Police appeal after 13-year-old schoolboy assaulted on Hob Moor

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses and information about an assault that occurred in York.

It happened on Hob Moor, off Tadcaster Road, at about 3.45pm on 7 February 2017, and involved a 13-year-old boy from York who was on his way home from school on his bicycle. He was riding his bike over Hob Moor when he encountered a man aged about 30-40, who grabbed him and punched him several times in the face before making off towards Tadcaster Road, York, on foot.

The boy received minor injuries to his face, and was checked over by paramedics after the incident.

We are conducting enquiries and are requesting the public’s assistance to help determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

In particular, we are appealing for information about the suspect, who has been described as a white male, aged around 30-40, approximately 5ft 8ins in height, of slim build, with a dark shaved head and stubble to the face and wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact us on 101, select option 2, and ask for Amy Foster. You can also email amy.foster@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 12170021867.

Contact details:: Amy Foster – #1116
amy.foster@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk | 31116
Incident reference:: 12170021867

Police seek witnesses following reports of aggressive dog in West Bank Park

North Yorkshire Police are appealing for witnesses and information about a dog that was reported to be acting aggressively in West Bank Park, Acomb, York.

Police are appealing for information from the public who may have witnessed an incident that happened in West Bank Park, Acomb today (29 December 2016).

Police responded to reports of a dog acting aggressively towards members of the public within the park at around noon.

If anyone witnessed anything or was involved in any way please get in touch with North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Benjamin Stevens. You can also email Benjamin.stevens@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12160233158.

Budget consultation

York Council (click to access)

The York Council is asking residents whether they would like to see Council Tax increased by 1.99%, charges increased or fewer services provided

In its “on line” survey, the Council then asks whether an additional 1%, 2% or 3% increase in tax – to fund social care (elderly and disabled services) – would be acceptable?

There is then a list of services which residents are asked to prioritise. Usually residents say that they want all the services to be sustained. However, there may be a move to invest more in street cleaning, crime prevention and road maintenance this year.

There is room for a comments section but no mention of the high levels of debt charges (interest payments) being born by taxpayers nor any option to cut back on capital programmes like the Guildhall development or the new Monks Cross swimming pool..

The Council’s final budget will be set in February, so leading Councillors will already have decided what the budget strategy is.

Launching a “consultation” a couple of days before Christmas will seem to be an afterthought to many residents.

Police – click to access

The Police and Crime Commissioners survey takes a similar line. A short explanatory leaflet is available but it says little about crime levels (which are increasing in parts of York)

Residents are offered the choice of a tax freeze, a 1.99% increase and – subject to a formal referendum – an increase above 2%.

No spending options are offered and there is no opportunity to highlight areas of concern on policing.

So pretty much going through the motions of public consultation it seems

NB. The results of the last PCC survey – on policing plans – which was undertaken in the autumn, have yet to be published

Fewer drunks on York City centre streets?

According to community safety officials problems with drink related crime in the city centre reduced last year.

York drunk A new report says, “alcohol-related occurrences have decreased by 3% (50 incidents) in 2015 .

ASB nuisance reports decreased by 11% (172 incidents). These reports include: begging and vagrancy, buskers, street urination, public order behaviour such as fighting or drunkenness and verbal abuse. Theft related incidents were also down”.

However, “Violence-related reports increased by 18 incidents in 2015”. Violent crime covers a wide spectrum from minor assaults, harassment and abuse that result in no physical harm to the victim through to incidents of wounding and murder

Most of the problems occur in Coney Street, Micklegate, Blake Street, Blossom Street and Clifford Street.

The highest levels of reported occurrences are during the summer months of July and August, together with December. Calls for police service are at their highest on weekends; Saturday and Sunday. This was consistent across 2014 and 2015. Activity is highest between 1pm-6pm and midnight-4am.

In response to a small survey of City centre visitors by the Police, 52% felt that York was not family friendly on a Saturday afternoon, 50% felt that partner agencies were working well together to make York safe on Saturdays and 94% felt that seeing a police presence in the city made them feel safer.

The Police blame visitors from the North East and South Yorkshire for many of the issues.

