Richard Taylor

Advertising the August North Area Committee Meeting

At the last meeting of the North Area Committee, I and other members of the public present agreed to try and publicise the next meeting better. I have been lobbying the city council, police and police authority to try and get them to do their bit to advertise it, and I have also produced the below postcards which I am going to deliver in the area during the period before the meeting.

Did you know that you can influence local police priorities in North Cambridge? These priorities are set democratically by City and County councillors at regular public meetings. Come along to the next meeting at 19.30 on Thursday 14th August at the Manor Community College, Arbury Road and have your say. Do you know your councillors' views on policing? Do they know yours?

North Area Priorities As set by Councillors in April : • Street-based drug dealing targeting areas close to schools. • Reduce acts of youth violence primarily against each other and prevent victimisation of young people in green and open spaces. (I saw the councillors actually set an “education based priority” on this subject) • Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) caused by youths in the areas of Molewood Close and Hazelwood Close, including environmental issues such as fly-tipping. Problems • Councillors removed burglary despite being told levels remain “high when compared to other areas of the city”. Additional patrols which were tackling burglary - including traffic, dogs and firearms teams - have recently become less visible. • Councillors have not ensured the police comply with the PACE codes (the law) which govern “Stop and Account”. Police-public relations could be improved if councillors held the police to account properly. • Councillors are not prioritising dealing with problems underlying local crime. For example many of those the police deal with in North Cambridge have been expelled from school and have no full time, educational, training or employment opportunities.

Richard Taylor

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