MAY 2001

Sergeant Pollock is Acting Inspector at Area HQ, Bedlington, so he’s asked me to write his newsletter covering April. It may be late in reaching the printer and in reaching you. If so, we both apologise.

PONTELAND

We have had 30 crimes reported (at the time of writing) so far this month. Eight of which have been detected. (This is slightly lower than April 2000, which also had less crime detected).

We have had one house burglary - a house on Cheviot View being broken into, the offence occurring over a number of days, so we do not know if it was a day-time or night-time burglary. The house was not being lived in at the time. It was between tenants when the offence was committed.

Other theft offences have included ‘springtime’ shed burglaries, with garden tools being stolen along with thefts of garden furniture. A pattern of thefts from vans looked to be emerging earlier this month, with electric tools being stolen from tradesmen’s vehicles on Western Way and Runnymede Road, Darras Hall during the late morning. Although precautions had been taken to keep these vehicles secure, the men concerned probably thought that there would be no likelihood of their tools beina stolen at those times, and in such areas, but as my colleagues and I who cover this area will often remark: “OUR THIEVES ARE GOOD AT THEIR JOBS. THEY ARE EXPERIENCED, THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM”. These comments are not intended to worry you, just to remind people to be vigilant. If you have guys working at your home during the day, it would be worth reminding them to keep an eye on their tools and equipment and possibly leave their van where it can be seen.

Other property offences have included thefts of wheels from cars (not many) and thefts from changing rooms at the leisure centre.

At least two assaults were reported, one of these being detected.

Our part of the rural area has had no thefts so far this month.

In general things in the Ponteland area are not too bad. There are some questions being asked about the previous two Newsletters, which contained articles comparing crime statistics in Newcastle city centre with a town or city in Canada - I can’t recall which one, and a comment that Ponteland is second only to Blyth in the statistical league of illegal drug abuse. Sergeant Pollock has certainly written about the first point.

I am a poor mathematician, which means I’m hopeless at analysing statistics, so I won’t comment on what figures made the writer of this article come to this conclusion. I would rather leave that to Sergeant Pollock and next month’s issue.

My own opinion, which I think is shared by my colleagues here, is that yes, there is a problem with drug abuse in this area, but it is no greater than other SIMILAR areas. It is common knowledge that Blyth has a concentration of heroin users - the police over there have had a lot of success with arrests and recoveries. I feel that it is unfair to the majority of people who live in Blyth, to keep using the port’s name as a yardstick for drug abuse. Again, not wishing to be alarmist or defeatist, illegal drugs have been around for some considerable time and they will be around in the future. As you know, various agencies, including us, work together to contain this problem, limiting the damage caused, and disrupting the activities of dealers. Good help is available for those people who become addicted.

Sergeant Pollock mentioned in one of his previous newsletters that plain-clothed officers from out of our area mounted an operation which led to two men being arrested with ‘Class A’ drugs as they entered Ponteland. The same officers arrested another person, again with ‘Class A’ some weeks later. These two actions may have boosted the “drug abuse statistics” for our area

I don’t know.

It is a credit to the younger residents of this area, that whilst they know that illegal drugs of all classes can be obtained, the vast majority of them realise the danger and the waste of time that they are. They also realise that it is not clever to become involved with dealers and gangsters, they are difficult people to shake off when you grow tired of them and they’ve no desire to spend their lives looking over both shoulders for the legal or illegal sanctions that are always waiting to strike these people.

GENERAL THINGS

Some elderly residents have complained about people cycling on the footpaths. The roads are busy and have become more dangerous for cyclists, particularly younger ones. If possible, could parents remind their children of a “common sense compromise”, that involves dismounting in the shopping centre areas and either dismounting or going extremely slowly around pedestrians in other areas. Cycling up to pedestrians and then whipping round them is extremely dangerous and bad mannered. Legally, cyclists do not have precedence over pedestrians on footpaths.

Two youth workers have completed their “outreach” survey in Ponteland and are now putting their findings into a report, which will hopefully mean that a youth club / centre will be set up, until the planned SENRAC project is up and running

MOTORING

The Traffic Department and local officers have run a number of speed checks in the area over the month. Please remember, driving at excessive speed is a dangerous business. We all make mistakes when driving. A sensible speed and a sensible distance from the vehicle in front can mean the difference between a mistake becoming a collision.

Please drive carefully - speed limits are there for our protection.

Hopefully Sergeant Pollock will be back in time for next month’s edition, (which you’ll probably receive shortly after this one).

To finish with, when I last penned the Newsletter, I mentioned the subject of large black cats roaming the area. Well, there have been no further sightings. In January however, three macaws were reported flying around the Belsay area. I can’t remember what species. The sightings were

real as the birds had escaped from a parrot keeper in Durham. Sadly, they were not recaptured and they disappeared. We wait to see what is reported over the Spring - Common Hippos in Bolam Lake? Chaema Baboons near Prestwick? Eland in Pont ... no forget that one or a Binturong in the trees of the park?

Seriously, rememberas far as crime is concerned, don’t be alarmed - be aware. This area is a safe area to live in. Please keep reporting things that cause you to be suspicious or concerned and remember if we don’t get back to you with the result it will be because other things have happened - so give us a call on ext. 68952 and leave your number.

JON GRAY, PC 3245.

PS. There will be a prize for anyone under 14 who can either do a good sketch of, or write a short piece describing what a BINTURONG is, in limited detail. Entries through the police station door before 31st May, 2001.

From Sergeant PoIIock

I have always made mention in my newsletter about home security and the need to protect your property. I am aware that security firms may well be in our area looking for business - Northumbria Police would never endorse an individual company or product, but advice is always available, and I would remind you all, that before committing yourselves contact Gary Prentice at Bedlington Police Station, the crime prevention officer who will always help you in your decision making.

Jim Pollock, Sgt.

Sgts Newsletter Archive