A word from the local inspector
The differing issues experienced by communities can sometimes be linked to the season - and issues with sheep worrying can particularly affect the farming community at this time of year.
This month's newsletter includes the usual advice on this. As always, we would ask people to take care around livestock and ensure dogs are kept on leads and under control.
Elsewhere we detail some of the other work underway by our neighbourhood policing team, including work to tackle anti-social behaviour, which we know has a big impact on people.
A lot of people in this area work, shop, socialise or have relatives in Penrith.
As such, they may be interested to know about some work underway due to an increase in anti-social behaviour, particularly in the use of vehicles and also involving young people in and around Penrith town centre.
Those committing driving offences will be dealt with robustly and vehicles may be seized.
We will also be implementing a number of dispersal orders if the problems persist and there is not a positive reaction to our initial approach.
If a young person is subject to a dispersal order or someone has a vehicle seized, then we need to ask ourselves why - and what can we as parents do to prevent this.
We are more than happy to engage and direct young people to areas of assistance and aid.
However, we won’t tolerate anti-social behaviour affecting our community in the Penrith and Eden area.
As always, we rely on your support and information. The usual ways to report to us are at the bottom of the newsletter.
Inspector Steve Minnikin
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PCSO Ewbank & PC Hall
Action in the community
Two members of our local team, PCSO Ewbank and PC Hall, held a day of action together while on patrol in the community.
This is what they did:
- Provided reassurance patrols following a recent burglary.
- Conducted a reassurance visit to a local vulnerable victim of crime.
- Installed a Speed Indicator Device on Bongate following complaints about speeding. These results will be available in next month's newsletter.
- Attended a multi-agency school visit at Appleby Grammar School in the morning and engagement patrols at Appleby Primary in the afternoon.
- Came across some fly tipping between Bolton and Colby. We notified the council and resolved the issue.
We are also available at our regular drop ins, the second Wednesday of the month at Tourist Information Centre from 10am to 12pm
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School engagements - keeping a close link to children in our communities
Part of the job of the neighbourhood police team is to link-up with schools and offer advice to help keep pupils safe.
Earlier this month we also organised two guest speakers to come and talk to year seven school pupils as part of an environmental campaign.
We had Helen Gould for the first session, who is a local vet from Old Hall Vet Centre, and Karen Holmes, who is our environmental enforcement officer from Eden District Council.
Eden Police work closely with the vet centre and the council, so it was a great oppounrity for the students to learn about their jobs.
In the next couple of weeks PCSO Ewbank and an officer from our Child-Centred Policing Team are visiting Appleby Grammar to do a session to all students in regards to sexting, peers and cyberbullying.
PCSO Ewbank and PCSO Dakin have been planning for the warmer weather and have been organising visits to our primary schools along with Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service to deliver information about water safety.
Shap Mini Police will be passing on what they have learned to the rest of their school.
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Other actions and incidents to bring you
Tackling road offences
On January 24, one of our local officers carried out checks on a vehicle, which he sighted driving on Boroughgate. The MOT had expired and the vehicle was uplifted due to it having no tax.
Investigating theft
On February 10 it was reported to police that a charity box had been stolen from a shop. CCTV has captured the incident and this is being investigated.
PCSO Dakin & PC Hall
Taking care around livestock - particularly at this time of year
Farm workers in our area have just started to lamb their sheep or are preparing to start shortly.
At this time the ewes in the fields are even more vulnerable to sheep worrying - so please make sure that dogs are kept on leads and under control at all times.
A defendant appeared at court this month following an incident of sheep worrying at Knipe last year.
He pleaded guilty and was fined £300 in addition to court costs.
He also compensated the farmer for the value of the sheep, which unfortunately died as a result of the dog attack.
Please ensure dogs are kept on leads and under control around livestock.
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Tackling rural crime together
We’re working closely with neighbouring forces to target and disrupt organised rural and wildlife criminals.
Using fast track intelligence sharing and joint operations, including the proactive targeting of cross border criminals, we’re making our rural communities safer.
This collaborative approach has led to numerous arrests, the prosecution of prolific rural offenders and the recovery of stolen quad bikes, tools and farming equipment.
Our officers are dedicated to breaking down the barriers that help these criminals avoid arrest and prosecution.
You can assist in the fight against rural crime by keeping your property locked and secure.
Latest concerns and action
What's the issue? This month there have been concerns raised about poaching in our area.
What are we doing? In response to this, we have utilised technology to help with the detection of poachers in specific areas.
We have also utilised our Country Watch volunteers, special constables and community PCs and PCSOs to target a specific area at a specific time where we have received reports of poaching.
During this operation we checked vehicles and have spoken to two people who were lamping with permission of the land owner in the area. It was a good opportunity to engage with them and the land owner.
Please also report all crimes and suspicious activity. Our reporting options are at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Streetsafe survey to find out your concerns
We recently went out in the community to complete a street safe survey in Temple Sowerby.
