Organisers were reminding cyclists that there is an opportunity on Friday to have their bikes security marked by the Police.
The event, which will be held in the Foxwood Community Centre car park on Bellhouse Way, starts at 9:30am.
There will also be an opportunity to buy some perennial plants which have been grown in the community garden and to select some surplus food from the regular give away which is organised by volunteers.
The many residents who have bought a bicycle during the last few months of lock-down, have their first opportunity to have it security marked on Friday 4th September.
The North Yorkshire police will be visiting the Foxwood Community centre car park between 9:30am and 11:30am at teh invitation of the Foxwood Residnts Association.
There will also be a plant sale while volunteers will be continuing their regular Friday morning distribution of surplus food.
Crime levels in York gradually increased during the lock-down period. The latest figures cover the period up to the end of May.
Those for “York Outer”, which excludes the City centre, revealed that 1689 crimes were reported during May.
This was a 12 month high.
Crime levels in the City centre fell significantly during the same period. Despite this, during May, the Guildhall ward had the 19th highest crime incidence of any unitary authority ward across England & Wales
In total 1849 crimes were recorded within the York Council area during May.
Over half the reports involved anti-social behaviour. There were also significant numbers of complaints about violence/sexual offences suggesting that social isolation might have adversely impacted on the domestic violence numbers.
Lock-down eased during June so observers will be watching carefully to see whether the crime trend continues.
Leaders of North Yorkshire’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic will give an update on the work they are doing, and answer questions from residents and businesses.
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan will lead the live update and will be joined by:
Members of the public are invited to watch the meeting from 1.00pm on Tuesday on YouTube and submit questions in advance by emailing info@northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk, posting on Twitter using the hashtag #NYscrutiny or commenting on Facebook. Not all questions will be able to be used, but they will inform the Commissioner’s questioning and the general discussion.
Julia Mulligan has decided in these uncertain times that there should be a regular update on the Coronavirus response direct to residents and businesses, and this is the sixth of those broadcasts.
Previous meetings can be viewed on our website: https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/coronavirus/cvupdate/
These updates replace the regular public accountability meetings which are an opportunity to ensure the police and fire service are performing as well as possible to keep North Yorkshire safe and feeling safe.
All are invited to find out more about the meeting and watch live at https://bit.ly/CV2June
Agenda:
Over the past few nights while we have been patrolling, we have come across a number of groups of young people congregating in our local communities and ignoring the Government’s advice to stay at home. Sadly our Force Control Room has also received calls reporting anti-social behaviour (ASB) in our local area.
This week our Assistant Chief Constable appealed to parents and carers to ensure their teenage children understand the risk the COVID-19 virus poses and encourage them to stay indoors. You can read his message here – https://bit.ly/3ahVIx2
The Government has made it clear that staying at home is one of the main ways we can stop the virus from spreading, so there should be no young people out on the streets.
We will continue to carry out our patrols and if we come across any anti-social behaviour or groups of young people in the area, we’ll be advising them to go home. We’ll also be using our ‘Be Informed’ text message service to inform local residents of the situation.
‘Be informed’ is a scheme designed to inform parents and carers, of any anti-social behaviour in the local neighbourhood that officers are attending. If their children are out at the time, parents and carers can then use this text as a trigger to contact their children, check their whereabouts and ask them to come home.
The ‘Be informed’ scheme is easy to join. All you need to do is email your mobile phone number and the name of the area you live in to Beinformed@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk – by emailing these details you are giving your consent to join the scheme.
To read more about the scheme you can visit the North Yorkshire Police website – https://bit.ly/39lcWbg
Be informed is delivered through North Yorkshire Community Messenger. For further information on what we do with your personal data, please visit www.northyorkshirecommunitymessaging.org
You may withdraw your consent to the service at any time by emailing Beinformed@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk and request to unsubscribe from the messaging service.
