Council action plan on graffiti

The York Council has published a report indicating how it will respond to reports of graffiti in future.

Domestic properties, hit by graffiti, will be offered a free removal service. Householders will have to give written permission for the Council to undertake the work. We think this initiative  is right. Simply living next to a public footpath should not involve the inconvenience and cost of having to remove unwanted graffiti from house walls.  

Owners of commercial premises will be offered the same service but will have to pay for it (£52 per sq. meter).

For the first time for over 5 years the Council has republished the current service level agreement for dealing with issues on Council estates. These were sometime called “customer contracts” in the past and were last reviewed in May 2013.  It confirms that target times for the removal of graffiti.  The Council will remove racist or offensive graffiti on council property within 24 hours. They will remove all other graffiti from council property within 5 working days.

The Council report is weak in two respects.

Money spent – almost £90,000 in a full year on removing graffiti – is a cost of failure. It simply shouldn’t happen. Yet the report fails to review what enforcement measures are being taken. There are no details given of prosecutions over the last few years.

Subjectively it does seem that the authorities have given criminal damage cases in general, and graffiti in particular, a low enforcement priority. Given the damage given to the City’s image by this crime, that approach needs to change in the future.

Secondly the new process doesn’t provide for preventative measures to be taken when graffiti is removed. There are anti-graffiti coatings available which repel paint and allows graffiti to be removed more easily.

This is a welcome step forward by a Council which has been severely criticised for failings in street level public service standards over the summer period.

Hopefully other issues will now get similar attention.

Police move to fill vacancies

Graduates, non-graduates, ‘career movers’ and ‘career starters’ – North Yorkshire Police announces latest drive for police officers

North Yorkshire Police has announced its latest recruitment drive for police officers as it reaches out to graduates, non-graduates, career movers and career starters to apply.

The latest campaign, which is live until 9am on 25 November, comes hot on the heels of a campaign to recruit more PCSOs. 

As announced by the force last month, there are now three new entry routes for new police recruits to get into policing. They are:

  • Apprenticeship: A three-year Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) leading to a nationally recognised BSc (Hons) in Professional Policing Practice. New recruits will be employed by North Yorkshire Police and spend 80% of their time serving and protecting the community while ‘learning on the job’ and 20% of their work time studying towards their qualification through The Open University’s world-leading flexible distance learning programme.
  • Degree-holder entry programme (DHEP): A two-year accelerated route for those entering with a degree in any subject, enabling recruits employed by North Yorkshire Police to train as a police constable and gain a Graduate Diploma in Policing through The Open University at the same time.
  • Pre-join degree: For those who want to get a degree before they join, new recruits can then apply to the force as their degree is coming to an end and then complete a considerably reduced initial training route with their new police employer in recognition of their policing degree.

Deputy Chief Constable Phil Cain of North Yorkshire Police is keen for this recruitment campaign to reach out to all parts of the community in North Yorkshire.  She said:

“It is an exciting time to join policing and becoming a police officer really will give you some of the best and proudest days of your life. Whether you are a graduate or non-graduate, just starting out in your career or are a more experienced and mature individual looking for your next challenge there are various ways to join us, depending on your work, life and educational experience .

“The three new entry routes, and our recently announced collaboration with The Open University, signifies an exciting change in the way our officers are trained and developed throughout their careers – gaining a degree and learning and earning on the job at the same time.

“We’re also continuing to work hard on increasing diversity in our recruitment to ensure our workforce is representative of the communities that we serve. The last couple of recruitment drives has seen us attract the most diverse group of trainees that North Yorkshire has ever had and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to date.

You can apply to join North Yorkshire Police as a police officer at northyorkshire.police.uk/policeofficer. Applications close at 9am on Monday 25 November.

The Positive Action team can be contacted on positiveaction@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Appeal following fail to stop road traffic collision on Alness Drive on Sunday

Police are appealing for witnesses and information about a fail to stop road traffic collision in York on Sunday 27 October.

Appeal following fail to stop road traffic collision

It happened on Alness Drive at around 8.30am and involved a BMW and another car which failed to stop at the scene.

The owner of the BMW, a woman in her late 60s, was placing her grandchild into the rear seat of her car when the offending vehicle collided with her open rear door, pinning her between the door and body of her vehicle.

The offending vehicle, described as silver or gre and possibly the size of a small MPV, failed to stop and made off towards Moor Lane.

As a result of the collision, the woman suffered broken ribs, a broken collar bone, a fractured knee cap and a potentially broken leg. She was taken by ambulance to York Hospital where she is still receiving treatment.

We are appealing for witnesses to the collision, or anyone who recalls seeing either of the vehicles prior to the collision, to get in touch as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

In particular, we are appealing for information about the offending vehicle and its current location. This vehicle is likely to have damage to its nearside front end.