More patrols are now operating on Fridays and Saturdays. In addition, the Council are in the process of recruiting two full-time Licensing Enforcement Officers who will work evenings and weekends and whose duties will include visits to licensed premises to ensure they are complying with the Licensing Act 2003 and any additional licence conditions.

Unfortunately, the report makes no mention of the increased anti-social behaviour problems evident in some sub-urban areas over the last 12 months

Courage of Acomb Police Officers recognised

Winners announced at North Yorkshire Police’s second Annual Awards ceremony

Single-handedly dealing with a double knife threat, raising thousands of pounds for local youth charities, and supporting a woman in severe distress to get the life-saving help she needed – those were just a few of the stories from North Yorkshire Police’s second Annual Awards ceremony, which was held at the Hospitium in York on Friday (4 November).

The second Annual Awards event, which was introduced to celebrate the achievements of officers and staff who embody the Force’s values of courage, compassion and inspiration, was attended by winners, their families and senior officers.

The officers and staff who received awards included:

PCs Gregory, Ellison, Harvey, Scott and Churchward, and PSCOs Lewis and Taylor from York, who were awarded the silver Courage Award for being first on the scene at a dramatic fatal stabbing incident at a house in Acomb
York PCSOs Dowson, Warburton, Harris, Calpin, Martin and Burgoyne who were awarded the bronze Courage Award for entering a burning building to stop a fire spreading to neighbouring buildings

(more…)

So who really is responsible for the decline in crime prevention in York?

Many residents are becoming frustrated with the decline in public order in the City.

But not so good news later in the week when there were outbreaks of vandalism and graffiti not seen for soem time. The Police and crime Commissioner started an "on line" survey asking residents for their policing priorities.

Recent vandalism reports

While some may put the change down to the “yobfest” culture surrounding the Brexit vote, in reality it is more the lack of high profile policing on our streets that is to blame for the petty crime, vandalism and anti-social behaviour we are seeing. So, where does responsibility for community safety lie?

Home Secretary

Currently Amber Rudd MP. Has overall responsibility for policing in the UK. Sets government grant levels and some police conditions (but not local policing priorities)

Police and Crime Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire

Currently Julia Mulligan. A Tory politician directly (re) elected a few months ago, albeit against some pretty poor quality opponents and on a very low turnout. She says she is accountable for “how crime and community safety is tackled throughout the county of North Yorkshire and the City of York”. Currently consulting on a new “Policing Plan” Click here Has a complicated web site but seems to have realised recently that only the use of social media could actually engage people across as large an area as North Yorkshire. Has been criticised for fronting high profile national campaigns – on worthy but minority issues – at the expense of core concerns like neighbourhood crime. Markedly “rural” in her priorities largely ignoring York (which suffers over 30% of reported crime). She recently appointed a Deputy which will significantly increase the expenditure of the PCCs office.

Police and Crime Panel

Vandalism on Chesney’s Field

Holds the Commissioner “to account”. Comprised mostly of Tory Councillors. Is supposed to meet in public but you’d be hard pressed to find an evidence that it proactively advertises its meetings (or other activities for that matter). Mainly deals with complaints about the PCC but nods through policing plans, appointments and taxation level proposals The meetings are listed by the County Council web site (click) but not by the City of York Council The last panel meeting did receive a report on reducing Crime and ASB.

Chief Constable

Dave Jones was appointed Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police on 3 June 2013. Has a low profile in York (compared to his predecessor)? Is responsible for deployment of resources and police tactics. Has been criticised for the decision to centralise Anti-Social Behaviour work into the West Offices in York. Ultimately it would be his call whether to reintroduce “community constable” type systems which were very effective in the last decade.

