New crime figures out this week for January 2007 show incidents in Burnham-On-Sea are continuing to rise year-on-year, but the four-year trend is actually DOWN, according to the town’s top police officer.
Burnham Sector Deputy Commander Inspector Roger Tolley told Burnham-On-Sea.com that crime figures have actually fallen in the town since 2003.
He also appealed for more community help in tackling the current problems of anti-social behaviour in the town.
He said: “Our current target-driven culture means that the police, health service, schools and other public services all have to monitor performance using figures and tends, but these are generally seen on a year-on-year basis, which does not show the full story.”
“The long-term trend in Burnham during the last four years is clearly the number of domestic burglaries, vehicle thefts and robberies is down. Crime is far lower now than it was four years ago.”
“So while there has been a rise year-on-year, I would ask people to consider the wider long-term picture.”
He added that he is not being complacent about the current problems and is closely monitoring problems in South Street and Rosewood Avenue where Burnham’s MP visited last weekend.
“I am aware that anti-social behaviour has increased in Burnham – we have sent out more than 40 letters to parents of young people in the town this year alone.”
“We have also responded by putting extras officers on the beat, introducing over-time, and creating more PCSO positions. This has led to 35 per cent more crimes being ‘detected’ – crimes where there is a positive outcome such as an arrest or a person being charged.”
He also said the re-opening of prison cells at Burnham-On-Sea’s police station (pictured) in 2005 had helped officers make more arrests as more police time was being spent out on the beat rather than travelling to Bridgwater, where the nearest cells had been located.
“The custody facilities at Burnham-On-Sea Police Station are working well for us,” he said. “Over one four-month period last year, they allowed us to make 120 more arrests than the previous year because my officers were spending less time travelling between Burnham and Bridgwater.”
Inspector Tolley added that more cross-community involvement is needed to properly address anti-social behaviour in the town.
“We will never be able to completely eradicate the problems unless everyone contributes,” he said. “That means residents, parents, schools, community groups and shop keepers.”
“We need to look at anti-social behaviour from a wider community perspective. It’s all our responsibility to address it as a long-term problem-solving issue.”
“We need to look at the overall needs of young people, how we support them and also how we can dissuade them from creating trouble. We’re in this together.”
