To: City Councillors Downham, Levy and Armstrong and relevant council officers,
I have tonight attended a “anti-social behavior meeting for the Arbury”, at which I was able to ask the Police, who were represented by PCSO Rob Streater where the Police priorities for the North Area were set, where the Neighbourhood Panel Meeting for the North Area was held and why there was a discrepancy between what I saw passed as the police priorities at the Council’s North Area Committee and what the Police have announced via Ecops and the local press as their new priorities.
His reply shocked me.
He told the Arbury ASB meeting that Neighbourhood Panel Meeting was a meeting held within Parkside police station, it was not a public meeting, and it was there that the Police priorities were set, and not at the Council’s North Area Committee meeting.
In my view Sgt. Wragg has misled, and in doing so shown gross contempt for, elected councillors and the public at the Council’s North Area Committee by letting councillors at that meeting believe that they were setting the police priorities.
Cllr Alan Levy was present at the Arbury meeting and claimed to already be aware that the Police were conning the Councillors and members of the public at the north Area meeting, he promised action, but rejected all my suggestions (including simply getting Alastair Roberts to reply to me!) and came up with none of his own.
I believe the chair of the North Area Committee meeting should assure herself that what I am reporting here is true, and rapidly inform all members of her committee that they have been misled. Perhaps the committee could formally complain to the police about Sgt. Wragg’s conduct, or at least invite him back to the next meeting to apologise, and perhaps explain his actions – if the Police have a problem with the way the North Area Committee was working why can’t they explain it to the meeting.
What I find particularly bad is the Police’s use of the phrase: “Neighbourhood Panel Meeting” as this is used elsewhere in Cambridgeshire to mean a public meeting, and I feel it implies this in its name.
No wonder the Inspector has stopped attending the North Area Committee – he doesn’t want to stand in-front of and lie to councillors, he’s making his Sgt. do that while he’s at the meeting where the real priorities are set (they have been held on the same days).
Richard Taylor
Cambridge.