If you can help, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Phillip Kennedy. You can also email philip.kennedy@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

North Yorkshire Police to discuss increase in crime levels tomorrow

A meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) will hear how the  Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner intends to tackle an increase in crime levels in the area.  The meeting will be told that there some 3837 crimes reported during September.

Across the whole of North Yorkshire, including York, the Guildhall Ward had the largest number of crimes (212).

 In York it was followed by Huntington (91) and Westfield (79).

The largest proportion of crimes in York relate to violence (457), followed by theft (390), arson/criminal damage (153) and burglary (120). Perhaps surprisingly only 47 drug offences were reported.

Overall across the county there has been a 2.5% increase in crime levels this year so far compared to 12 months ago. Over the last two years the increase has been 16%. The biggest increase has been in public order offences. Violence against the person offences have increased from 5504 in 2017 to 7747 this year (up 40%)

There has been an increase in shoplifting in York this year. Recorded anti-social behaviour has however shown a reduction (-17%)

The scale of the problems with the Police switchboard are revealed.

222 calls to 999 were abandoned during August.

 There is a similar picture on 101 calls where 6050 were abandoned during July.

Time to answer on both channels improved during September.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and police staff deserve credit for producing figures which can be accessed via the web. Click here   The sheer size of the county, and its diversity, make it difficult to produce performance stats which are both accessible and relevant to local neighbourhoods.

There is some good work going on at neighbourhood level with police in west York proactively checking security issues this week

There will, however, be niggling doubts about some aspects of crime prevention.

Lack of reports of drug related crime is probably not the right way to access the scale of that issue.

Equally worrying is the failure of the force to recruit up to its budgeted staff numbers. There were estill over 30 vacancies for police officers in the force in September. The police don’t expect to hit their target number (1450 officers) until December. There are also 36 vacancies for PCSOs.

Performance stats for the Fire service can be viewed by clicking here

Increase in graffiti reports in York

There has been an increase in the number of cases of graffiti reported to the York Council over the last 30 months.

During the first quarter of the financial year 20% of residents surveyed said that vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles was a problem in their local area.

This is the highest level ever recorded in responses to the Councils “customer panel” survey.

According to the Police web site, there were 119  instances of criminal damage and arson recorded in the York area during the most recent month for which stats are available (August 2019).

During the 12 month period up to August there have been 1619 reports in total.

The Council recently advertised for two new members of staff who will be responsible for removing graffiti from public locations in the City.

It is unclear whether they will also help to apply anti graffiti coatings to vulnerable walls (see right)

Councillors have access to “graffiti removal kits”.

Bothered by unwanted sales telephone calls?

Anti scam campaign by North Yorkshire Police. This seems like a good idea

Nearly 50% of all frauds reported to North Yorkshire Police, the initial contact between the fraudster and victim is via the telephone.

You would not dream of going of leaving your house or car without making sure it was secure, so in this day and age why would you have a telephone that does not have call screening or call blocking functions?

Put a stop to these calls and become #ScamAware with a free trueCall call blocker from Friends Against Scams

Apply today at: www.FriendsAgainstScams.org.uk/CallBlocker

Doorstep Crime Awareness Week 14 – 18 October

City of York Council is raising awareness of doorstep crime ahead of Doorstop Crime Awareness Week between 14 and 18 October.

The authority is working in partnership with colleagues from across the Yorkshire and Humber region as well as trading standards to provide advice to residents during the week.

The council is reaching out to provide a range of support and advice during the week to help those who are most targeted. Criminals are known to target the elderly and vulnerable by unsolicited door knocks or putting leaflets through their doors.

The following support will be provided during the week:

Meet us for advice at a city centre bus stop:

Trading standards officers will be based at city centre bus stops throughout the week, including outside the Theatre Royal on St Leonard’s Place (Tuesday and Friday) or Stonebow (Monday, Wed and Friday), to provide face-to-face advice between 9am and 10.30am.

Drop your leaflets into one of our collection boxes:

We know criminals use leaflets to pose as legitimate traders. Some of the bogus claims to lure vulnerable or unsuspecting residents into agreeing to unnecessary discounts are often promoted as ‘OAP discounts, ‘established family businesses and ‘skilled tradesman’.

With the worst offenders repeatedly targeting their victims time and again.

Residents are encouraged to drop off any leaflets they think fall into this category for our trading standards teams to review. Drop off points are provided at the following locations, or email them to trading.standards@york.gov.uk

  • City of York Council’s West Offices
  • Age UK on Bishopthorpe Road, Burton Stone Lane and Fourth Avenue in Tang Hall
  • Bell Farm Social Hall, Roche Avenue
  • Foxwood Community Centre
  • Sainsbury’s, Monks Cross
  • Costcutter, Wheldrake
  • Burnholme Community Hub, Baf Bargain Lane, Heworth
  • The Old Butcher’s Coffee Shop, Dunnington
  • St Hilda’s Parish Church, Tang Hall Lane
  • The Folk Hall, Hawthorne Terrace, New Earswick
  • Fulford Library, Heslington Lane

