As part of her regular series of Community Chats, local MP Maria Miller hosted a meeting for residents on issues around crime in Basingstoke. The panel was composed of key stakeholders covering Basingstoke, including: Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Donna Jones; Basingstoke District Commander, CI Scott Johnson; Leader of the Borough Council, Cllr Simon Bound; Chair of the Basingstoke Neighbourhood Watch Association, Tony Tuck; and Safer Communities Manager at the Council, Daniel White. The session included presentations from all panellists and a lengthy Q&A session, allowing direct discussion between residents and service providers.
Maria commented: “Crime and its prevention are perennial concerns of Basingstoke residents. Whilst on the whole Basingstoke is a safe and friendly place to live, we of course face local challenges. Issues such as: anti-social behaviour; the condition of the top of town; car meets and street racing; Police support for rural areas; and ease of direct access to the Police, are routinely raised with me by residents, and all were discussed during this meeting.
“It was therefore really good to hear directly from local leaders about the important work they do in Basingstoke, and how the different service providers collaborate towards tackling these issues.
“I am extremely grateful to all the panellists for taking part and updating us on all they are doing to keep our community safe. A consistent message is the importance of reporting incidents to Police, which feed an ever expanding intelligence picture, thus helping them to fight crime. Whilst each contribution may seem small, and not necessarily result in immediate direct action, we all have a role to play in keeping our community safe.”
Attendees heard about the PCC’s fantastic recruitment drive of 600 new officers for Hampshire by spring 2023 (above and beyond the Government Uplift target of 498), Basingstoke Police’s dedicated taskforce tackling street racing, and ongoing improvements for the reporting of crime. Also discussed were the great extent to which officers are patrolling in Basingstoke, which can often go unnoticed by residents, as well as boosts to resources that tackle anti-social behaviour, such as additional Police bikes that can more easily and swiftly navigate the centre of town. There was also information on how residents can directly support their local communities by participating in the Neighbourhood Watch.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s ‘More Police, Safer Streets’ plan can be found on her website:
https://www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/pcp-final-2021-download.pdf
You can support your local Neighbourhood Watch Association in a number of ways by visiting: https://www.ourwatch.org.uk.