Self employed get help
Rishi Sunak announces Govt will pay self-employed people a taxable grant of up to 80 per cent of of their average profits over the past three years, up to £2,500 a month. The Chancellor says this will be available to anyone with profits up to £50k, and is only available to those who make the majority of the income from being self-employed
Community support
We understand that both the North Yorkshire County Council and the City of York Council are setting up local volunteer hubs. These will co ordinate the provision of services within local neighbourhoods.
In York there are expected to be 20 “hubs” spread around the City with the first starting work before the end of the week. The hubs will not be open to the general public but will direct volunteer efforts on food and other deliveries.
In North Yorkshire 23 community support organisations will be the single point of contact for the county and district councils and working with the local voluntary sector.
People needing help will contact the County Council’s customer service centre on 01609 780780 which will direct them to the contact point in their area. The role of the community support organisation in each locality is as follows:
• The single point of contact for those who are alone and isolated by the pandemic
• Signposting to what local support is available in the community;
• Act as local hub for individuals and groups wishing to volunteer in the community response;
• Provide information on local shopping options and trusted suppliers who are delivering directly to those who are self-isolating;
The Community Support Organisation will work with local voluntary sector groups to arrange:
• Collection and delivery of shopping using local volunteering resources. Shopping will be delivered in line with the safety guidelines and left on the doorstep or in a safe place, in order to avoid close physical contact;
• Collection and delivery of prescriptions using local volunteers. Prescriptions will be collected by a nominated person or organisation with the agreement of the GP or pharmacist;
• Caring for pets, for example walking a dog.
• Regular social contact via telephone, FaceTime, Skype or other methods that avoid physical contact with an individual in self-isolation.
• Delivery of books and magazines or materials to support hobbies, such as wool or knitting or art materials
The first thing people wanting to help should do is to think about and talk to family, friends and neighbours who may need help. The county council is also urging them to contact local voluntary groups already known to them mindful that the Government’s regulations must be observed at all
times.
Volunteers must follow the Government’s safety guidance on keeping a two
metre distance from people and the regular washing of hands.
“If volunteers have specific or specialist skills to offer, again they should be in contact with local groups. They can also contact the county council customer service centre which can direct them to their local community support organisation which can process their offer of help.”
The county council is working with the community support organisations to bring in North Yorkshire Volunteer ID cards in line with Government guidance.
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Funerals
Information from City of York Council, “Whilst the Prime Minister announced the closures of places of worship and social events, however they did make an exception for funerals attended by immediate families. We are in close and regular contact with funeral directors and are following the latest government advice.
As part of steps to manage the impact of Coronavirus, and taking into account national guidance relating to social distancing, City of York Council has announced a number of changes relating to York Crematorium.
From immediate effect funeral services will still go ahead but with only 10 (ten) mourners to being allowed inside the White Rose Chapel and 5 (five) inside the Ebor Chapel. This is restricted to close family only (spouse/partner, parents/carers, brothers/sisters and children and their partners). This is to minimise the number of people gathering.
The council will seek to provide a recording free of charge and within 72 hours of the service the funeral director will receive the recording in an mp4 file format ready to pass onto to the family”.
Roadworks
Stonegate completing – all others postponed
We have taken the decision to close down the active work site at Monkgate which is still more than a week away from completion.
The site will be made safe and works will not recommence until such time central government indicate it is safe to do so. Temporary traffic signals will still be in place at the junction but hopefully the network will still remain quiet as people avoid travel wherever possible.
Council leaflet
Information about volunteering and community support is being distributed to all homes in the city. These leaflets have already begun distribution. “The delivery teams are working flat out, are working safely and within Government guidelines and the leaflets, as COVID-relevant council information, have been prioritised for delivery.” The information is the same as has already been widely distributed on social media.
The Council says that they are also producing postcards for each ward (with ward members contact details) and stay safe stay home information will be sent by royal mail early next week.
Current Available Mental Health and Wellbeing and COVID-19 Resources
Please find below a list of current resources that are available online to support Mental Health & Wellbeing as part of COVID-19 Response.
