Officers from the local Safer Neighbourhoods Teams and the Community Wardens to give an update and respond to questions.
Minutes:
Safer Neighbourhood Teams
Sergeant Miles Lawrie, Camberwell Green Safer Neighbourhood Team, explained that burglary had been a severe problem in the area for a while, with a spate of offences. However, the incidents had stopped after a prolific burglar had been identified and arrested. Public drinking of alcohol in the area had been less of a problem recently with the bad weather, but a number of seizures had been made from public drinkers. Paddy Power and William Hill had been assisting in reducing alcohol consumption outside their premises. Local patrols had been concentrated around Poet’s Corner Estate and the Crawford Estate to target Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB). Seven acceptable behaviour contracts had been issued locally to tackle problem youths. Operation Bark was ongoing and there had been a couple of recent dog seizures in co-operation with the council.
In response to a question about an assault and theft in sheltered accommodation in Redcar Street, officers said they would follow that up.
Sergeant Tom Leach, Brunswick Park and South Camberwell Safer Neighbourhood Teams, said that officers were tackling the problems of drug dealing in stairwells on several estates. In Brunswick Park, the owner of a dangerous dog near a nursery had been dealt with and a drug house closed down. Squatters had been evicted from Glebe Estate and Crofton Road. A number of burglaries around Dog Kennel Hill had led to officer patrols and advice on crime prevention being circulated. An arrest was made and there had been a subsequent fall in crime.
In response to questions, Sgt Leach said he would follow up on issues relating to people urinating in Wren Road and burglaries on Ben Hill Road. Also, that arrests and prosecutions tended to be made when dealing with individuals with a record of multiple convictions.
Members voted to move on to the next part of the meeting.
Community Wardens
Jo Skelton, Community Wardens Team Leader, explained that there were staff cuts last year and there were now about 50 wardens covering the borough. There were about five wardens based in Camberwell. There would be increased resources in the warden service during the Olympics. Recent work had included tackling street drinking and ASB in the town centre areas plus rough sleeping and begging. Wardens had powers to combat many environment offences including cycling on the pavements. Wardens do a lot of work visiting the vulnerable and isolated members of the community and rely on information from the public.
Street leaders
Don, a local resident and Street leader, gave a brief summary of the history of Street leaders. He explained that at one point there had been several hundred street leaders under the management of Dave Taylor and they reported environment offences such as fly-tipping and graffiti quickly and efficiently. Don said he had been a street leader for about 8 years and filed a few reports each month that were usually quickly resolved by officers. He added that the time devoted by the volunteers was varied and flexible. It was a simple way of helping to improve the community.
A vote of thanks was given to all the Street leaders for the voluntary work they did in the community.
Council Assembly
The chair reminded residents that the next council assembly meeting on Wednesday 4 July 2012, would have Health as its theme. The meeting would start at 7.00pm and take place at the Bermondsey campus of Southwark College.