Thatcham's Community Forum sets out priorities
Police tell community that they have to be realistic
THATCHAM’S community forum has set out its priorities for next year, but police have advised it to be “realistic”.
The forum acts as a way for residents to raise problems in the community with the authorities and put forward suggestions to deal with the issues.
Forum members agreed that speeding and antisocial behaviour, two of this year’s three priorities, continue to be tackled.
But while speeding and anti-social behaviour were raised, there was uncertainty over what the third priority should be, what the forum’s aims were and how its success should be measured.
Parking on pavements, litter and drug taking, the third priority this year, were all put forward.
Forum attendees also discussed policing and community priorities and how they could be monitored.
Sgt Jo Willoughby, from the Newbury and Thatcham Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “Sometimes we are not the best people to solve the issues in the community.”
Referencing antisocial behaviour, she said: “Yes, we deal with enforcement and a certain amount of intervention but essentially, we move it around Thatcham.”
Sgt Willoughby said young people questioned over antisocial behaviour had told police there was nothing for them to do in Thatcham.
Business owner at the Ice Sports Centre in Thatcham, David Rawlings, said that prevention was more effective than picking up the aftermath of antisocial behaviour.
He said: “What other resources are there in the area to support these young people and get them off the street?”
Former town and district councillor Sheila Eillison replied: “We have roller skating once a month.”
Inspector Mark Tucker said: “Organised activities are not the kind of thing they would do if they were offered.
“There’s a degree of young people who will go out there and cause problems.
“The majority of kids go and use the facilities you are talking about.
“It’s not as simple as saying there’s roller skating once a month.”
Insp Tucker said that the police did not want to arrest and criminalise young people.
Sgt Willoughby said that a lack of resources for young people across the district had been recognised by West Berkshire Council.
On the crossover of priorities between the community and the police, Insp Tucker said that officers needed specific details about an issue such as speeding or drug taking, rather than a catch-all approach.
He said: “With drugs is it Class A, needles or smoking? What is it about drugs in Thatcham that you are not happy about?
“If people in the Broadway are smoking cannabis, generally we can do something about that.
“You have got to be specific otherwise we can’t do anything.
“With drugs or speeding you will always have it.
“I think you have to be realistic.
“You are going to have anti-social behaviour, like speeding.
“Speeding doesn’t cause me much of a demand, open drug use doesn’t cause me much of a demand.
“Burglary and violent crime does.”
Forum chairwoman Stephanie Steevenson said: “The last thing we want to be is a talking shop.
“I think we need to revisit how we operate as a forum.”
Secretary Chris Watts said: “Drugs, speeding and antisocial behaviour are still priorities as far as us and the police are concerned.
“We need to reference the information that we get to the police and perhaps be quicker about it.
“The issues here that affect this group on a community basis, things like litter, recycling and green issues, they are, to a large extent, being dealt with in the community by other groups.
“Things like litter, we don’t need to organise a litter pick, there are people out there doing it.
“We need to use our networks to facilitate these.”
Insp Tucker agreed, saying that the forum needed to devise a way to measure its success.
“If you say litter at the memorial hall you can advertise and say this is what we are doing, but if you say litter in Thatcham, then no chance.
Sgt Willoughby added: “Speeding, although it is a police priority, we need get the community to think about the solution.
“We go out there for an hour, but it won’t have any lasting effect.