This is to identify the priority issues in your community. Work will follow the findings of this survey.
A reminder you can speak to us regularly
We are available at our regular drop-ins, the first Monday in the month, at Maulds Meaburn Coffee Morning, from 10am - 12pm; and on the second Monday in the month at Shap Primary School from 11am to 12pm.
We also regularly visit Kirkby Stephen and Penrith auction marts.
PCSO Allinson & PC Threlkeld
We've responded to numerous collisions - please consider the weather when driving
We have dealt with a number of collisions and weather-related incidents on the A66 and surrounding roads in recent weeks.
These included an incident where a static caravan had shattered in the wind, causing a large amount of debris to be left on the carriageway.
We ask that all drivers consider the weather conditions when planning journeys.
If roads are closed, then please do not follow a sat nav to a more rural road as these are likely to be less accessible than the road that you were already travelling on and can lead to further problems.
Always travel prepared with a supply of warm clothing, food and water and take extra time if needed to get to your destination.
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There have been problems with anti-social behaviour - this is what we are doing
What's the issue?
You said there were issues around Briarcote. We took a multi-agency approach with housing and conducted a streetsafe survey.
We completed questionnaires with the residents to establish further details . This information was then collated.
We discovered that the issues you would like resolving included anti-social behaviour, fly tipping, parking and maintenance.
What are we doing about it?
We are working with housing staff to resolve these issues, who will be doing a clean up and visiting properties with regards to further maintenance over the coming months.
We have monitored the parking over the past few weeks and believe that all people are legitimately parked there.
We will be continuing to monitor any anti-social behaviour issues and we are speaking to those residents involved.
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Speeding vehicles around the primary school drop-off and pick-up times
Concerns have been raised regarding the speed of vehicles during drop-off and pick-up times at the primary school.
We have been present during these times and have spoken with parents and the coach company to try and make it a safe environment for everyone during these times.
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Other incidents and issues
Vehicles scratched
Overnight on January 24 to 25, four vehicles parked on South Road were scratched.
Anyone with information regarding this incident, please contact officers. Reporting options at the bottom of the newsletter.
Possible hare coursing
On the evening of January 25, we received a report of possible hare coursing in the Ravenstonedale area. Unfortunately they had left the area when officers got there.
Please continue to report this type of suspicious activity.
Our team has been dealing with speeding and anti-social driving
We know many people visit Penrith for shopping and a night out - so you may be interested to know problems with speeding and anti-social driving in the town were addressed in a joint operation involving our neighbourhood police team and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.
Officers moved to act on community concerns as one of the main issues raised by the public in the town is worries people have over driving.
The team covering Penrith had been contacted by the fire service, offering road awareness training to educate drivers on the dangers of the road.
This training, held at Penrith Fire Station, covers the risks in factors such as speeding, tiredness, drink and drug driving and not wearing seat belts.
Ten people attended the fire station for the training on the night of the operation.
The fire service training also included personal stories of incidents firefighters had attended.
Sergeant Jack Stabler said: “This is a good example of both the partnership work we do with other agencies for the good of the community and the work the neighbourhood policing team does all-year-round – responding to community concerns.
“We have had a number of reports of anti-social driving and we decided to launch this operation to tackle the issue.
“Education is a key way to tackle this type of behaviour as sometimes people just do not realise the impact of their actions or the possible consequences. Education also prevents future problems.
“We’d like to thank Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service for joining us and playing a crucial part in these efforts to keep Penrith’s roads as safe as possible.”
Among those who took part in the training were a group of young drivers who had not committed any offences.
Officers spoke to them while on patrol to see if they would like to gain some extra awareness of the dangers while they were out - and they all said they wanted to attend.
Sgt Stabler added: “They were all positive about the training and it provided a good opportunity to get across our messages.”
Your local officers
Want to know who your local officers are?
Simply go to our website - www.cumbria.police.uk
Scroll down the home page and you can browse different areas to see who your local team are - or enter your postcode.
Not only will you be able to find out who your named local officers and PCSOs are, you will also be able to view our local policing priorities and details of any meetings or events we will be attending.
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In other news
Police make hundreds of arrests as work continues to tackle drugs crime in Cumbria
These are the faces of just some of the criminals locked up in the last year following work by our officers to keep Cumbria’s streets safe from drugs crime.
Our investigations led to prison sentences totalling about 230 years being handed out that were linked to drugs offending and county lines drugs gangs.
Read the full story here
Funding awarded to Cumbria Constabulary and University of Leeds for vital rural domestic abuse research
Cumbria Constabulary, in partnership with the University of Leeds, have been awarded Police Science and Technology funding to research The Geospatial and Contextual Patterns of Rural Domestic Abuse.
With over 10 million people in England and Wales living in rural settings, this collaborative research project has far-reaching potential to positively impact those affected by domestic abuse.
Read the full story here.
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The statistics below cover the Eden Rural policing area, which includes the Appleby and Kirkby Stephen areas.
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