Before I begin, I would first like to thank PC Lorgat for arranging a patch walk in his area. It was good to see, what’s happening in the ward first hand, because majority of the time statistical figures can be very deceiving! I would also like to thank PCSO Hill, Councillor Cank and Councillor Sangha for kindly joining us and providing their insight on the various issues at hand.
Data regarding crime rates in the area had been complied ahead of the visit. We found volumes of offences varying from 131 public disorder offences to 91 vehicle crimes. What have the police been doing to resolve these issues? Hearing about how they were responding to it, seeing how welcoming the community were to the officers and hearing about the multitude of things they are doing daily all with the purpose of improving the community – I was very impressed!
One of the first issues I noticed almost immediately was the littering. It was a beautiful park, with a nice children’s playground, marred by drink cans and other detritus; thought to be a result of late-night drinkers. They congregate in the park and have social gatherings with drinks in hand. A non-aggressive bunch, so they responded very well to police officers’ encouragement to bin their litter. There is also a council park warden who visits once a week to clear the park. And when this is not enough, members of the public volunteer to help too.
Nonetheless, such behaviour can negatively impact children’s and families’ use of the park; and can also be very intimidating for people walking through the park.
Unfortunately, while there is the Northfield Neighbourhood Centre, it has been closed for many years and remains mostly unused. This is a shame as anti-social behaviour (ASB) may drastically reduce if young people were able to use the centre.
I asked about the potential peak in ASB and its correlation to school holidays. Thankfully, it is not a significant increase during half term due to the Play Barn and the one community centre they do have, the Emerald Community Centre.
There are many such areas that could potentially be used to the public benefit. However, this is not something that police can achieve on their own. I had also asked a question regarding the importance of partnership with various agencies for the police as well as the public. Partnerships bring everyone together and it is clear that they work well.
I came across various examples of this ranging from housing disputes to the police simply doing their best to support vulnerable members of the community. If I were to elaborate on one, it would be regarding a vulnerable elderly who was rehoused for her own safety. The officers explained a process they use for consistent serious issues – the Project Management Plan (PMP). Using this, they were able to safeguard the elderly by working together with Social Services and the Housing Association to re-house her.
This moves me onto the next issue. Drugs! There are many known spots where young men like to gather and it can get very dark in these areas due to a lack of lights. In response to the drug abuse and ASB taking place in this area, signs have been placed and police have held operations. While this has worked in the short term, we are looking for a longer-term solution.
Another priority concern in this area was road safety. Particularly, Late night speeding on Hastings Road was mentioned. I was pleased to hear that Police have completed operations in the area using their speed gun in response to complaints made by residents.
A further issue I came across was fly tipping. This was explained to be a result of quick flat turnover. The community has recognised this problem and thus created ‘Love Leicester’. It is an app where locals can upload images of the waste with its location so that it can be countered with community clean up events.
And finally I was shocked to see the aftermath of scorched earth from where a car had been completely torched in front of houses. In response, the police worked with the fire brigade to ensure the safety of the residents, clear the area, and monitor it with pod cameras to prevent it from happening again. Fortunately, there has not been a repeated incident.
This patch walk was informative, and I would like to thank everyone that attended.
Rani Maham
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
Posted on Thursday 2nd November 2023