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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.

£2 million investment in York’s streetlights

Thousands of York’s ageing streetlights are set for an overhaul through a £2million investment by City of York Council.

The council has a responsibility to maintain over 21,000 streetlights including 5,500 concrete columns across the city.

However, many lights were installed over 50 years ago in the 60s through to the 80s and are at the end of their natural life and are failing to contribute to carbon reduction targets.

Previous schemes have replaced around 1,000 steel and concrete columns and almost half of the city’s streetlights (10,000) with new ‘white lights’ or LED technology.

Approval was given back in February to invest a further £2million council capital funding into a new four-year programme of works to enable the remainder of the lights to be replaced.

These works are now set to get underway to install 2,000 concrete and steel columns and fund structural maintenance checks for 12,000 light columns city wide. All replacement columns with old sodium lights will also be replaced with new white light LEDs.
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Fake phone cover pedlar handed suspended sentence and fined £1,280

A street pedlar who sold counterfeit phone and tablet covers in York city centre has been given a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for one year, with the requirement he also undertakes 300 hours unpaid work. Mr Faye was also fined a total of £1,280 by York Magistrates today (12 April 2017).

The fake brands included Dior and Apple and were among thousands of items discovered stockpiled in the pedlar’s basement and a storage unit by City of York Council trading standards officers.
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York police rolling out mini speed camera vans

The number of camera vans operating in North Yorkshire has doubled.  Six new, smaller sized, vehicles are expected to concentrate on villages and “more built-up areas”

They’ll be added to the six transit-sized vans already in the force’s mobile “speedcam” fleet. Chief Constable Dave Jones says the new vans mean drivers are likely to be caught on camera “in areas they didn’t previously expect”

The announcement will reawaken the controversy about how effective the police policy is on controlling vehicle speeds.

The force says, “Our mobile safety camera vehicles aim to reduce the number of collisions, deaths and serious injuries on our roads”.

FOI requests asking for trend data on average speeds – and accident rates – on roads subject to regular speed camera visits were ignored last year.

So all we know is that around £1 million a year is being taken in fines and “speed awareness course” income. This effectively pays for the camera vans and is a powerful incentive to use them where non compliance is at its most likely (essentially on trunk roads)

North Yorkshire speed stats

In effect the only success measure that is published is the number of vehicles found to be exceeding the speed limit on a day. This data can be viewed by clicking here

The Police site also lists the roads which are currently liable to be monitored

In York the list currently is:

York

  • Tadcaster Road Dringhouses York
  • Strensall Road Huntington York
  • Church Lane, Wheldrake
  • Millfield Lane Poppleton York
  • A64 Eastbound Heslington York
  • A64 Westbound Heslington York
  • A64 Westbound Murton
  • A64 Westbound a Fulford
  • A64 Claxton
  • A19 Skelton
  • A64 Jack Daw Crag Overbridge-Westbound
  • A64 Jack Daw Crag Overbridge-Ebound
  • B1222 Cawood Junct of Kelfield-
  • B1217 Saxton
  • A59 Poppleton Road (Holgate)
  • A59 Boroughbridge Road (opposite shops)
  • A1036 Huntington South Moor

‘Take control of your money’ urges new York partnership

York residents can take control of their money for free ahead of changes to benefit payments in the summer, thanks to City of York Council teaming up with South Yorkshire Credit Union Ltd.

Council tenants, private tenants or mortgage holders are welcome to take advantage of the scheme which aims to help people budget, pay essential bills and manage any type of debt or multiple debts.

No-one using the services needs to be an existing customer of the credit union, but is encouraged to open a savings account with a minimum £1 balance to help manage their income and outgoings and so avoid any unnecessary debt.

Anyone wanting help to repay debt will be given tailored advice which could include consolidating any repayments into a single, more manageable account at a lower, fixed interest rate, rather than having to resort to unregulated lenders or loan sharks.

With changes to Universal Credit payments due from July 2017, new applicants could face a delay in payments for six to eight weeks. This new service will help prepare for any predicted shortfalls in income and ensure every day necessities like fuel, mortgage or rent payments are paid for regularly.

The scheme is already tried and trusted by a number of social landlords in the region and some City of York Council tenants are using it too.

