Kilworth Avenue Neighbourhood Watch Meeting
26 January 2006
Unitarian Meeting House, Tyrrel Drive
The meeting was well attended. The following issues were discussed:
1. Kilworth Avenue Neighbourhood Watch street signs have been bought using funds the group generated from distributing leaflets, and will be installed as soon as possible.
2. Street lighting a letter-writing campaign will be undertaken to persuade the Council to improve the lighting in Kilworth Avenue. The Co-ordinator Marina will develop a standard letter to be sent to local Councillors. Improved street lighting should discourage ladies of the night.
3. Police Community Support Officers - Kursaal Ward currently has two PCSOs. Wyn Sharp, the Police Constable / Southend Community Liaison Officer, reported that PCSOs currently in post are being kept very busy. Members of the group said that it would be beneficial in future if the PCSOs could be more visible in the Kilworth Avenue area, to discourage crime and help keep order.
4. Graffiti members of the group are encouraged to take a more pro-active approach to identifying and discouraging individuals who spread graffiti. Graffiti should be reported to the Borough Council on their hotline 619852.
5. Police Response Times sometimes it seems to take the police longer to respond to appeals for help from the Kilworth Avenue area than from some other areas. Response times have improved recently though. Members are advised not to investigate and pursue potential burglars or trouble makers on their own.
6. Property marking and tagging members are encouraged to mark all expensive items of property and keep a list of all these items. Marina has blank forms for recording. The mark should be your postcode and house / flat number (e.g. SS1 2DS 27). Mick Holland, Southend Neighbourhood Watch Administrator, demonstrated a number of different marking techniques, ranging from invisible ultra-violet marker pens to identity tags which cost £12. These tags are registered on a national database, making recovery of stolen items much easier. There are specialist bicycle tagging devices available; dealers will be fitting these to new bikes in future. Other marking methods are engraving / etching, ceramic marking and punching. You can also arrange for photographs of your property to be taken. A sticker is available letting people know that your property is marked, which acts as a deterrent to potential thieves. The Home Office has produced a number of guides on security and crime reduction. Ask Marina if you would like any of these guides, or for help using any of the marking / tagging / photography methods.
7. Rubbish near the underpass this has been building up between Hastings Road and Lancaster Gardens. The fence has been patched up but the rubbish is still there. Members of the group will raise the profile of this issue to make sure the site is cleared and secured.
8. Next meeting will be held in a few months time; co-ordinators of adjacent Neighbourhood Watch groups will be invited to attend, so that we can exchange information and join forces on issues of common concern. The aim is to launch a Residents Association to act as a focus for improving the area as a whole.