St Stephen's and the university

 Thursday 3 February 2011, 6.30 to 7.30pm

PCSO Gary Painter and PCSO Jodie Bryan joined local people online on Thursday to talk about some community policing issues.

The main issues raised were around:

• late night noise nuisance by university students
• parking issues around the schools. 

Gary and Jodie have now taken away the issues raised and will work on further solutions with colleagues and partner agencies. 

 

Policing in St Stephen's

You can find out more about what's happening in St Stephen's:

• on the St Stephen's ward page - view details of future community meetings, contact details for your local officer and news of what's happening in east Kent 
• on the online crime mapping (statistics) page for St Stephen's.

 

Watch a replay of the online beat meeting

More questions answered

Paul W - Firstly, thanks to PCSO Gary Painter for all his help and support when our property was damaged last April.  

We are constantly advised by the University that issues in the community (anti-social behaviour, damage to property) etc. is a matter for the police and there is nothing the University authorities can do to help us deal with the huge impact of the thoughtless behaviour of some students has on our residential community.  If this is so, how can the police help us to better address issues of late-night noise, broken glass, vomiting etc which regularly plague our area?

PCSO Painter's response - Police officers have the power to caution, fine or arrest people who are caught behaving anti-socially in the street. If you see anti-social behaviour in progress, please call Kent Police as soon as it happens on 01622 690690. Your local neighbourhood officers work until 11pm and will respond to anti-social behavious issues reported before that time. Patrol officers cover the area 24/7 and if they are not dealing with other emergencies will attend to speak to those responsible.

At the start of each academic year, PCSOs speak to the students about noise nusiance and their behaviour off campus - reminding them to be mindful of their neighbours when out and about at night. We take our mobile police station onto campus regularly throughout the year to reinforce this message and issue crime prevention advice to the students.

Issues of broken glass and vomiting should be directed to the Canterbury City Council Street Scene department on 01227 862252 so they can arrange for clean up.

 

Miss Harris - The Home Office is conducting trials with some police forces including protocols -  engaging with the community 'to clearly set out the issues which are causing the most harm to individuals and neighbourhoods, and setting out how the police, other local agencies and the public can work together to address them'.

It's great to tackle ASB, but as a preventative role should the police not look at planned development and raise comments when new planning or change of use would lead to increased ASB. The 800 student units on the periphery of their site would cause some ASB and attract crime as students can also be targeted victims of burglary. This site has many rights of way and paths leading through it to an open space.

PCSO Painter's response - If a new development is a 'secure by design' project we are consulted and offer crime prevention methods. However this student development is not a 'secure by design' project, and legally we are unable to comment. The decision to issue planning permission lies solely with the council's planning permission department. If you have any concerns you can raise them to the council or attend one of their open forums to discuss this matter.

J Deelan - Is it possible to monitor the level of disturbance with CCTV or similar equipment? I am regularly kept awake between midnight and anything up to 4am by drunk, noisy students walking back to their homes in town. Often they stop to talk outside our property and when politely asked to move, it is met with abuse more often than an apology. Our residential neighbourhood is blighted by this persistent late night disruption. 

When I call the police I am not sure they take it seriously, or maybe they turn up for 5 minutes before deciding there is no problem.

PCSO Painter's response - CCTV is owned and controlled by the council. To discuss the possibility of having CCTV installed in your area please contact your local councillor or Cantebury City Council directly.

We take every report of crime seriously. Emergencies always have to be our priority but when resources are available officers will attend. 

• For more information about who best to contact to help deal with issues in your community please visit our A-Z section.