Neighbourhood Policing Teams

Crime increasing, communications reducing

In the past local police and PCSOs have formed part of neighbourhood teams. They regularly used to meet with Ward Councillors, resident’s groups and other agency partners. They do have social media access with the York West team “tweeting” quite regularly (@snayorkwest) Confusingly the neighbourhood policing team for Westfield Ward is now called York South. There are no named officers specialising in the Ward (or any other ward for that matter) although the City centre alcohol economy is clearly a drain on resources. https://northyorkshire.police.uk/neighbourhoods/york-city-south/ There are no events publicised as taking place in this area. The police used to have surgeries on a regular basis. Now we get the occasional “dot peen” property marking visit. Street level visibility – even for PCSOs – has reduced in recent years

Safer York Partnership

Community Safety Partnerships were formed because of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Safer York Partnership says it “provides both the strategic direction for community safety and local delivery of community safety outcomes across the city of York. Safer York Partnership has representatives from key voluntary and statutory agencies including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Probation, Public Health and York CVS”

The last “news” on their web site is dated July 2016. Not to be confused with a similar, but even more outdated, web site of a similar name http://www.saferyork.org.uk/

The group meet every three months and their minutes are published on the York Council’s web site click However the meetings are not open to the public, while agendas and supporting papers (e.g. performance reports) are not published.

York Council Executive member with responsibility for “Community Safety”

The York Council’s web site tells us that Cllr David Carr has responsibility for “Alcohol and Drugs Action; Housing; Fraud ; Safer Neighbourhoods; Police liaison; Anti-Social Behaviour; Licensing Enforcement and Licensing Policy, Community Cohesion and Prevent, plus Emergency Planning”.

Sadly, there is little evidence that he has had any impact in any of these policy areas. Indeed, after 18 months in post, he has yet to hold his first “decision meeting” and there is no record of any action taken to check service standards in the suburban areas or even to talk with local communities about their concerns.

Police seek views on their priorities

The Police and Crime Commissioner is asking residents to tell her what the policing priorities for the next few years should be.

While the decline in police visibility over recent years may lead some to be cynical about the surveys value, generally we think that residents should take every opportunity to highlight this important issue.

You can do so by clicking here or here

In completing the form, residents will no doubt bear in mind the increase in anti social behaviour seen over the last couple of years in parts of the City.

This has mostly been blamed on the decision of the police to centralise anti social behaviour officers in the York Councils HQ building; robbing local communities of both named Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers.

Taking one estate (Chapelfields) as an example, stats show crime is on the increase with 229 instances of anti social behaviour reported in the last year

chapelfields-crime

Residents complain that, despite CCTV cameras being in operation, youths routinely harass passers by.

So we need to make tackling anti social behaviour the priority that it was until 2011.

In Acomb this will mean:

The Police appointing named Police Officers and PCSOs for each neighbourhood and the reintroduction of regular foot or cycle patrols together with attendance at residents meetings
Setting up a police reporting desk in a public building such as Acomb Library (while at the same time abandoning plans for an expensive and unnecessary replacement police station in Lowfields)
Proactive communication with residents telling them about crime trends and the action taken by police to address concerns. Use of local newsletters and noticeboards should be reintroduced.

We will then be able to get back to the Police and community working together to improve community safety

Residents have until the 18th November to complete the survey

York Police call for communities to stay safe this Halloween and Bonfire Night

York Police are urging people enjoy the Halloween and Bonfire Night period in the right spirit.

Police officers, Police Community Support Officers and Special Constables will be carrying out patrols in local communities to ensure that everyone feels safe, and to deal with any issues that do occur.

Incidents of reported anti-social behaviour on Bonfire Night in North Yorkshire have been falling year-on-year, from 145 reported incidents on 5 November 2011; 97 in 2012; 99 in 2013; 93 in 2014; down to 87 last year – and police will be working hard to ensure the trend continues this year.

Shop owners are being asked to make sure that they don’t sell items such as eggs and flour to young people who may be using them to commit anti-social behaviour. They are also being reminded about legislation governing the sale and use of fireworks.

Meanwhile, leaflets will be delivered to residents who may feel more vulnerable at this time of year, providing them with advice and contact details for local officers. Posters are available on the North Yorkshire Police website to download and print out, asking people not to ‘trick or treat’.

Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Winward, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Although this time of year is fun and exciting for many, there are those in our communities for whom it causes concern and increases the fear of crime.

“I would like to ask parents and guardians to speak to their children, to ensure that they understand how their actions could leave others distressed or upset. And if you know that a family member or neighbour is vulnerable, please keep an eye out for them to help prevent them from becoming concerned about being a victim of crime.

