In the Public Eye• TheConstabularyattendedCarFestNorthatOultonParkfromAugust2-4tospeaktospectatorsaboutroadsafety.TheeventwasheldinaidofChildreninNeed.

• TheBBChavebeenfilmingofficersfromtheSpecialConstabularyfortheprogrammeFirstTimeRecruits,duetoairinSpring2014.

• Cheshire’scustodyprocesshasbeenpraisedbytheHMICfollowingarecentsurpriseinspection.ThereviewofcustodyfacilitieswascarriedoutinApril2013.

• ConstableClaireFordhasbeennominatedforthisyear’sPoliceBraveryAwards.ClaireriskedherlifewhenshedraggedamanandwomanfromahousefireinSeptember2012.

• ThePoliceandCrimeCommissioner’smobileappwasofficiallylaunchedonMonday,July22.

• PCCJohnDwyerhasbeencarryingoutabusinesscrimesurveyacrossthecounty.TacklingbusinesscrimeisoneofthekeyprioritiesfromhisPolice&CrimePlan.

• ThePCChasalsobeenaskingthepublicabouttheirexperienceofstopandsearchtoinformthegovernmentreview.

YOUTHAmbassadorDominicRogersstartedworkonMonday,July15.

So far, Dominic has met with a number of youth charities and organisations - including the Catch 22 charity and Warrington Youth Club - to understand the work they do in the community.

He has also been raising

awareness with young people about the importance of staying safe on the internet.

The role of Youth Ambassador involves working alongside young people to prevent them from becoming victims of crime, working with young offenders to reduce re-offending, and assisting the Commissioner with

the development of the Police & Crime Plan to ensure young people are represented.

Dominic has previous experience of working with young people as a learning support assistant at a Cheshire high school, in youth centres and as a football coach.

Busy summer schedule of events policing

Ambassador begins work in the community

THECONSTABULARYisnearingtheendofabusysummerscheduleofeventspolicing.

The Chester Races season passed without serious incident and the policing operation was well received by the public and race-goers. Film crews from Channel 5 accompanied local officers during the race meets, and a documentary about policing the night-time economy of Chester will be broadcast in November.

Recent months have seen officers supporting a number of other sporting events, including the Warrington vs. Widnes rugby league match, British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park and various half-marathons across the county.

Officers have also been involved in policing music events across the county, including this year’s Creamfields festival -

which was attended by 55,000 people. The Constabulary worked closely with the organisers and other agencies to ensure it ran safely and smoothly - and to minimise any impact on the local community. A total of 82 people were arrested over the course of the weekend.

Local officers also supported the RHS Flower Show at Tatton

Park, as well as numerous local festivals and other events.

Despite this demanding calendar, the Constabulary found time to support the G8 summit in Northern Ireland and assisted PSNI with policing during parade season.

The Constabulary is now preparing for the upcoming football season.

Issue 2S e p t e m b e r

2013

Drink drive campaign sees fall in arrestsFIGURESpublishedinAugustrevealthatacrossCheshire,112motoristswerearrestedaspartofamonthlongoperationtotackledrinkdriving

Men under 30 years old continue to be the main offenders but, with arrests down by 28% on June last year, this shows a move in the right direction.

Assistant Chief Constable, Ruth Purdie said: “The outcome of the 2013 summer drink driving campaign shows the excellent work, and tenacity of our officers in keeping our roads safe. By stepping up enforcement measures, this has allowed us to take a hard line on drink and drug driving by identifying those motorists who are still not heeding our warnings.”

The summer campaign was heightened this

year, with a further 91 blood alcohol tests carried out by the roadside. Compared with the same period last year, more people were breathalysed than in 2012 but fewer arrests were made (1,926 alcohol tests in June 2012 resulting in 156 arrests).

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, John Dwyer said: “It’s clear that whilst certain people across Cheshire have ignored the ‘don’t drink or drug drive message’, I’m delighted to see that lots of people have taken heed and listened. This is shown in the number of drink drive arrests being down in the county.

“One of my aims is to make Cheshire’s roads safer by reducing road traffic collisions, fatalities and serious injuries that still occur on our roads. I’m heartened by the fact that

this message is hitting home.” Drivers were also tested for being under

the influence of drugs. Across Cheshire, 18 drug driving (or field impairment) tests were carried out and seven arrests made.

Raids across the county in day of actionMOREthan30warrantswerecarriedoutonhomesandpremisesinJulyaspartofanoperationtodisruptcriminalactivityacrossthecounty.

Operation ImpACT resulted in more than 23 arrests and the seizure of drugs and cash, with the aim of sending a clear message to criminals that officers could soon be breaking down their door.

As part of the operation, Cheshire Police called on members of the local community to report criminality in their area so that officers can act on the intelligence

Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie said: “The key to police action against crime

is intelligence and this is where we rely on people who live or work in Cheshire to play their part in helping us to make our streets safer.

“Local people are best placed to spot the signs of criminal activity such as drug dealing and we need them to step forward and tell us what they know.

“We must all ask ourselves the question ‘is there someone living in my community whose lifestyle doesn’t fit with the facts we know about them’, and question how they are generating enough money to support their lifestyle.”

“We rely on people who live or work in Cheshire to play their part in helping us to make our streets safer.”

