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So is alcohol fuelled violence getting out of hand in York City centre

With seemly daily reports in the media about drunken behavior and violence in York city centre, what are the actual crime statistics for the area within the inner ring road?

Fortunately they are readily available on the Police UK web site

The latest monthly figures available cover the month of March.

Distribution of crimes

There were 448 crimes reported in March. The majority of these were for anti social behavior,violence and shop lifting.

It was a similar picture during the previous 12 month period

Crime type	Total	Percentage
Anti-social behaviour	2373	43.68%
Violence and sexual offences	790	14.54%
Shoplifting	649	11.95%
Other theft	419	7.71%
Bicycle theft	340	6.26%
Criminal damage and arson	220	4.05%
Theft from the person	173	3.18%
Public order	153	2.82%
Burglary	120	2.21%
Drugs	83	1.53%
Vehicle crime	41	0.75%
Other crime	35	0.64%
Possession of weapons	19	0.35%
Robbery	18	0.33%

Crime levels usually increase in the summer when larger numbers of people visit the City. Officials will be looking anxiously at the figures for April and May, when any adverse trends may become clearer

What happens to these arrested?

Some go to court, but most do not!

So who is responsible?

Many of the crimes are fuelled by alcohol.

Here the City Council must take some of the responsibility.

They have cheerfully nodded through more and more licensing applications and have even given planning permission for new premises such as the arts barge whihc will have a bar. They have been recommended to allow up to 5 new licensed premises at the shipping container village which is to be located near the Walmgate trouble blackspot.

Not all licensed premises contribute to the problems but it would be reasonable to ask all four candidates in the forthcoming general election what they want to see done to reassure residents that parts of the City centre are not becoming a “no go zone” during parts of the day.

What’s on in York: Rewriting the Brontës

York Explore Library

Wed 19 Apr

6.30pm – 7.30pm

£3.50 (£2.50 with a York Card)

Coffeehouse: Debate, Discussion, Controversy, Coffee

Apr 19_Coffeehouse This will be an informal discussion of the various representations of the Brontë sisters in biography, film, novels, and criticism. How have the sisters been interpreted and understood? What has been at stake in their shifting characterizations through the decades? Charlotte Brontë has been described, variously, as a domestic angel, a neurotic fixated on her mother’s death, bossy, domineering, a feminist icon, and a tragic figure. The enigmatic Emily has been retrospectively ‘diagnosed’ with conditions from anorexia to Asperger’s syndrome. ‘Dear, gentle, Anne,’ as Charlotte’s friend described her, is currently being re-evaluated by scholars as a powerful proto-feminist who dealt unflinchingly with controversial themes in her often neglected novels.

We’ll discuss the sisters’ novels, as well as biographies, critical texts, and film and television representations of their lives and works. Why are these women of such enduring interest, and what keeps the steady stream of visitors to Haworth Parsonage going, almost two hundred years after Patrick and Maria Brontë moved there with their six small children?

This coffeehouse session will be led by Dr Jo Waugh from York St John University. She is lecturer in English Literature with a specific interest in the Victorian novel, and have an article forthcoming in the Victorian Review about Charlotte Brontë’s representation of rabies in Shirley.

Coffeehouse takes place every first Wednesday evening, 6.30pm-7.30pm
Tickets £3 or £2 with a YorkCard (including a hot beverage)

To book your place in the coffeehouse contact York Explore Library on (01904) 552828, email york@exploreyork.org.uk or pop in to any library and speak to a member of staff.

What’s on in York: Dringhouses Archives Day

Dringhouses Library :

Thu 24 Nov :

9.30am – 5.30pm :

Free

Nov 24_Samuel Parsons Map Drop in anytime all day to see original documents about Dringhouses from the York Archives, including the 1624 Samuel Parsons Map of Dringhouses, a real treasure of the Archives.

Archives staff will be on hand to answer your questions and show you the documents.

York Flood Inquiry verdict not expected until next year

Floods cost City £3.3 million

It seems that over 12 months will have elapsed between the Boxing Day 2015 flooding crisis in York and the earliest date that changes to flood response practices in the City could be implemented.

The Council now says that its Executive will not consider the report of an independent floods inquiry until 26^th January 2017.

