Local Initiatives
Operation Nightsafe - Police in Bishop Auckland carry out test purchases.
Since July 2009 Police in Bishop Auckland have been involved in a series of Test Purchases on both off and on licensed premises in the local area. A total of seven operations have been carried out in response to concerns from worried parents over the apparent easy availability of alcohol for underage persons. To date 56 test purchases have been carried out on off licensed premises with 13 failures. Twenty five on licensed premises have been tested with fifteen failures. Penalties for failure result in an immediate £80 fixed penalty notice to the person making the sale. Should that person be the Designated Premises supervisor they are reported for summons to court. In addition any premises failing on three occasions within a six month period can expect to have their licence reviewed by Durham County Council. A recent change in legislation now means that only two failures will result in a review. To date two off licences are under review for three failures. One on licensed premises has had its licence reviewed and is currently closed and for sale to new owners.
Inspector Martin Peace from the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Police team said "The majority of premises tested subscribe to the Challenge 21 scheme. Some apply this more robustly than others but the message is clear either stop selling alcohol to underage persons or we will collect evidence sufficient to prosecute and review your licence. I also wish to make it clear that the test purchases have produced some evidence of very good practice with some licensees going the extra mile to prevent underage sales. It is also nice to see that as we progress with operations the failure rate is decreasing. The message is getting out there and licensees are becoming more aware of their responsibilities. The message should be no ID, no sale. In future we will be working closely with Trading Standards Department who will also be conducting their own operations".
Volunteers needed to monitor cars.
Volunteers are needed to assist Police in tackling the problem of speeding vehicles in the Bishop Auckland area. The speedwatch scheme was launched by Bishop Auckland neighbourhood team in Toft Hill in May 2009 and now the team are looking to roll it out across the area. Volunteers from the community use a speed matrix to check vehicles speeds, note down registrations and send warning letters to offending motorists. Neighbourhood police Inspector Martin Peace said he was very pleased with the results but would ask for more volunteers to assist Neighbourhood teams in other areas. He also called for a volunteer coordinator to manage the speedwatch scheme, working within the Police station, arranging volunteers and PCSOs to carry out further checks. He said we do rely on volunteers and as such have a PACT volunteer who works within the station and whose contribution is invaluable. Inspector Peace said its all about the community becoming involved and regaining some control and responsibility for issues that matter in their communities. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood team on 0345 6060365.
New Police cameras in use.
Officers on the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood police team have taken possession of two state of the art Vievu body worn cameras, the first of their type to be used by any officers in County Durham. The cameras which are about the same size as a mobile phone simply clip onto a officers protective vest and can be operated by a simple sliding mechanism. They provide not only visual but sound recording as well. The units are currently operated by a small number of UK and Scottish forces but are used extensively by police Departments in the USA. The units are presently being trialled as an alternative to cameras worn on an officers head and it is expected that further units will be in use very shortly.
Inspector Martin Peace of the Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood police team said "This is an important development for ourselves as the units are light, robust and extremely easy to operate. Expected benefits will include greater officer safety, easier collection of evidence sufficient for court purposes and a reduction in complaints against officers. These are units I first saw our colleagues in Lancashire Constabulary using and they have received an enthusiastic response from our own officers".
