NEWS FEATURES
If you are
looking for expert advice on crime prevention, if you would like to set up a Neighbourhood
Watch group, or if you are unlucky enough to have been a victim of crime, it is likely
that you will be put in contact with Community Liaison Officer P.C. Steve Dewberry.
Steve has been a police officer for nine years, coming to the profession later in life than most, and he spent two years on shift work before moving to the community side of policing.
"I had done many other jobs before deciding to join the police force," says Steve, who is now based at Leigh police station. "The experience has helped me to understand some of the frustrations felt by the people I come into contact with as part of my police work."
As his job title suggests, Steve's work revolves around the community. He was born and brought up in Southend, so brings a personal interest to his job, and is now responsible for the western section of the Borough including most of Westcliff and Leigh.
There is much of the image of a traditional 'bobby' about Steve. He is stern enough to inspire respect from young tearaways, yet genial enough to befriend the elderly, and down-to-earth enough to reassure members of the public that community policing is in good hands.
He liases with all community groups, for example residents' associations or pensioners' groups, and, if time permits, visits schools and gives talks to groups such as the Brownies or social clubs.
On an individual basis Steve visits all victims of burglaries within his area and offers advice on crime prevention. Similarly, he supports victims of 'hate' crimes, such as those that are racially motivated.
A major branch of Steve's work is with Neighbourhood Watch groups. Out of 496 Watch groups throughout the Borough of Southend, 309 are located within the western sector, with Leigh having one of the highest concentrations of Watch Groups in the town. Significantly, the residential area of Leigh also has one of the lowest crime rates in Southend.
Neighbourhood Watch group members benefit from close links to their local police force, who offer advice on crime prevention and keep members informed of crime trends in their area. Membership being a recognised crime deterrent, members may be eligible for insurance discounts. More generally, Watch groups go a long way towards promoting a sense of community spirit, making everyone, and particularly the more vulnerable members of the community, feel safer in their own homes.
"Belonging to Neighbourhood Watch doesn’t necessarily mean you're less likely to be burgled," says Steve. "But you're less likely to be an easy target for crime and more likely to have taken measures to protect yourself and your property against criminals."
Such measures include fitting window locks, using light timer-switches when you are out and being wary of strangers who come to your door.
Typically, groups are formed where ten or more neighbours get together to increase their sense of security by working together. In a long road there may be two or three separate groups, led by one or more co-ordinator who takes responsibility for passing on information.
Groups do not have to register with the police but they are more like to benefit if they do. However, how the groups are run is entirely up to the individual group - some have regular meetings, others organise social events, while yet others only communicate to pass on crime information.
In addition to Steve, who can be contacted through Leigh Police Station (471212), residents can contact Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Shirley Morris at Southend Civic Centre. Shirley's role is to advise and support groups throughout the Borough. She can organise sponsorship for equipment such as alarms or marking pens, and attends national meetings, reporting back to local groups.
Contacting Steve or Shirley is your starting point to setting up a Watch group in your road.
Steve clearly enjoys his role within the community but, of course, there are down-sides to the job. "The police force is only one tier of the judicial system," he explains. "If a victim feels they have not seen justice done in the courts they often blame the police, as we are the people in direct contact with them. Often the problem is something the police have no control over."
This is one reason why Steve is keen to educate people as to what are reasonable expectations of the police and what the police are able to achieve. The role of a police officer is changing too, as Steve has witnessed over the past nine years. Since the recent introduction of the Crime and Disorder Act, for example, there is more of a partnership approach to policing, involving multi-agency strategies.
Steve's crime prevention work includes advising the Council or other authorities on the regeneration of deprived areas. He liases with Social Services on issues of anti-social behaviour, and with asylum seekers and minority groups to assist their integration into the community.
You are unlikely, these days, to see police officers involved in rescuing cats stuck in trees. On the other hand, local policemen like Steve may be called on to assist with an Interpol investigation, concerning crimes committed, for example, in Russia or South America. When Steve arrives in his office each morning he never knows what is waiting for him. The unexpected events and variety of issues is one of the attractions of the job.
So, if you live in Westcliff or Leigh and want to know more about crime or crime prevention in your area, ask a policeman… ask Steve Dewberry.
LOCAL AUTHOR PUBLISHES E-BOOK
Following on from our previous article about local author, Jason Ellis, publishing his first book,The Mansly Affair, via the 'Print on Demand' service provided by www.iUniverse.com, we are pleased to advise that Jason has now published Decide your Fate, the secong book in his 'Universal Secrets' trilogy.
In addition, Jason has just recently completed working on The 'Footballing' Week. This is in a different genre to the other two books and takes a humourous look at a week in the life of a football fan.
The books are also be available through other internet outlets such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble and directly from the author.
For further information about Jason's work please click on the following link: www.jasonellis.co.uk
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