The Inquiry was set up last Spring by the Council with a budget of £50,000. It was expected to deliver an early verdict on the performance of the authorities in dealing with the floods which devastated many parts of the City which lay near the Foss.

The performance of the Council itself on the 26^th and 27^th December was subject to criticism, with communications and relief work largely in the hands of the emergency services and volunteers on those days. There was no useful advice on the Councils web site at that time although information was updated later.

Nearly 12 months after the floods some businesses are only now reopening.

In the interim the Environment Agency have fitted powerful new pumps at the Foss Barrier while work to protect Leeman Road has been finished. Some local watercourses like the Tang Hall Beck have been cleared of debris by volunteers.

But large areas of the City remain vulnerable if a combination of melting snow and falling rain causes the Ouse to break its banks.

The York Disaster Fund – established to deal with emergencies of this nature – was also ineffective in the first week of the crisis and even now has only distributed around half of the £1.3 million raised by donations.

The Independent Inquiry has been taking evidence from the public over the last couple of months.

It’s membership – a Barrister and two water industry professionals – has been criticised for lacking local authority/emergency planning expertise.

So, what they will conclude is anyone’s guess.

However clearly when flooding does occur – as it will – the City needs to be quicker and more professional in its response

We can only hope that there are no major floods in the city before February at the earliest!

Concerned residents can find more information by clicking these links:

That was the week that was in west York 13th Nov 2016

The week got off to a poor start with an arson attack at West Bank park Pressure increased on the Crime Commissioner who was asked to put more policing resources into the City. Meanwhile volunteers have called a PUBLIC MEETING about West Bank Park Heritage Project Wednesday 16th November, Holgate Methodist Church, 7pm

The week got off to a disappointing start with an arson attack at West Bank Park. Pressure mounted on the Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan who was asked to put more policing resources into the City. Meanwhile volunteers have called a PUBLIC MEETING about the West Bank Park Heritage Project for Wednesday 16th November at Holgate Methodist Church starting at 7pm

The Acomb Alive traders group met on Tuesday and heard that the Christmas lights appeal had reached 50% of its target. Residents have until 22nd November to reach £6600. You can pledge at http://www.spacehive.com/lightupacombthischristmas. Meanwhile the Christmas tree which will be fixed to shop fronts have arrives

The Acomb Alive traders group met on Tuesday and heard that the Christmas lights financial appeal had reached 50% of its target. Residents have until 22nd November to reach £6600. You can pledge at http://www.spacehive.com/lightupacombthischristmas. Meanwhile the Christmas trees, which will be fixed to shop fronts, have arrived in the village

The leaves are falling quickly now with Acomb Green gradually turning gold

Council staff are working full time sweeping leaves for gutter like these in Vesper Drive

Council staff are working full time sweeping leaves for gutters like these in Vesper Drive

We've reported a broken speed sign on Wetherby Road. A reprt ealier in teh week revelaed that there ahd been a substnatial increase in cyclist casualties in York last year.

We’ve reported a broken speed sign on Wetherby Road. A report earlier in the week revealed that there had been a substantial increase in cyclist casualties in York last year.

A report revealed that there and been a substantial increase in cyclist casualties in York last year. Poor road surfaces like those in School Street were blamed

Poor road surfaces like those in School Street were blamed for increasing number sof accidents.

Andrew Waller reported a pothole in St Stephens Road

A new litter bin was installed in the Lowfields area

…and the largely redundant salt bin at the entrance to the Lowfields school site was topped up! During the last big freeze in 2010 the bin was largely inaccessible and requests were made for it to be relocated onto Dijon Avenue

A new FREE Sundab bus service linking Foxwood with Askham Bar was launched.

A new FREE Sunday bus service linking Foxwood with Askham Bar was launched.

