Forum for residents of St Georges Park and Long Leys Road Lincoln

[john shipton]

For the past few weeks, the West End has had a number of burglaries, some attempted. This is becoming serious. Was is happening is that children between 12 and 14 years of age have been casing the joint whereby they are on the look out for vunerable properties.
What they are doing is going down passage ways to look at passage way doors. Looking at back gardens and yards to find ways of gaining access into properties and where there will be little disturbance. They are looking for windows which are left open and testing doors which are not locked. They are looking at windows that can be smashed and doors which can be kicked open.
These kids won't do the break in but are reporting back to older youths who will. They are using mobile telephones to communicate with one another.
One attempted break in was at a shop on West Parade last Tuesday evening where youths were seen trying to break in to burgle the shop. They failed because local residents came out to look after being disturbed by the noise and reported them to the Police HQ at Nettleham. The police failed to respond by sending officers to the scene. It is believed that no officers were available. Instead two PCSOs were dispatched who were still on duty. They rushed to the shop but the time they arrived the youths had gone. The owner of the shop is still waiting a visit from either the poice or the PCSOs.
The children and youths are believed to have come from the northern part of Lincoln. Some local residents from the West End are saying that they live on the Ermine.

[robcrack]

I assume you have passed all your facts onto the burglary squad in case they are not fully aware of who the culprits are?...........assuming it is fact and not some hearsay nonsense.

[john shipton]

The shop owner, two local councillors and local residents are already working along side with the police in doing this and are gathering and collecting information available.

[robcrack]

John,
What shop on West Parade was it and are you sure it was 'last Tuesday' which would by my calculations be 20/01.?? I have tried to find the incident but to no avail.

[john shipton]

Rob:
Try the Corner Shop on West Parade whose owner is David Mitchell. Have a word with him over the attempted burglaries which were going on in the West End. Regarding his shop, I believe the matter has been dropped. David by the way, knows quite a bit on what goes on in the area. I see him most days. A good contact!

[john shipton]

This is not hearsay but fact and will be discussed at the next meeting of the Carholme Community Forum with the Police attending. For the area of Carholme, mainly the Western part of Lincoln, in 2004, there were 236 recorded crimes in streets mentioned in the article but that went up to a total of 271 in 2006 and 249 in 2007.
See the story taken from the media today...

CRIMES COMMITTED IN SHADOW OF COP SHOP

Monday, March 30, 2009, 07:30

Short-sighted criminals have broken the law more than 250 times within a stone's throw of Lincoln's cop shop.
New figures show that 268 crimes including sexual offences, criminal damage and even burglary were committed close to the West Parade station last year.
Residents and businesses near the station may have hoped to live in a trouble-free area. But data released to the Echo under the Freedom of Information Act shows a different story.
A total of 62 incidents of criminal damage were recorded in 2008 in the Beaumont Fee, Motherby Lane, West Parade and Victoria Street area.
The figures show that there were 40 violent crimes, including sexual offences.
Forty seven crimes of stealing, theft or burglary were detected and seven fraud and forgery crimes.
Unspecified crimes account for the remaining 112 recorded incidents.
Motherby Lane resident Jacqui Richardson is chairman of the Steep Hill Area Residents' Association, which encompasses the four streets.
She said it was formed following concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area.
"The problem is the High Street with its shops and especially the pubs and nighttime economy," she said.
"Everyone's focus has been on clearing the High Street in the early hours. The police have admitted that we've been in a policing 'black hole'."
Local Community Beat Manager PC Rick Mosley insisted that the area is no more dangerous than elsewhere in the city. But he acknowledged that the high number of people to pass through the streets impacted on crime.
"The area is a thoroughfare for people coming back from town and therefore has a higher foot fall than other areas," he said.
For more on the crimes committed near Lincoln Police Station, see Monday's Echo.

[Bigcrack]

I would hardly call St Georges as being in "The Shadow of The Cop Shop" !

Unless someone has turned it into a skyscraper since i last looked.

More pointless cut and pasting.

[john shipton]

The negative comments being made is revealing the nature of some residents who could not careless about what is going on in Carholme Ward (especially about crime).
All crime does affect one and all and is reported. The problem is that when it comes down to policing the area, who does it whether it be the police themselves, PCSOs, or traffic wardens dealing with parking issues.
An incident happened at the weekend concerning an abandoned car left on Saturday between the dentists on West Parade and the junction at the traffic lights on West Parade and The Avenue on Saturday. The car was left on double yellow lines not far from the traffic lights. There have been near accidents since from traffic coming from the bottom of The Avenue, turning left at the lights going into West Parade. The situation was reported to the police who said it was not their problem as no accident had happened. The local PCSOs were sent to investigate and reported the car to the Lincoln traffic wardens. One of the traffic wardens came and issued a parking ticket and left it on the window screen. It was left as that.
Calls were made to the beat manager today but with no response.
Local residents found it bizarre that no one had gumption at the West Parade Police Station to get the car removed as where it was abandoned was causing an obstruction and likely to cause an accident. There had been vehicles breaking hard to avoid going into the back of this car.
This evening residents took further action by contacting their local councillors. So cllr Karen Lee looked at the problem, contacted Inspector Legg, and the vehicle should now be removed tomorrow.
This is what has been happening in our ward which we are part of.
I am prepared to pass on news and information bearing a community spirit in mind.
With those criticising, are you prepared to do likewise and play your part, or are you one of those who could not careless?

[john shipton]

West Parade Police Station and Inspector Legg received a number of telephone calls yesterday (including mine) regarding the offfending vehicle in question, so they dispatched a PCSO called Pete Davies to the scene.
He confirmed that the car was a hazzard to traffic, and during the course of the morning, the car was towed away.
It shows people power at work within the community. Its a pity not much is shown where we live.

[Paul and Janet]

I just believe we should all be working together to make it a better community for us all to live in. The Police have an incredibly difficult job and communication and supporting each other is vital for a safe environment in so many ways. The Police really need our support more than ever. Incidentally I would like to say thank you to John Shipton for the effort and time he spends - I don't know anyone who cares more about local issues and he actually does something about it , as well as writing for the forum and to the press. I appreciate his input to try to save the Theatre Royal, The Tourist Information Centres and many other causes ..not to mention his work as Press Officer for Metherinham Airfield and Museum. He really does care and does his very best to help us all in our local Community ......(Cheque will be fine thanks, John)

[john shipton]

It will be interesting how the police will be patrolling our area now that PCSO Simon King is leaving to become a Police Constable in the Metropolitan Police Force.
He is the PCSO who is regularly seen walking the beat on the Long Leys Road area.
He is leaving Carholme Ward and Lincoln at the end of this month.
Any offers!

[SteveW]

Sounds right up your street John !!!

Do you get a free whistle ?