Minutes of meeting of Woking Assoc of Neighbourhood Watches Wednesday 16th Dec 2020 Via Zoom
Martin Stilwell (MS) – chair Committee: Steve Dew, Geoffrey Johnson, Alan Taylor Insp Dave Bentley (DB) – commander, Woking’s Safe Neighbourhood Team
Just 21 attendees, although there were a notable number of apologies.
Apologies received from: James Mackay, Richard Petterson, Rebecca Denby, Jill Hayes, Jeremy Irving, John Washbrook, Steve Saviker, Daphne Lander, Andy Brook, Linda Hemley, Helena Clarke, Chris Rowsell, Richard Kelly, Mark Pengelly, Halina Arendt.
Chair’s opening speech: Welcome everyone and thank you for your time tonight. Welcome to Insp Dave Bentley. He will be giving you an update in a moment. First, a bit of housekeeping. Can you please ensure you have your microphone off. Usually a little microphone icon bottom left when you hover the mouse over the screen. Click on it to toggle on and off. If you want to ask a question click on the “participants” button along the bottom and you then have the option to “raise hand”. I will see this and note you are waiting. Could you also make your name for the session someone who I could identify. We note the names attending but need to know who you all are. Calling your session “Fred’s iPad” isn’t going to help me.
That’s the housekeeping over – no need to point out the emergency exits and where the toilets are .
1. The numbers for Woking NhW 165 Watches, 190 co-ordinators and 1136 registered for Alerts on the InTheKnow/NA system. Facebook Cover-watches membership is: Byfleet 2817 Horsell 1272 Goldsworth Pk 905 South central Woking 167 West Byfleet & Pyrford 1483 Old Woking, Kingfield, etc 473 7117 ….which is a very good number.
2. Covid You should all be aware by now that Woking his hit the top of the list for Surrey. According to WBC the wards of St Johns, Knaphill and Goldsworth Park are the highest. I am probably not the only person who would have realised that Winston Churchill School is at the centre of that. There was a lot of problems in Lockdown1.0 with the youths of that area congregating against the law on St Johns Lye at night. Children 11 or over should wear a mask. I see many who do when walking around the shops, but they are usually with parents. But there is less interest in adhering to the rules with some youths who are in groups. Don’t forget to wash hands or use hand gel. ALL places now have plenty of that as you enter and leave. Maybe we also need to get better at using it when we get home.
3. Woking Beat on facebook Please keep monitoring this. Some excellent posts. I like the photo of the police car with 2 kit-kats left for the officers. Warms yer cockles, that. Note that all the Police “Beat” facebook sites now have Messenger ability and these go to the same team that takes 101 calls. The Surrey Police website has a Live Chat facility. I have been told it works well and may be more convenient than making a 101 call. It’s the same call-desk Police the “other end” for all these methods. But 101 (and 999) is still there and are to be recommended.
On the subject of contacting authorities, I ask Woking BC what happens if someone wants to call them out of hours. I was specifically thinking here about traveller incursions in the evening when WBC want to be told about it quickly. If you ring the switchboard (01483 755855) out of hours you get a recorded message and can select a number of options. You will then be asked to leave a message. Some options will be monitored by a duty officer but in most cases the message will not be picked up until the next morning. This is a bit disappointing. So, the recommendation is to ring 101 if out of hours and let the Police make the decision as to what to do next if “time is of the essence”. Note that New Vision Homes and Thames Wey Housing have their own hot lines for emergencies. [Note: on the meeting someone left chat text that they have 01483 730872 as WBC emergency number. This is no longer be publicised on WBC website, but feel free to try it.]
If you want to contact WBC for an environmental issue; to report abandoned or untaxed vehicle, a local “highway” problem or about the Parking Zone then their website is to be used. They DO fix things. https://www.woking.gov.uk/contact-us
For potholes, roads, traffic lights, street lights, signs etc use the Surrey CC report it page. https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/do-it-online/report-it-online I have reported a number of things and they all got dealt with efficiently. So, stop whinging about it and report it instead!
4. Parking I have been asked to help a couple of times with inconsiderate parking. In most cases, that is all there is to it – the driver is not thinking of anyone else but themselves about where they park. Parking on yellow lines, etc, is for Woking BC to deal with. Report it on their website.
But there is something you can do first. Check if the vehicle is taxed and MoT’d. There is a very useful government website to check this and I have it book-marked on my phone. Left is the result of a car parked in a side road near me for a long time. MoT ran out 12 months ago! www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax.
If tax is more than 2 months overdue report it through Woking BC website. Parking isn’t really a Police issue unless it is in a dangerous place.
5. e-scooters You will have received an Alert regarding e-scooters. I sent the message to everyone in Surrey (13,000 people!). To re-cap, it is a criminal offence to ride privately-owned e-scooters on the road or pavement. Full stop. If you see anyone persistently riding these report them via 101. If you can do so safely, take a picture and send that in with the report (Use the “Report” facility on Surrey Police website which allows attachments). Dave Bentley will use his schools net to let the schools know that it is illegal to ride them. Some pupils ride them to school.
