Your Neighbourhood Specialist Officer (NSO) is your local police officer and custodian of the area. Wearing a police uniform, NSO’s are authorised to tackle crime and disorder using prevention and enforcement. Your NSO works with police colleagues, other local agencies, and the community on local crime reduction and reassurance.
Your Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) provides a visible presence in the community, and supports the Neighbourhood Specialist Officer to help reduce local crime, and provide reassurance. They can address the low-level offences that affect people’s quality of life, like youth nuisance, criminal damage, litter and graffiti. They also encourage greater two-way communications between police and the public. Combined with their visible presence on the streets, this helps to reassure the community, as routine problems can be dealt with more quickly.
Your Community Safety Warden (CSW) has a defined ‘observe and report’ role in relation to crime and disorder reduction. Clearly visible in their red tops, the effectiveness of ‘CSWs’ comes not from the power they possess, but from the way they help communities to develop , and the links that they establish with the local agencies that do have such powers. An example of this is the links they have with the Local Authority for the quick removal of graffiti, waste and abandoned vehicles.
What can I contact my team about?
· Information about criminal/suspicious behaviour or activity (dial 999 if urgent)
· How to increase your personal or community safety
· Anti-social behaviour
· Environmental improvements (the appearance of your neighbourhood)
· Community development (setting up groups, neighbourhood watch etc)
How can I contact them?
Any member of your team can be contacted using the telephone numbers or e-mail addresses above. They are all very approachable people; so when you see them out and about, please introduce yourself to them!
Ash is leading the way in targeting safety
Ash is an energetic, vibrant community, and like in all wards, it’s important that you feel safe and secure. Ash is also part of an exciting national project that encourages people to voice their concerns about their neighbourhood, helping the police to reduce crime and improve community safety.
Surrey has the lowest level of recorded crime in England. In theory we should all feel pretty safe. However, sometimes things that we see, hear or experience make us feel insecure or uneasy. If a place looks run down, for example, it makes you feel nervous about walking through it, especially at night. Similarly, it can be intimidating to walk around a place and see graffiti, smashed widows or large groups of young people. Our fear of crime is often far greater than our risk of being a victim of actual crime.
Tackling these issues helps to reassure us, and reduces our fear of crime.
The ‘National Reassurance Project’s’ main aim is to tackle the issues that impact on our feeling of safety. Ash is taking part in the pilot scheme to help reduce any fear of crime.
Who decides what issues to tackle in Ash?
You do
Finding out what the issues are in Ash is important, as they are often different in each community. We need you to tell us what affects you. In Ash, the Safer Guildford Partnership is working with your community to find out what things affect your perception of safety. What you say about Ash will help prioritise policing activity, so that the causes of problems can be tackled. A large number of Ash residents are being consulted. If you are asked for your views, please respond – your opinion is really important.
Who can we speak to about the issues that affect us?
You can speak to your Neighbourhood Team
Knowing who you can approach about community safety issues is important. In Ash you have a visible, accessible, local, and knowledgeable Neighbourhood Team who you can talk to about problems in your area. They can help to address crime and disorder, and reduce fear of crime in Ash:
- By tackling problem people and places
- Promoting community safety
- Assisting with environmental improvements, and working with you to develop your community.
- They work well as a team, and share information and feedback with each other, and with you.
You also have a Neighbourhood Involvement Panel in Ash, which meets to raise concerns and fears about crime and disorder. Anyone can attend, and it’s a chance to tell them what needs tackling in your community. You can vote on the problem that you think is most important for your Neighbourhood Team to tackle. If you want to get involved, you can speak to your Neighbourhood Team about it.
Who’s in my Neighbourhood Team?
This information is coming soon!
What should I speak to my Neighbourhood Team about?
Anything that you feel has an impact on your perception of Ash
This might include any of the following:
· Information on criminal/suspicious behaviour/activity
· Anti social behaviour (e.g. conflict, nuisance)
· The appearance of your community (graffiti, litter, abandoned vehicles)
· Community development (e.g. neighbourhood watch, elderly, youth etc)
· How to increase your personal or community safety
How do I contact them?
Neighbourhood Specialist Officers
WPC Vanessa Privett
07967 987812
email: [email protected]
website: www.surrey.police.uk then click on Guildford, and then on Vanessa Privett
PC Steve Cake
07967988841
email: [email protected]
Community Safety Warden
Garry Jones
07901 513652
email: [email protected]
Police Community Support Officer
Andy Coumbe
07967 986842
email: [email protected]
Remember, Ash is your community, and it’s important that you feel safe and secure. If you want to make improvements to your neighbourhood, it’s important that you get involved by making the most of your Neighbourhood Team – they are there to help improve your community.