Meet Our Local Police Team at Goose Green Aug 24th

[rch]

Reading all of the recent threads on the forum about concerning activities, I just wanted to remind everyone that our new Local Safer Neighbourhood Police Team will be available at Goose Green tomorrow for three hours around lunchtime (11am-2pm).

As we don't have a local police office and the 101 number takes so long to answer, it's very difficult to have regular direct contact with our local officers. So, I'm hoping that residents will be able to attend the event to make contact with our new team in person, with a view towards discussing local concerns and setting up easier ways to stay in touch in the future.

The police horses and the police dogs are scheduled to attend, which is meant to make the event more fun, but the most important aspect is to introduce our new Goose Green SNT to local residents.

I can see that a thread about this event was moved to the What's On section, but I hope that we can have a discussion about how we can positively interact and support our local officers within a system that's suffering from budget cuts.

[DulwichFox]

Will try and pop along.

Thank you for the heads up.

DulwichFox

[rch]

Brilliant! If you figure out who I am, please say hi and introduce yourself, as I've had lots of interesting discussions with people on this forum, but I have no idea who any of you are...

[Sally Eva]

What area do they cover?

[rch]

Our specific GG SNT (PC Mike Hughes, PC Tibor Fodor, and PCSO Teresa Staples) covers Goose Green ward, but we are now twinned with the Peckham Rye ward Sergeant (Sgt Helen Williamson), who will hopefully attend, so there is a useful overlap. Officers and residents/councillors from the three Dulwich wards have been invited, so this is hopefully a general overlap there as well. Plus, senior officers who oversee the borough have indicated that they will try to attend and the South Joint Enforcement Team covers the whole south of the borough. Also, general Traffic officers and Public Order officers have been invited, but attendance depends on availability. Plus cross-borough dogs and horses...

[Sally Eva]

Is there an agenda?

[mrspnoble]

Is this still on? Looking very quiet on Goose Green ...

[bels123]

Yes, it?s started. No horses unfortunately but dogs expected soon.

The motorbike and helmet trying on seems v popular with children.

[bob]

First time I've seen that many Police in East Dulwich for years, hope they keep it up.

Bob S

[DulwichFox]

I did attend. 12.30. not much going on.

No Horses or Dogs. One Police van and a Motorcycle.

Kids enjoying setting off the Blues and Twos.. e-or-e-or-e-or - Whoooooooo Whooooo

DulwichFox

[rch]

Shame I didn't get to meet you, Foxy.

There were loads of residents between 11am and noon, then everyone seemed to go off to lunch. The horses sadly cancelled at the last minute but Rocky the Police Dog arrived around 12.45 and did some searching demonstrations. The Police Cadets were there and the response motorcycle was popular.

Our local ward councillor/past Mayor, Charlie Smith, attended so I was able to introduce residents to both the local SNT and a local councillor so that they could discuss concerns.

It was quite a good experiment and we're in discussions about doing it again, maybe in the autumn or in the spring, but possibly changing the time to mid afternoon.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let us know...

[singalto]

I was there from 11.15 to 11.45: great for kids but nothing much for child free grown ups..

[rch]

I hear what you're saying, singalto... a few pensioners came later on, and I specifically introduced them to our local police team and the local councillor so that they could discuss some of their concerns... but it would have been good to have done more.

The local SNT are liaising with the councillors to order some crime prevention items with CGS funds, so I'm thinking that a table with bits and pieces to handout/discuss might be good in the future.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated...

[alice]

No one turns up to these events it?s a waste of police time I?m sure that they have other things they need to be doing

[Passiflora]

rch Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I hear what you're saying, singalto... a few

> pensioners came later on, and I specifically

> introduced them to our local police team and the

> local councillor so that they could discuss some

> of their concerns... but it would have been good

> to have done more.

>

> The local SNT are liaising with the councillors to

> order some crime prevention items with CGS funds,

> so I'm thinking that a table with bits and pieces

> to handout/discuss might be good in the future.

>

> Any other suggestions would be appreciated...

Sorry to be a bit dim rch, but what does SNT stand for? Also to say that a few pensioners came along later on etc. doesn't bode well for your local area campaign.

[Sally Eva]

It means Safer Neighbourhood Team.

What is the purpose of the events?

[solar]

More people might have attended if it had been held at the weekend rather than during the working week.

[rch]

Yes, SNT stands for Safer Neighbourhood Team... it's the old name for our local ward based officers. They're now called DWOs, for Dedicated Ward Officers, but I can't get used to the new name.

The purpose of the events is partly to reach out to young people early on, in a strategy to encourage communication later on in student life, and also to make contact with concerned residents who feel frustrated at the way reporting crime concerns has become so restricted. The team also holds regular Contact Sessions at the Dulwich Leisure Centre, listed on the team's Met webpage.

We tried to reach more adults within a week or so notice, and even older student persons, but the resources were restrictive. Ironically, the pensioners mostly came from some of the housing estates that we tried to reach out to.

And, yes, the timing during lunchtime before August Bank Holiday Weekend was extremely challenging, but everyone saw it as a useful experiment as this sort of thing usually tends not to happen in East Dulwich, so it was better than nothing... they've done it next to the cafe in Dulwich Park, they're doing it next Friday afternoon in Burgess Park and later on in Camberwell Green, which I expect will get better attendance as everyone will be back from holidays and both locations are more visible/high profile. Also, weekends are more difficult for police to attend due to more intense crime intervention patrols, so we need to find a compromise on timing.

One of the next local steps will be to form a residents public police Panel to meet every 3-4 months in the ward to have more direct engagement.

I personally still think we need a council supported "community hub" with a local police office, a local housing office outlet, and a community meeting room on Lordship Lane...

[singalto]

There were lots of children there and they loved it.

[rch]

That's half the battle, singalto... maybe the solution is to have a variety of different types of police events over the year, that appeal to different age groups?

My problem is that I love the police horses, which I'm guessing most Normal People aren't that bothered about... part of the joy of living near the old police stables in ED was seeing the horses trotting by my house twice a day.

[singalto]

Robin, I was delighted to see so many children enjoying themselves. I?d gone to see the horses! I used to love seeing the police horses near my house.

[rch]

OMG, singalto... it's a shame you didn't get someone to point me out to you when you were there, as I could have at least updated you and introduced you to our local team.

Apparently the horse transport box broke down in the morning, so they couldn't attend. The PC who worked for weeks to organise this event got a last minute phone call at 10.15am cancelling the horses, so we were all gutted. Rocky the police dog and the response motorbike were new, though, and a great success. Plus, the police cadets and the council community wardens attended, as well.

[DulwichFox]

I get to see the Police Horses at Millwall Home games..

They are very popular with everyone. They are splendid creatures.

Foxy

ETA I remember them when they were at East Dulwich Police Station.

Different horses of course. They would of been retired or passed on by now.

[rch]

Argh. My favourite horse is called Excalibur... I really wish I could have met you guys!