palatine Leisure Centre. Youngsters aged 11 - 13

can attend 5pm - 6pm and those 14-17 years can attend from 6pm - 7.30pm. Your Space is funded by BSafe Blackpool who have worked with the local policing team and Blackpool’s integrated youth service to put together the programme.

Mobile Phone Enforcement One-year on and positive results, March 2008 was the anniversary of the introduction of tougher penalties for using a mobile phone when driving. On one enforcement day, the police were pleased that they did not have to stop anybody. Recent research has shown that the new laws are having a positive impact with a 40% reduction in the number of car drivers seen using hand-held mobile phones at the wheel between September 2006 and August 2007.



National Tackling Drugs Week National tackling drugs week took place 19th - 23rd May 2008 and various events took place during the week for the public to go along to. Purpose of week:  Raise awareness of work undertaken by agencies  Tackle drugs and reduce drug-related crime in communities

BSafe Blackpool Joins Facebook Revolution

Drug and Support Services Open Day Drugline’s open day offered a chance for everyone from Drug Services and other support services, to members of the public, an opportunity to go and see what they offer for substance users, their families and carers, and also find out about volunteering and training opportunities.

A craze has swept the country that simply cannot be ignored and that is the phenomenon of Social Networking Websites such as Facebook. No doubt you already have your own Facebook profile and if you are like the other few million people that use the site you will be checking it every day to catch up with friends and join different interesting groups.

First Aid training for service users A 2-hour course that took people through the basics of First Aid, and showed how you can help someone if they overdose. Training was provided by the Red Cross.

 Highlight the wide ranging activities and services available Events Included: (In conjunction with World Hepatitis Day) Drugline located at 102 Dickson Road showed the documentary: Louie, Me & Hepatitis C at various times throughout the day with staff on hand during the day to help answer questions.

BSafe Blackpool has got on board and created its Facebook group that will allow anyone to join and keep up to date with the latest news. Members can even start up and join in with discussions about topics they feel are relevant to the group and the work that BSafe Blackpool gets up to.

Useful Numbers

BSafe Blackpool

Reporting a crime in an emergency:

If there is an emergency telephone 999 You should use this number if you think there is an immediate threat to life or property.

Reporting a non – emergency crime or incident:

Non – emergency police line telephone 08451 253545 or Blackpool Police Station 01253 293933

Seasiders Way Blackpool FY1 6JY Phone: 01253 651166 Fax: 01253 651210 Email: [email protected] Website: www.bsafeblackpool.co.uk

Reporting a crime anonymously:

If you have any information on a crime and wish to report it anonymously. Crimestoppers telephone 0800 555 111

Partners of BSafe working together to make a difference

“The majority of Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour is committed by a minority of people”. J84892 8-08