“At this time of year we work closely with the Fire and Rescue Service, and I urge people not take risks with fireworks. Anyone caught supplying fireworks to under 18s or lighting them in the street can expect to be dealt with robustly.”

Crime levels increase by 11% in York in one year.

The figures have been released today by ONS reveal that in the York safer partnership area 11,997 offences were recorded.

This compared to a total of 10.794 in the previous 12 months.

The latest results cover the period to June 2016.

Overall crime in North Yorkshire increased by 6%. white-collar-crime-1

The largest increases were in

Bicycle theft up 35%
Vehicle offences up 28%
Violence up 26% and
Non domestic burglary up 25%

There were reductions in

Possession of weapons (down 32%)
Theft from person (down 19%) and
Shoplifting (down 6%)

There was also a small reduction in domestic burglary

The were 408 public order offences recorded in the City.

The figures are bound to increase pressure on the North Yorkshire Crime and Police Commissioner who was criticised for delaying the recruitment of additional police officers because of budget concerns. Those concerns didn’t materialise, leaving the force under manned. Recruitment has only recently started again.

With a third of all crime in the North Yorkshire area taking place in York, Councillors should be asking for more officers to be allocated to the City and for the tried and tested Community Constable policing model to be brought back.

Community Constables were allocated to specific wards and got to know local residents and neighbourhood crime black spots. The system was abandoned in favour of centralised units around 3 years ago.

In response to a recent survey in the Westfield Ward, only 15% of residents were able to name a neighbourhood Police or Community Support Officer.

ONS crime comparative figures 20th Oct 2016

Police Community Support Officers being recruited in York

70 more special constables also sought

PCSO-passing-out-6-June-2014-group-shot North Yorkshire Police have opened recruitment for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to join the force.

Police Community Support Officers are a critical part of North Yorkshire Police. PCSOs work at the front line of the force and provide a vital link between the police and the local communities the force serves.

They provide a visible and reassuring presence on the streets of our region and act as the eyes and ears of the force – building relationships with local communities and business owners, tackling anti-social behaviour and using the information they gather to prevent and deter crime.

PCSOs have slightly different powers to a Police Constable. They have designated powers surrounding anti-social behaviour, tobacco and alcohol, transport and fixed penalty notices amongst others.

The role can be challenging, but incredibly rewarding so North Yorkshire Police are looking for individuals who want to make a difference every day, have excellent communication and customer service skills and a genuine interest in helping others and building positive relationships.

Recruitment applications are welcome up to 9am on Monday 24 October 2016 .

For more information or to make an application go to https://northyorkshire.police.uk/jobs/

Special Constable recruitment

North Yorkshire Police is looking to recruit at least 70 new Special Constables when it opens recruitment on Monday 10 October 2016.

Special Constables are volunteer police officers who have the same uniform and powers as regular (paid) police officers. They volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month to policing York and North Yorkshire and carry out a full range of operational, front-line duties.

“Specials” as they are known, come from all walks of life and backgrounds which means that they bring with them a whole host of skills and abilities which complement those of their full-time colleagues.

Specials go through a rigorous training programme before they qualify to go out on the beat where they cover a wide range of duties from policing public events, to attending emergency incidents.

They can also choose to undertake further training and specialise in a particular area of policing such as public order, (policing protests, football matches etc), roads policing and joining our Rural Task Force.

Training as a Special Constable can take up to two years. Initial training takes around 19 weeks and involves weekend training sessions that culminate in a week-long course to consolidate everything the students have learnt. Students who successfully complete this initial training will then be attested – which means they swear an oath in front of a Magistrate – and are issued with their warrant cards and uniform. They then spend up to two years on the beat under the guidance of their tutor constable as a probationer Special Constable. During this time they must successfully complete a file of evidence of their experience called Student Officer Learning and Assessment Portfolio (SOLAP).

To apply to join, visit www.northyorkshire.police.uk/specials

North Yorkshire Police currently has 150 attested specials, 21 in training and a further 28 awaiting training.

A recent recruitment campaign for regular police officer saw a number of our Special Constables successfully apply to become full-time police officers. 20 of them attended their passing out parade last week.

Last modified: October 10, 2016

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