Bixley Field allotment holders meet the Safer Neighbourhood Team
Sun 18 Jun 2023
The Bixley Field allotment holders wanted the Norwood Green police team to provide an overview of their structure and roles within the community, particularly in relation to the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).
They wanted to share their personal experiences and stories related to crime, security incidents, or any other concerns.
They also wanted to explore ways in which the police team and the allotment holders can collaborate effectively to enhance security not only within the allotments but also throughout the Southall community.
A visit and guided tour of the Bixley Fields allotments, allowed the police team to familiarize themselves with the allotments' layout and offer security advice.
Most of the following is a summary of what councillor John Martin said, with assistance from the Norwood Green police team.
Everyone seems to be talking about various incidents of break-ins, including sheds and other areas being targeted. However, when we examine the crime statistics, they don't reflect the same narrative. To address this, we need an increase in reported crimes for the team to take action. It may sound counter intuitive, but that's the reality we're facing.
Southall is an area where crime is rarely reported. During the discussions on Monday evening, many wondered why Ealing Broadway has a higher police presence. The answer is quite simple: people in Ealing Broadway are more proactive in reporting crimes, utilizing emergency lines like 999 and non-emergency lines like 101 through their laptops.
It's essential to emphasize that we need more crime reports. However, there are priorities to consider. Unfortunately, a shed being broken into may be lower on the list compared to someone's house being broken into while they are present. That's an unfortunate reality. But if we have more officers, which we can achieve through increased reporting, we will have a larger police force to handle incidents effectively and promptly.
The new commissioner comes from a safer neighbourhood background and understands the value of having a safe and supportive neighbourhood team. Their role is to collaborate with us and provide assistance in any way they can.
So, it all boils down to reporting crimes via the appropriate channels, whether it's dialing 999 for an ongoing shed break-in with the perpetrator still on-site, or using 101 for non-emergency situations. The more CAD numbers we generate, which are reporting reference numbers, the better.
The response team is based in Southall and there are a considerable number of police officers operating from there.
"If the whole site is broken into and say there's 20 sheds broken into, do you want 20 reports?" Yes.
There is no reason in the world, why the allotment owner can't report a break-in himself. You can’t leave everything to the allotment manager. He may not have all the correct details.
Let's make it harder for anyone to gain unauthorized access. Our collective goal is to ensure that Bixley becomes a thriving allotment where you can enjoy a peaceful environment while on-site and have peace of mind knowing that your belongings are secure when you leave.
Unfortunately, two individuals had their sheds completely burned down, and they couldn't join us today.
Just a few months ago, 16 to 20 sheds were broken into, resulting in the theft of thousands of pounds' worth of tools.
Interestingly, a few days later, they discovered the stolen tools were being sold at the Hounslow Heath car boot sale and were able to recover a few.
The car boot market manager told them that if they called the police, they will need to provide serial numbers of the stolen tools to prove ownership.
Did you report it? No
Buying stolen goods is a crime. The Police are unaware who is selling stolen good or who he bought them off. Without reporting it, the thief, the seller and the car boot market manager won’t change their ways.
Another allotment holder, arriving later, said his shed had been broken into just yesterday. "What do they get out of it?"
In conclusion, the key takeaway here is that reporting crimes is crucial to combating the issue effectively. By increasing the number of reported incidents, we can bolster our police force, improve response times, and ensure a safer environment for everyone.
"We have got to look and see what we can do collectively" said councillor John Martin.
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