The credit union operates on co-operative principles and offers savings and loan products authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.

Cllr Carol Runciman, executive member with responsibility for financial inclusion at City of York Council, said: “This is a really worthwhile service to residents to help them regain or maintain control of their finances and give access to safer and regulated loans – a much better alternative to doorstep lenders.”
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York Council criticised for slow response to fly tipping reports on Foxwood park

….as £50,000 a year expenditure on other parks announced

Fly tipping in Foxwood Park

More fly tipping

Cllr Sheena Jackson has criticised the Council for failing to clear up fly tipping on the Foxwood Park.

The tipping was reported nearly 3 months ago.

Sheena says she received an email from CYC “confirming it was agreed to be cleared it but it is still there”.

This was disappointing news for the volunteers who work hard to make sure that the park is kept clean.

There has been an outstanding display of daffodils this year and work has been undertaken to reduced ponding at the entrance gates to the field. A set of goal posts are expected to be erected on the field later in the year.

Good display of daffodils in Foxwood Park this year. Most were planted by volunteers

Sheena and the team have been cleaning up the park again this week

One issue being reported are potholes in the surface of the grassed area. It is a particular difficulty for partially sighted users.

 

Meanwhile the Council has announced that it will spend £50,000 a year supporting volunteers working in other parks in the City.

A report outlining proposals to “harness the expertise of community groups, provide volunteering opportunities and improve York’s green spaces” will be considered by the executive member for culture, leisure and tourism on 18 April.

The report sets out proposals to allocate £50,000 per annum funding to community projects at five parks in the city. “The proposals follow a wide ranging consultation by York CVS on behalf of the council”.

York CVS engaged with local stakeholders to discover the community needs and the best way for these needs to be fulfilled by local groups through the Growing Green Spaces scheme.

The funding has been specifically aimed towards five sites in the city. Proposals for each site were received by York CVS and have been recommended for approval including:

  • · Rowntree Park – this bid is lead by the Friends of Rowntree Park along with partners. They want to increase their care of the existing shrub / herbaceous borders and develop new garden features which will widen the appeal of the park
  • · West Bank Park – The project will be undertaken by the Blueberry Academy Gardening Team, which provides valuable work experience for trainees largely aged 18 to 24 with learning difficulties.  The proposal is to create a sensory garden in the park which will become an ongoing long term base from which the academy can operate.
  • · Glen Gardens – A bid by Therapeutic Art and Play Therapy Yorkshire with the support of the Friends of Glen Gardens and Refuge Action York. The project will see the group take over an existing shrub / herbaceous border meaning it will no longer need council care.
  • · Hull Road Park – A bid by The Conservation Volunteers will see weekly supported sessions with volunteers undertaking a range of horticultural and non horticultural tasks.
  • · Clarance Gardens – This project will utilise the same approach and source of volunteers as the Hull Road Park scheme.  The programme will focus on continuing the recent work in the Gardens which has seen the brightening up of the shrub beds with new planting.These changes will improve the visual impact of the gardens, be better for wildlife and reduce long term maintenance obligations.
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New pilot service aims to reduce falling at home

A new scheme to help prevent people falling in their homes is starting in York by a partnership of housing, health and safety experts.

Research commissioned by City of York Council from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 2015, identified that falls in the home was a cause for concern. Typically the risk of falls was increased due to missing stair rails, uneven flooring or poor internal lighting especially for children aged under five and older persons. Clifton ward was identified as one of the wards with a higher level of risk of falls than the city average

As part of its drive to offer preventative help and improve the quality of the city’s housing, the council brought together partners including the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. With its own public health, occupational therapy and building maintenance teams, it has developed a project to reduce the risk of falls for residents in their homes.

Over the 12-month pilot, free home safety checks will be offered to residents in Clifton ward, as part of the council’s YorWellbeing Services.

An advisor with handyperson skills and an occupational therapist will request home visits and offer practical advice specific to the resident and their home. The team can make simple improvements there and then such as fitting a grab rail or fitting brighter light bulbs, or their advice could include tightening carpets or using non-slip mats under rugs to smooth out trip risks or suggesting exercises to help the resident improve their balance. They will also signpost residents to other relevant services.

