REPORTED crime on the Bridge and in Delancey Park has dropped by a quarter in the last six months.
There has been a two-thirds reduction in assaults involving adults and a halving of those involving youngsters.
Criminal damage has also fallen by 11%.
Since January, the area has had a permanent beat officer, PC Karl Addis (pictured), who has been working with the community and multiple agencies to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
He has maintained a high-visibility presence by talking to shopkeepers, residents and youngsters.
His work has also included talking to students and teachers in schools and helping to regenerate the park.
He said that although the figures were satisfying, he was a realist.
‘Crime is not going to stop, but it’s about decreasing it. To me the biggest thing is not the figures, it’s about the public satisfaction.’
He said that when he started in the role he wanted to reclaim the park for families, raise the profile of the Bridge and cut antisocial behaviour.
‘In the last few years, there have been a lot of problems, mainly to do with antisocial behaviour and under-age drinking by bored young people,’ said PC Addis.
‘Shopkeepers would turn up to a mess and in the park there were smashed bottles and gangs of kids hanging around and being aggressive towards local residents.
‘I wanted to reclaim the park and I think it is starting to work now,’ he said.
In the last six months, he has taken 10 youngsters who were caught with alcohol home to their parents.
‘A lot of youngsters have stopped hanging around the park and the Bridge because of the police presence now and we’ve had a positive response from residents,’ he said.
PC Addis has also applied for two youth workers for a two-week youth sports programme during the summer in the park.
North Youth Centre manager Clive De La Haye, who has worked alongside PC Addis, said his presence has had a positive impact.
‘I know that he has built a good rapport with the young people he has bumped into. He has certainly made headway with building relationships with young people and the community.’
Delancey resident Mick Moriarty said he had noticed more people using the park and more elderly people walking around.
That was echoed by Candy Shop assistant Lee Crocker.
‘We see Karl and the police out all the time.
‘People seem a lot happier and the elderly are out and about more.’
Article posted on 1st July, 2009 - 2.29pm
2 Article Comments
About time something was done to be honest. The people hanging around the bridge was getting ridiculous. Well done Karl!
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This PC Addis good news article has so far produced one response over several days.
The bad news article about the PC who technically assaulted a female suspect elicited yards of column inches and dozens of posts which proves the adage that no news is good news.
I say ‘technically assaulted’ because if the PC had said the eleven words ” I am arresting you on suspicion of driving under the influence” that story would have been a non-story too,and the Chief Officer would have saved money on a bouquet of flowers.
It is regrettable that the woman apparantly suffered some injury but an old girlfriend assures me that handcuffs do not hurt unless you struggle violently.
My wild guess is that this incident must have been just one of several involving this PC and was in effect the last straw resulting in the decision to sack him.
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