Page 56 - Phonebox Magazine December 2009

Olney Neighbourhood Action Group ( NAG ) Operation Confidence – tackling anti-social behaviour
Thames Valley Police and its local partners are currently staging a series of events, aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour. ‘Operation Confidence’ is a concerted effort to address crime and disorder, and highlight what action is being taken to make communities safer. Each Local Police Area is running its own operations to target issues such as underage drinking, violence, criminal damage and other crimes that impact on the quality of life of Thames Valley people.
What happens when you call this number?
• During ‘Operation Confidence’, activities and events have, and will include: • Test purchasing of alcohol in off-licences, pubs and supermarkets.
• Test purchasing of fireworks, knives and other bladed weapons.
• Halloween and fireworks safety visits to schools.
Your call will go to the Thames Valley Police Enquiry
Centre ( PEC ) at Kidlington. PEC is the centralised control
room that receives the 999 emergency calls, and the 0845
8 505 505 calls made by the public.
A team of 180 control room staff ensure that your
telephone calls are answered twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. On the average day the PEC team handle a staggering six hundred 999 calls, and over three thousand 0845 calls. This number can rise to five thousand on busy days. The control room aims to answer 90% of all 999 calls within ten seconds, and 90% of 0845 calls within twenty seconds. Generally, the operatives achieve a very impressive 95 – 98%.
When your call is received the operative will immediately start to record the information you give them, and this information will be given a Unique Reference Number ( URN ). It is recommended that you ask for this number when you make your call, as you may need to refer to it at a later date, for instance, if you are making an insurance claim. You will also need to quote this number should you need to phone back for a progress report, or to provide further information relating to the reported incident. Once the operative has recorded all of your information, your call will be graded. Either ‘Immediate’, in which case a police response will take place within 15 minutes, or ‘Urgent’, which will be responded to within 45 minutes. If your call is not considered to be either of the aforementioned, then the call will be graded either ‘By Arrangement’, or ‘Officer Will Not Attend’. You will be told by the operative which grading your call has been given.
The information that you have given over the phone will immediately be sent to the Control Room of your area, which in our case is Milton Keynes, and will then be assigned to an officer. You will find that the PEC operative will try to obtain as much information as possible from you at the time of your call. This will ensure that the assigned officer is fully prepared when dealing with your reported incident.
By phoning this number you will help to build up a profile of activity in our area, which our Area Inspector will analyse on a regular basis, and which could lead to more direct police patrols.
• Street briefings of neighbourhood patrols of community centres and parks.
• Engaging with local people to encourage the reporting of incidents, when they happen.
Operation Confidence will take place in Olney from 7th to 12th December 2009. On Thursday 10th December you will have the opportunity to meet with your local police officers at the information stand on the Market Square, to find out more about Operation Confidence. Further events for the week are being finalised, and will be publicised nearer the date.
During the current year we have seen a 15% increase in crime figures in Olney, particularly burglary and anti-social behaviour. To achieve a more precise picture of what is occurring, we need Olney residents to use the 0845 8 505 505 to report non-emergency incidents, as they occur.
So what can we do as Olney residents, to help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour?
See It......Report It......Stop It!
To report a non-emergency crime, or would like to give
information to Thames Valley Police, please call: 0845 8 505 505
Last minute Christmas shopping? Inches to lose? Get that extra special something for a loved one.
Get into that little black dress.
OR make plans for a NEW YOU in 2010.
With Good Vibrations you can lose weight, tone up, lose inches, strengthen, pre-ski, rehabilitate and available at the Olney studio the intelligent alternative to liposuction.
GOOD VIBRATIONS.
Gift vouchers. Christmas. Resolutions...
New Year New You?
DONE.
Newport Pagnell 01908 211399 Olney 01234 714824 www.goodvibrationshealthstudios.com
56 Phonebox Magazine
Merry Christmas! from
Good Vibrations Health Studios x