To date, the findings from the BRE study have been used to revise the council’s Private Sector Housing Strategy in 2016; to attract funding from West Yorkshire Combined Authority to tackle excess cold by offering insulation grants or interest-free loans to owners or landlords; and to raise awareness of the link between quality accommodation and good health which included hosting a regional health and housing conference at the University of York.
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Flooding support deadline set to be 31 May 2017

Floods cost City £3.3 million

The deadline for York residents and businesses to apply for up to £5,000 flooding support is set to be agreed for 31 May 2017.

The national flood resilience grant has helped a wide range of homes and businesses prepare for future flood events, which follows the devastating floods in December 2015.

To-date the council has received 200 applications for support and approved funding for £758,000.

The Council and other authorities were criticised for a slow reaction following the floods on Boxing Day 2015. It was several weeks before financial help was made available through the Flood Disaster fund.and other initiatives.

Anyone who hasn’t yet asked for financial support can still do so.

The application form for the grant is available to complete online at www.york.gov.uk/FloodResilienceGrants .
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York Council neglecting problems with speeding traffic?

Following the embarrassing failure of the 20 mph speed limit project (where on many roads average speeds were found to have risen following the installation of the new signs) it appears that the York Council is turning a blind eye to speeding problems.

Wetherby Road VAS

Wetherby Road VAS

Many residents had pointed out that risks were greatest at locations where motorists routinely exceeded 40 mph.

Despite this, the Councils web page, which is devoted to addressing speeding concerns, has not been kept up to date.

The page (click to access) claims to provide links to an “on line” Police form that can be completed by those wanting vehicle speeds checked. In fact the links are broken (although you can access the form direct by clicking here).

Nor is the Council reporting back on the results of speed checks that have been undertaken. The last list dates from November 2015 but does not include any speed data

There are several problem locations in west York.

These  include St Stephens Road while the frequent activation of the Vehicle Activated warning  Signs on Wetherby Road and Green Lane suggests that many drivers still do not stay within the 30 mph limit.

North Yorks speed camera vanThe Police have 3 safety camera vans. However they tend to visit the same locations in the York area on a regular basis. Clearly they can be assured of regular fine income from sites like those on the A64, but this is at the expense of high profile “reassurance checks” in residential areas.

Recent figures suggest that the vans now concentrate mainly on the A64 and A59 near York.

The Police have singularly failed to produce statistics which confirm whether deployment of the vans has reduced accident rates on particular stretches of road.

Nor do they report whether average speeds have been reduced at sites that they visit regularly.

So, all in all, we think that the speed awareness partnership needs to up its game in and around the City.

 

York Police warn of charity giving scam

North Yorkshire Police have been informed of an emerging fraud whereby social media platforms are being used to attract members of the public to donate money to animal welfare charities overseas that do not exist.

Criminal groups based in Spain or Cyprus and are using social media to target donors from the UK. The money is then laundered from the UK to overseas and rather than be used to tackle animal cruelty it is simply used to support a criminal lifestyle in the sun. They will canvass for contributions through their existing social networks which will expand over time, attracting more donors.

PROTECTION / PREVENTION ADVICE

Sometimes the article or post on social media may indicate the payments are for charitable organisation or a “worthy cause”. Sadly not in all instances are these genuine, and if any doubt please undertake your own due diligence.
Other signs to look for include:

• Genuine charities are registered with the Charity Commission and print their registration details on all documentation, collection bags, envelopes, electronic communications etc.

• Check these details exist and also contact the Charity Commission to confirm they are authentic. You can call them on their helpline 0845 300 0218 or by visiting www.charity-commission.gov.uk, where they have an online charity register.

• If the collection is for a charity you know is genuine, check the collection is authorised by asking the charity directly, using contact details from the phone book or a website that you know is genuine.

• Watch out for poor grammar and spelling in emails and other documents, including collection envelopes.

• Send your donation to the charity directly. This may mean going to a little more trouble, but at least you can be sure your donation will get to where it’s intended.

• If you have any concerns you can also gain further information from the government website – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission/about

• If you have been affected by this, or any other fraud, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk