Latest POLICE.UK Crime Data for the Area - November 2019

Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch

Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months:

	October 2019	November 2019
All crime	42	40
Anti-social behaviour	7	4
Bicycle theft	0	0
Burglary	0	4
Criminal damage and arson	8	5
Drugs	0	0
Other crime	1	1
Other theft	3	2
Possession of weapons	0	0
Public order	4	5
Robbery	0	0
Shoplifting	1	0
Theft from the person	0	0
Vehicle crime	6	0
Violence and sexual offences	12	19

Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team. Lower Halstow and Iwade Here is a brief summary of the crime information for the past 2 months: October 2019 November 2019 All crime 46 37 Anti-social behaviour 12 3 Bicycle theft 0 0 Burglary 0 1 Criminal damage and arson 2 2 Drugs 2 0 Other crime 2 3 Other theft 2 0 Possession of weapons 0 0 Public order 2 3 Robbery 0 0 Shoplifting 0 2 Theft from the person 0 0 Vehicle crime 0 3 Violence and sexual offences 24 20 Please visit: www.police.uk for more information including outcomes for these crimes and contact information for your local policing team. Upchurch Matters

Swale Borough Council - Swale Council Responds to Parent’s Concern of Reported Over-crowding on School Buses

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said he has spoken with Kent County Council (KCC) this week following a question from a concerned parent about over-crowding on school buses.

Cllr Truelove said:

“We have spoken with KCC who have assured us that although they are unable to enforce operations on commercial bus services, they will contact the bus operators to share parents’ concerns.

The school bus routes in question carry children from Sheppey and the wider Swale area into Sittingbourne schools and are commercially operated by Chalkwell, Travelmasters and Arriva.

Each bus is licensed to carry a certain number of passengers and it is an offence for the driver to permit the bus to be overloaded.

That said, it is not unlawful for passengers to stand even when there may be ample seating available although standing passengers shouldn’t stand adjacent to, or forward of, the driver’s cab.

Parents who are concerned about their child’s travel to school should contact the Department for Transports Office of the Traffic Commissioner, who are responsible for bus operator compliance.”

Department for Transport regional Office of the Traffic Commissioner:
Ivy House,

3 Ivy Terrace,
Eastbourne
BN21 4QT

enquiries@otc.gov.uk

0300 123 9000

Swale Borough Council

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Swale Borough Council - A Brand New, State of the Art Digital CCTV System for Swale?

Swale Council’s cabinet is being asked to approve the upgrade of the borough’s CCTV system, upgrading to a digital system that will bring the service back under council control.

The upgrade of the 52-camera system will be decided at council’s cabinet meeting later this week (18th Dec).

If agreed, councillors will decide who will install and maintain the system following the successful tender process with nine bids earlier this year.

The £250,000 upgrade includes new digital cameras and a control room at Bourne Place multi-storey car park that will monitored at known times of peak crime and anti-social behaviour.

The CCTV system is currently operated by the Medway Commercial Group, on behalf of the CCTV partnership with Medway, Maidstone and Gravesham councils.

The new operator would install and maintain the new system for up to five years when the current contract ends in March.

Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at the council, said:

“We want to bring the safety of Swale residents and visitors across the borough back into our control, so the upgrade of 52 new cameras and Swale-based control room will be a key investment.

Our current cameras are coming to the end of their life span and don’t often provide clear enough images to help the police with prosecutions.

The new CCTV system will help us prevent and detect crime, provide quality evidence to the police for prosecutions and manage emergencies and major incidents.

If agreed, not only will the new system improve safety across the borough but will also provide cost savings that we can allocate to other safety initiatives.”

Swale Borough Council

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Vehicle Tyres Slashed - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/237942/19

Between Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th of December, all 4 tyres were slashed on a vehicle in Hasted Road, Newington.

If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.

For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk

Kent Community Messaging

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Santa’s Sleigh Round Returns to Upchurch

A big thank you to Santa for returning to Upchurch again this Christmas, courtesy of Upchurch Parish Council and Sittingbourne Christmas Lights Association.

All proceeds from this year’s collection will go towards Upchurch Village Hall.

Thanks to Cllr Richard Palmer for the photos.

Upchurch Matters

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Janey Hinton - Walking with Nature Calendar 2020

Lower Halstow photographer Janey Hinton has just produced another stunning new calendar for 2020. "Walking with Nature" features some of Janey's best photographs of local wildlife. Cards are also available and selected prints too.

Calendar £10
Cards £1.75 each or 3 for £5
A selection of prints is also available from £8

Walking with Nature 2020 calendars are available now.

To order yours for Christmas, please Email: jakalush1@btinternet.com

Janey says...

“I always find it a pleasure to see the nature that surrounds us and then there's a special moment, a thrill to see some of the unexpected or shy wonders that are present. This year for me it was the firecrest. Such a tiny bird - the smallest in the UK - and only resident in a few places. I wasn't always observant - I looked but didn't see - however with the camera in hand I learned to pace the walk differently, listen and pause.

Yes, I creep around. With that, I also found the joy of the overlooked fungi with so many species at our feet, if we just watch our step or even go off track and into the wood. Insects too are a wonder of colours and shapes. The thick legged flower beetle (Oedemera nobilis) is a great name and description for this beetle. As the advert says 'It does exactly what it says on the tin.'

So I hope you have fun and find joy as you explore your local environment and with a touch of luck (we all need that lucky moment) you too can see our amazing wildlife.”

To see more photos:
"Like" JJ Images on Facebook: www.facebook.com/JJImagesnature
"Follow" @jj.images on Instagram: www.instagram.com/jj.images

Upchurch Matters
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