The Chair invited Inspector Pete Kolokotroni to update the Committee on the previous quarter. Inspector Kolokotroni summarised the priorities for the Committee as follows:-

• In the Seacombe and Poulton area there was Police involvement in the Ashville Road area. An urban street gang had been identified and working in partnership with other agencies a number of arrests for burglaries had been made and several youths had been arrested for a variety of reasons including breach of bail conditions, breach of Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) conditions and domestic violence. A week of disruption was planned involving other agencies e.g. Trading Standards, Utility Companies when the area would be targeted. Working in schools, again in partnership with outside agencies, Police were trying to break down barriers and promote respect in the area.
• In the Liscard/Egremont area neighbourhood disputes had led to arrests being made and mediation had taken place. In the Rice Lane area Wirral Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team had been involved and a youth gang ringleader had been identified. Police were now looking to close this priority.
• In the Moreton and Leasowe area the focus was on the Moreton Cross/Pasture Road area. Groups of youths had been involved in race hate incidents and an urban street gang had been identified. These had been tackled by working with other agencies e.g. landlords leading to arrests and ASBO’s with strict conditions. An ASBO involving a 15 year old youth had been breached and leaflets explaining the effect of the ASBO on the individuals were circulated to over 400 local residents and showed the information that they needed to know including the restrictions placed on the individual concerned and the exclusion zone involved. There was a joint agency approach and local landlords were involved together with joint agency visits. Staff had been visiting shops regularly and a shopkeeper had been issued with a small body camera for reassurance. There had been no other reported incidents.
• In the Wallasey Village and New Brighton area efforts had been concentrated on thefts from sheds and burglaries. A team of detectives had been involved and a number of shed alarms had been distributed to those who were vulnerable and had suffered repeat thefts. Detectives had visited stores such as Cash Converters and their books checked. Several search warrants had been issued and stolen property had been recovered. Police had worked with landlords in the Rake Lane area and the number of shed burglaries had been reduced.

Inspector Kolokotroni informed the Committee that new priorities had now been set;

In the Seacombe/Poulton area the urban street gang identified would remain a priority.

In the Moreton/Leasowe area the priority would remain to collate further information.

In the Liscard/Egremont area the priority would be on speeding cyclists with the area around McDonalds being the focus.

In the Wallasey Village/New Brighton area the priority would be around the Marine Point/Tower Grounds area where there was a problem with youths drinking.

Inspector Kolokotroni informed the Committee that he would bring a progress report to the next meeting.

Councillor Bernie Mooney commented that there had been 19 burglaries in the Rice Lane area over the Christmas period and questioned the priority around cyclists. Inspector Kolokotroni responded that this number of burglaries had not been reported however there had been several arrests made and one individual had been imprisoned and another individual had been recalled to prison on other matters. Since these two individuals had been incarcerated incident levels had been reduced.

The Constituency Manager reported that at the market place event held before the Constituency meeting there had been representatives from multiple agencies who had given out information on a variety of enquiries including Council Services, Environmental Health, Streetscene, ASBO’s, One Stop Shops,Youth Services, Police, Fire Service and Community Action Wirral. She also indicated that the invitation would be extended to Community groups at the next Wallasey Constituency meeting.