Mental Health & Wellbeing and COVID-19 – Adults
Looking After Your Mental Health during the Coronavirus Outbreak – The Mental Health Foundation
Coronavirus and your Wellbeing – MIND
Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak – WHO
Coping with Stress during the 2019 n-Cov Outbreak – WHO
How to stay active while you’re at home – Sport England
Coronavirus Guidance – Carers UK
Easy Read guide to Coronavirus – PHE
Mental Health & Wellbeing and COVID-19 – Children & Young People
Helping Children Cope with Stress during 2019 n-Cov Outbreak – WHO
Talking to your child about coronavirus – Young Minds
There are also three videos, one for school staff, one for parents and one for children and young people which may be useful.
General Health & Wellbeing Resources
Every Mind Matters – NHS and PHE
Mood Assessment and Mental Wellbeing Audio Guides – NHS
Tips for Everyday Living – MIND
Scam advice
Police advice
York Council service changes
The safety of the public and staff is paramount, therefore we are ensuring social distancing guidance set out by the Government is followed where ever possible. This has led to widespread changes to the services we offer.
This includes:
Volunteering
So far, 1,400 residents have signed up to volunteer which is a wonderful response. We’re still looking for more, so please sign up
Parking and Car Parks including free parking for key workers and food workers
Public Toilets
Public toilets in the city centre will be closed until further notice.. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Parks and open spaces
All council-run parks in the city will remain open for exercise but we’re asking visitors to ensure they adhere to social distance best practice. From this weekend, Rowntree Park will reopen following the flooding earlier this year.
Play areas will be closed from today and this includes basketball courts, skateparks, caged five a side areas and tennis courts. Notices are being placed in all play areas instructing the public of this decision.
To ensure we follow the government’s guidance on social distancing the York Bar Walls are closed.
Roadworks
We are suspending all non-essential roadworks across the city, including replacing traffic signals on Monkgate, following the government’s advice on social distancing. If possible we will remove cones and temporary traffic light to ensure the minimum amount of disruption is caused for those making essential journeys. This also ensures that we are able to redeploy staff if necessary to ensure essential services, such as refuse collection, continue to run.
Bulky Waste Collections
Our bulky waste collection services, which collections bulky items from households has now temporarily stopped. This is to ensure we can continue providing essential services across the city, including collecting your household waste (black bins).
Household Waste Recycling Centres
Our Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC), including Hazel Court and Towthorpe, are now closed.
This is on the basis that a visit to the HWRC cannot be considered essential – in line with recent national advice
We will be keeping Hazel Court open for commercial use – e.g. small builders, as they are currently allowed to continue to operate whilst adhering to social distancing. They will be required to produce a ‘duty of care’ transfer note on arrival.
Register Office
Unfortunately all ceremonies have been postponed following the governments advice. We have contacted everyone who has made a booking to look at rescheduling for a later date. The Register Office is currently only open to register a death. We are asking people to only go to the register office if they have a pre-booked appointment and are not showing any symptoms. We’re are also asking for only one person to attend each appointment to ensure social distancing guidance is followed.
Crematorium
From immediate effect funeral services will still go ahead but with only 10 (ten) mourners to being allowed inside the White Rose Chapel and 5 (five) inside the Ebor Chapel. This is restricted to close family only (spouse/partner, parents/carers, brothers/sisters and children and their partners). This is to minimise the number of people gathering.
Adult social care
In partnership with the NHS, we are prioritising the safe and supported return home of people currently in hospital.
We’re closely working with care home providers to monitor capacity in care homes across the city.
We’ve shared updated Govt advice on shielding online to protect the most medically vulnerable residents.
Fraud prevention
Advice from Trading Standards on how to spot or avoid scams can be viewed here https://www.york.gov.uk/FraudPrevention
Housing
We’re contacting all vulnerable households and tenants aged over 65 to check on their needs.
All housing landlord services will be run online or by phone to protect tenants, their families and our staff.
No face-to-face appointments can be run at the moment and tenants are being asked to use online and phone services only.
