Following the item in the last Newsletter about vandalism on the estate, we invited one of the community police officers to a HCERA Committee meeting. A resident brought along photos of youths believed to be responsible for breaking a conservatory window and also in the act of putting graffiti on a lamp post.
PC Thompson told us that we are in Beat 5 which covers Swaythling and Mansbridge. Beat 5 used to have five beat officers, but now there are only two. As well as patrolling in a police car they also use an unmarked car. When the police receive a call, the incidents are graded on a scale of 1 to 5. Incidents graded 1 or 2 should receive immediate response, but grades 4 and 5 would be passed to beat officers to deal with.
The Conservation Area is regarded as quiet compared with the Flower Roads or the Mansbridge Estate. So PC Thompson stressed that if they are to launch an initiative or patrol the area they need more incidents to be reported. Incidents which are not emergencies should be reported by ringing 0845 0454545.