FACTS: Know your rights:

  • If you agree to have work done (that is over £42), whilst the trader is in your home (whether they are invited or they call around uninvited) the trader is usually required to provide you with certain information regarding the contract such as a description of the work, the price and their contact details.
  • In general you should also be given information regarding a 14 day cooling off period to allow you to decide if you wish to go ahead with the work.
  • If the trader starts the work within this 14 day period, your right to cancel does not disappear however you may be required to pay for any work done up to the date of cancellation.
  • There are a number of exceptions to the above – including certain types of bespoke work. If you would like specific advice please contact the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06 for more information.
  • Trading Standards would always recommend that residents do not deal on the doorstep and be wary of anyone rushing them to make a decision – genuine traders will not mind if you do not make a decision straightaway.
  • Residents should get three written quotes which include a breakdown of costs. A list of trading standards vetted traders can be found at: www.ageuk.org.uk/york/our-services/home-services-directory/

Cllr Andrew Waller, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, said: “Trading Standards Officers regularly receive reports of people cold calling residents to sell goods and services. In some cases we know residents have felt pressurised into parting with vast sums of money for unnecessary and poor quality products.

“We know that crimes of this nature are under-reported, and so we urge anyone with concerns or information to get in touch by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 03454 040506.”

Local dog owner to pay £3,200 for not complying with dog control notices

A dog owner who failed to microchip, control and prevent dogs from straying, was given a total of £3k to pay by York Magistrates on Tuesday 10 October 2019.

Alaskan Malamute

Lloyd Hunter (aged 37 of Boroughbridge Road, York) was convicted in his absence to offences of failing to correctly microchip two Alaskan Malamutes, transferring a third Alaskan Malamute to another person with an incorrect microchip, and failure to comply with a community protection notice on two occasions.

Between July and October 2018, the dogs were regularly reported to City of York Council after straying onto neighbouring properties, including a children’s nursery. The council also discovered the dogs had incorrectly registered microchips.

Mr Hunter was issued multiple notices in October 2018 that required him to register the animals correctly with a relevant database operator, as well as a warning to keep his dogs under control.

Following further complaints in November 2018, Mr Hunter was issued with a Community Protection Notice requiring him to secure his property and ensure that his dogs were kept under proper control.

On 1 January 2019, a stray Alaskan Malamute that Mr Hunter had reportedly sold to a friend, was found to be still registered to the original owner, who Mr Hunter had purchased the dog from a few years earlier.

Another dog in Mr Hunter’s possession was also found straying by a local resident and returned on 12 June 2019, after the dog escaped and ran across the A1237.

The previous month, on 31 May 2019, Mr Hunter was walking three Alaskan Malamutes in Millennium Gardens, Nether Poppleton, when the dogs ran out of sight and attacked a Cockapoo. The dogs were off the lead and left the Cockapoo with injuries requiring over one week of veterinary treatment.

In interview during the investigation, Mr Hunter said that he was unaware of any injuries to the Cockapoo at the time of the incident, and also bought a stronger lead to prevent further escapes from his property. He also stated that he mistakenly registered his dogs through a discounted database, which is not recognised by local authorities.

Mr Hunter was convicted in his absence having failed to attend court. He was ordered to pay fines of £1,790, costs of £1,334.28 and a victim surcharge of £66.

Cllr Denise Craghill, Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods, said: “Responsible dog owners ensure that their animals are kept under control when out in public and properly secured when at home.”

“Since the law changed in 2015 all dogs must not only have identification tags, but they must also be microchipped with all details recorded on a relevant database operator. A list of these database operators can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/get-your-dog-microchipped.”

Graffiti removed from street furniture in east York

Following action by Cllr Mark Walters, Virgin media have cleaned graffiti from many of their cabinets in east York. The above are in Tang Hall.
Unfortunately, the position in west York seems to have deteriorated with more graffiti appearing. This BT telephone kiosk in Beagle Ridge Drive is due to be removed shortly, but in the meantime it has become a target for the “artists” The Foxwood Residents Association has now formally complained about the amount of litter in the neighbourhood. They wat to see the return of “lengths-men” and dedicated estate workers, The Foxwood shops forecourt is a particular problem area.

With shorter days, the reliability of street lighting will once again become a priority. No doubt local Councillors will be undertaking a sweep of their wards checking for faults. Residents also may want to report issues. Generally faulty bulbs are replaced quickly if reported via the Councils “on line” site https://www.york.gov.uk/reportproblems (click)

Appeal for information following assault at McColl’s on Gale Lane

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after a member of staff was assaulted at the McColl’s store on Gale Lane, Acomb.

The incident happened at around 9.10pm on Saturday 14 September and involved a male who went into the store and assaulted a member of staff.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Ben Sykes. You can also email Benjamin.sykes866@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12190171098.

Contact details:Ben Sykes – #0866 Benjamin.sykes866@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk | 30866Incident reference:12190171098