We’re reminding tenants that they must continue to pay their rent, but any who are struggling with their rent should contact their Housing Management Officers (HMOs) as soon as possible. We’re taking a flexible approach on enforcement.
We’ve shared details of benefits advice and where to make new claims or update existing ones is people’s circumstances change.
Housing adaptations
The priority areas are for minor adaptations to residents’ homes to enable safe hospital discharge and to fit key safes to enable carers to support them at home.
Homelessness services
In addition to our established hostels, we are working with private providers to place single homeless people with lower support needs in single rooms. These can be used to self isolate if needed. We are currently sending food to these customers and plan to use volunteers to support staff doing this.
In our hostels we are mitigating risks with extra sanitising measures and using social distancing. We are staffing hostels at levels which meet residents’ welfare needs and protect staff.
Rough Sleeper services are operating in the same way: for a bed, please go to 63, Lawrence Street or call them on 01904 416562
We are continuing with our services for people concerned about being homeless, and these will be done online or by phone. Anyone concerned about homelessness should call City of York Council on 01904 554500 or visit www.york.gov.uk/homelessness/housing-options.
Noise nuisance
We ask residents to show tolerance and consideration for neighbours at this difficult time and as we get used to new ways of living: it’s important that we all work together.
We are asking people to think about what they can do to live with levels of noise from neighbours, such as using a room in a quieter part of the home or using headphones to help concentrate. If this doesn’t work, in most cases, being neighbourly and considerate can resolve the majority of problems.
Our service is here to investigate criminal levels of noise nuisance and activate legal enforcement. If you do not think that what you are experiencing needs this, please consider safe contact with your neighbours to reach an agreement.
Stray dogs
Our stray dog service is currently suspended. If you find a stray dog or have lost your dog please phone our Dog Warden on 01904 552299 who may have had contact from owners and finders and can put you in touch.
Free parking for NHS staff and other key workers at York Council car parks
£1m business emergency fund to protect York businesses and jobs during coronavirus outbreak
The fund will target a range of support at around 1000 small and micro firms, who are not set to benefit from the recently announced Government support packages.
The council is working closely with partners to make sure the fund delivers the most effective support and targets those who are least likely to benefit from existing measures.
In addition to the creation of a business support fund, the Council is also taking a series of action to alleviate pressures on local businesses during this difficult period.
These include:
Councillor Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council, said:
“These measures are designed to protect jobs and help local businesses who are having to adapt to extremely challenging circumstances and fall outside the remit of any government support.”
“In addition to the £1 million emergency fund for business, there will be a separate hardship fund of £1.25m to support residents, which we’ll announce details of soon. In the meantime, any resident facing financial difficulty should apply to our hardship scheme immediately.
Councillor Andrew Waller, executive member for the economy, said:
“We want to get help to businesses as quickly as possible to assist them at this critical time. We would encourage other property landlords to take the same approach.
“We’re also working with the York BID, LEPS and other partners to connect businesses to all the available advice, guidance and support, so we’d urge any business to visit www.york.gov.uk/BusinessSupport to see what is available to them.”
The council is engaging with business support services and partners to make sure the fund delivers the most effective support, with full details to be announced in the coming days.
Any resident facing financial difficulty can see all the available support, and apply for the York Financial Assistance Scheme, at https://www.york.gov.uk/COVIDFinancialHelp
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:
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
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
There have been items stolen from an unattended vehicle on Vesper Drive between 17:30 on the 22nd of December 2018 and 10:00 on the 23rd of December 2018.
If you have any information in relation to this incident please phone 101 and quote NYP-23122018-0142.
When leaving your vehicle we urge residents to remove any valuables from your vehicle and ensure that all doors are locked and windows are closed.
On the 1st October 2018 between the hours of 2pm and 3pm a property in Lowfields Drive was entered and items of copper were stolen by a unknown offender(s)
If you witnessed anything suspicious that would assist the police with their enquiries please call 101 stating the following incident number – 12180184144.