The war memorial was given a spruce up – and the surrounding railings repaired – prior to Remembrance Day

Last week in west York in picture 15th October

Cllr Sue Hunter joined residents to clear away vegetation which was blighting the Dijon Avenue amenity area

Andrew Waller reported detritus at the Gale Lane/Askham Lane junction

Sheena Jackson had an obstruction removed form a path in Foxwood

Sheena Jackson had an obstruction removed from a path in Foxwood

While nearby we asked for graffiti to be removed from the gable ends of two houses

On Wednesday the Council staged the first of two exhibitions on their plans for the development of the Lowfields site. Few residents seem to have received a letter which the Council claimed it had delivered in the area alerting people to the events. The plans can currently be viewed at Acomb Explore Library. Visitors to the Library can also fill in a short comments card. Residents have already expressed concerns included increased traffic levels in the area and misleading claims about the provision of a “Police Station” on the site. Residents plan to issue their own publicity next week to try to encourage more people to attend next Wednesday’s meeting.

fire damaged car back Spurr Court 11th Oct 2016

Concerns about arson attacks continued. The Council moved quickly to remove the burnt out motorbike which had been dumped near Acomb Moor

Energise were on the lookout for a new assistant manager

The week ended with the “School of the Year” Community Pride award going to Westfield Primary. Local school crossing patrol lady Sylvia Barker was also recognised.

44 crimes reported in Front Street area during November 2015

There was a significant increase in the level of crimes reported in the Front Street area (polling district KB) in November 2015 compared to the same month in 2014.

A graph shows a steady increase in crime reports over the last year. The figures have been taken from the Police web site

Most of the reports concern anti-social behaviour – which has increased since the opening of a centralised “hub” in the City centre which appears to have drawn police resources away from the Westfield area.

There have also been a significant number of shoplifting reports.

click to enlarge

The number of crimes reported by type are:

Anti Social behaviour 13
Cycle theft 1
Burglary 3
Criminal damage and arson 5
Drugs 1
Theft 4
Public order 1
Shop lifting 11
Vehicle Crime 1
Violence and sexual offences 4

This compares with a total of 30 offences reported in November 2014

Crime levels in Acomb remain relatively low compared to most other parts of the country.

The Crime and Policing commissioner Julia Mulligan is consulting on whether to increase the police tax level from April, although no assurances have been given that any extra money raised will be used to increase street level policing resources in west York.

Julia Mulligan faces a re-election ballot on May 5^th.

Flooding latest – 13 flood alerts in place in York

Ouse expected to continue rising until Monday

Click to go to individual flood alerts

Several flood gauges have recorded their highest ever levels.One or two now seem to have been overwhelmed by the deluge but the following links still work

Skelton /Poppleton 6.46 metres above normal level. The highest river level recorded at this location is 6.78 metres and the river level reached 6.56 metres on 27/09/2012.
Blue Beck Rawcliffe (faulty?)
Huntington (faulty?)
Foss Barrier (barrier opened)
Tang Hall beck (record high)
Holgate Beck (peaked yesterday now stable)
Ouse Bridge (Viking) 5 metres above normal level. Highest ever recorded was 5.40 metres (5.07 mtrs on 27/9/12)

Ouse water level camera

The camera below is situated at the Lowther pub near Ouse bridge

Generally speaking, if the top of the “no entry” sign (below) disappears under water, then there are major problems (getting close at 0955 hours on 27th Dec 2015

click to access in “real time”. Wait for advert to finish

Flooding possible in Clifton Green area

A flood warning has been issued for the Clifton part of York.

A flood warning has been issued for the River Ouse at York, Clifton. The previously issued warnings for the Riverside properties and St Georges Field remain in force. The Clifton flood warning has been issued due to rising levels on Burdyke. The pumping station at Burdyke is running to full capacity, however, due to the volume of water in the beck the level has risen to 3.9m and is unable to discharge into the River Ouse due to high levels. The current river level at the Viking recorder in York is 3.5m or 11 feet 6 inches. Levels are rising in response to the recent rainfall in the upper catchments. Levels may rise further during Saturday as further rain is forecast. Our staff are monitoring the situation closely and we will update this message as further information becomes available. Please ensure that you keep up to date with the current situation for your area, further information is available on www.gov.uk/flood.

Flooding in York – latest from the Environment Agency

Flood Warnings have been issued for the River Ouse at York for Skeldergate and Peckitt Street, St Georges Field, and Riverside Properties.

The current river level at the York Viking Recorder is 4.26m or 13 feet 12 inches and slowly rising. Levels are expected to peak between 4.3m or 14 feet and 1 inch, and 4.4m or 14 feet 5 inches during Monday.

We will see showery rain on Monday and we are expecting further rain overnight into Tuesday.

Our Incident Response teams are on 24 hour duty.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update this forecast as new information becomes available.

Situation last changed 7:45am Monday 07 December 2015

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