6. Basingstoke canal You will be aware that there have been some unsavoury things happening down the canal. Dave will talk about this as he is setting up a Canal Watch all the way from Pirbright Bridge to the River Wey. We need to get the Basingstoke Canal Authority totally bought in and agreement as to signage and contacts, but hear what Dave has to say. Any serious, threatening or harmful incidents should be reported immediately on 999.
7. Local issues and advice Has a neighbour got a completely blacked-out house in the evening? This suggests to thieves that the house may be empty. Drop a note through their door explaining that their house is more vulnerable and wouldn’t it be a good idea to leave a light on, or put a light on a timer. Or, as its Christmas, tell them to stop being miserable and put some Christmas lights up! [MS and DB to produce a pro-former letter to ensure householders know the advice is from authoritative source]
One of our co-ordinators has reported to the Police an usual incident. Building work was going on in his road and, in broad daylight, some east Europeans stopped in their van and started taking “spare” building material from the drive and loading it into the van. They were very reluctant to stop when confronted by builder and owner. They had previously taken items from the skip. Keep watching out for this. I am happy to pass on that they drive a Transit ML54 XWH (which is taxed but MoT runs out today). [Feedback during the meeting suggested this was a long term problem and happens across the borough. DB says to report all occurrences.]
That’s my update. Over to you, Dave.
Inspector Dave Bentley (DB), Woking borough commander Thank you for all the efforts of NhW. In a pandemic, policing is difficult but there is still a requirement to remain Covid secure and safe. Woking is significantly high in Covid infections in Surrey. You should remain diligent in your prevention. Woking Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) have new staff. 3 x PCSOs starting next week 3 x PCs who are already doing fantastic work, particularly in crime prevention in Knaphill Total complement of SNT is now 30 officers. Sgt Emmie Harris is moving on to a new role. Replaced by Sgt Sarah Wentworth. Crime stats Between April and end Nov crime down 11.3%. This is very good but DB wants to do more and do better. Some crimes have reduced whilst others increased Residential burglary down 21.4% Theft down 26.6% Hate crime down 4% Vehicle crime down 29.6% Dom violence UP 8.9% Drugs UP 14.2% (DB said he was concerned about this) ASB UP 27.4%. Not unexpected and much less than Surrey average. DB has secured extra funding to address ASB Police analyse daily ASB reports and focus resources in key areas and to contact those who are suffering with persistent ASB.
Byfleet Proactive prevention work in Byfleet to reduce burglaries. PC Hugo Hubbard leading Signs up at entrances to the village No burglary in Byfleet for a significant time Byfleet will trial “Burglary cocooning” where houses in geographical area around a burgled property will be visited with advice as statistics show that these homes will be a little more at risk to burglary.
Young people Initiative to bring schools, WBC and Police brought together to address issues, especially ASB Adverse Childhood Experience is a study to correlate traumatic experiences in early childhood with their behaviour in later life: https://www.wavetrust.org/what-are-adverse-childhood-experiences Woking is leading with this in Surrey.
Canal Watch Recent incidences of indecent exposure Canal Path is busy and popular DB wants to set up a community group who can manage a Canal Watch based on one created by West Midlands Police Need to work with Basingstoke Canal Authority and Basingstoke Canal Society DB needs our help: opinions, suggestions, advice, and potential volunteers to MS at [email protected] ASAP please One co-ord suggested houseboat owners should be involved – good idea Reporting of any serious, threatening or harmful incidents should be immediate via 999.
DB question time * Antisocial behaviour of people leaving town centre. What are best options? DB: report via facebook/twitter Messenger is best route. Report is risk-assessed and if a unit is available they will attend. All reports go towards long-term investigation of the problem. DB: Licenced premises should not sell to anyone already drunk. Nor sell to under age customers. 3 retailers recently caught doing so DB: Drug dealing: report it with vehicle registration number (via 999).
* Is there still a county lines drug problem in Woking? DB: Drugs still an issue Cuckooing used for dealing (using premises of a vulnerable householder).
* There may be a reluctance of using 999. What is the advice? DB: Potential for harm? Ring 999. Immediate crime in action? Ring 999.
* DB asked us what our biggest concerns are Speeding: DB recognised this and efforts continue to prosecute offenders Kids not wearing masks: DB said WBC employ Covid marshals. There is a daily meeting between WBC, Police and other authorities. He will mention about the concern over older children not being told to wear masks when in enclosed areas Fraud: DB wants to educate people on latest methods, which change all the time. Police have lots of material available to help prevent. Cover-watch admins should continue to promote/share Action Fraud alerts Burglary prevention: if you are out, get neighbours to re-locate bins, etc to make a house look occupied. Look at your own home and view it with the mind of a burglar. Cut hedges down and plant “defensive” plants [Met Police call this “Nowhere to hide” https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/burglars-nowhere-hide/] CCTV: DB a big fan and has doorbell camera and another outside. These are very good pro-active deterrents as burglars can see them. Also good for evidence in prosecutions. Surrey Police have software that enables residents to download footage to be used in criminal cases. You cannot have a camera monitoring “open spaces” without registering it. But CCTV covering your property is good. If you would like a community camera to be considered this will need to be put to Woking BC. It is not a fast process, so be prepared. CCTV questions to [email protected]. MS will pass them on to WBC or Police.
Meeting closed 9pm