THElaunchoftheCommissioner’sCrimePreventionFundreleaseda£100,000fundforcommunitygroupsandorganisationstoapplyforfundingforcommunitysafetyandcrimepreventionprojectsinthelocalcommunity.

The Commissioner intends to double the impact of his money by asking applicants to obtain match funding to support their project.

Projects will need to support the objectives set out in the Police & Crime Plan, address the needs of victims or witnesses, or tackle re-offending.

A number of applications have been received and the first successful bids will be announced in the near future.

Crime Prevention Fund launchedLASTNovembertheCommissionerstarteda“RootandBranch”reviewoftheConstabulary.

He challenged the Chief Constable to look at every aspect of the force and identify savings that would help to further strengthen services to the public and meet the financial challenges ahead.

The findings from this fundamental look at the organisation are starting to emerge and will inform budget choices in the future.

All aspects of operational policing have been reviewed and, whilst no decisions have been made yet, neighbourhood policing and visible presence on the streets will be central to the proposals, including enhanced opportunities for the public to contact the police using new digital technology.

The Chief Constable has also confirmed he has looked at the whole organisation, and been through the budget in detail to reduce costs. Savings in more cost effective specifications for goods and services, fuel, and the way we operate the estate will all be achieved to reduce the impact on staffing budgets as much as possible.

These proposals are at an early stage and further details will be available as they are developed.

‘Root and branch’ review

Western news

Eastern news

Northern news

• Three men have been sentenced to more than six years behind bars for their part in the supply of drugs in Winsford. Operation Mecan was a pro-active investigation into the supply of cocaine and cannabis, carried out by Cheshire’s Force Crime Operations Unit between May and September 2012.

• A prolific burglar, who targeted Chester and Ellesmere Port over a two-month period, has been jailed for five years. Graham Smith, 34, of Ellesmere Port, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, August 21.

• Officers in Ellesmere Port organised three family fun days which took place in August. The free events were well received by the local community and provided young people with activities during the school summer holidays. Activities included a bouncy castle, live music, arts and crafts and displays from a parkour group.

• Detectives investigating the death of Christophe Borgye in Ellesmere Port have charged two men with his murder. Officers discovered human remains after searching an outbuilding of a house in May 2013.

• A Macclesfield burglar, who broke into the home of an elderly man as he slept, has been jailed for two years and eight months. On Sunday, August 11, Michael King, 33, climbed in through the front room window of a 76-year-old man’s sheltered accommodation and ransacked his home while he slept. He was caught by police the next day trying to sell the stolen property. He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, August 27.

• Police in Nantwich recently ran an operation to target people who use the roads to commit crime, and those who choose to drive without tax or insurance. A number of drivers were dealt with for offences such as no insurance, no tax, defective lights, not wearing seatbelts and illegal use of mobile phones. A number of vehicles have also been seized by police, including a suspected stolen motorcycle.

• Local PCSOs have helped to organise fishing competitions for young people. The events took place in Nantwich on Thursday, July 25 and Macclesfield on Friday, August 23.

• A Widnes man has been jailed for four years after attacking a woman. Patrick Sullivan was sentenced on Wednesday, August 21 during a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court. The 51-year-old was found guilty of assault with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence.

• A man has been charged with manslaughter following a serious assault in Warrington. The incident took place outside Chevvies Public House on Manchester Road on Friday, August 9. John Edward Lowe, aged 46, has been remanded into custody to appear at Warrington Crown Court on Monday, September 2.

• Two prolific burglars have been sentenced within a week of each other. David Alexander, 20, from Runcorn, was jailed for three years and six months after pleading guilty to eight offences. Sean Meadows, 24, from Widnes, was sentenced to three years and seven months imprisonment for an attempted burglary in Runcorn.

‘Think’ car educates young people on road safety

Future initiatives

In the dock

• A man who brutally murdered and mutilated a Cheshire businesswoman was sentenced to 34 years for murder. David Ryan, 48, from Hale, was found guilty of the murder of 54-year-old Diana Lee following an eight week trial in July 2013. The year long Operation Springfield was led by the Major Investigation Team with support from the Eastern Area.

• Paul Ward, 27, faced trial for the murder of Eric Tomkinson, 26, at Chester Crown Court. He was found guilty of manslaughter and on Wednesday, July 10 was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

• A convicted fraudster has been told to pay back £3m. Duncan Adamson, 52, from Aldford, near Chester, has been ordered to pay back an extra £1.7m of his ill-gotten gains after shares he owned increased by more than 600%.

• The emergency services Community Engagement Day is due to take place on Sunday, September 22 at Police HQ, Winsford.

• An enforcement initiative targeting uninsured drivers will take place throughout September.

• The North West Motorway Police Group is planning a Day of Action, due to take place in October.

• The Constabulary will take part in a national alcohol awareness initiative in September, timed to coincide with Fresher’s Week.

• Policing operations will be put in place across Cheshire to tackle anti-social behaviour during the Mischief Night and Halloween period at the end of October and into November.

THROUGHOUTthesummermonthsCheshirePolicehavebeenusingthe‘Think’carasaplatformtoeducateyoungpeopleonroadsafety.

The badly damaged vehicle, which was involved in a fatal collision, has been taken to a number of events across the county to demonstrate the potential consequences of drink driving.

This included appearances at the University of Chester, Cheshire Show and CarFest North at Oulton Park.

The car was donated to the emergency services by a family whose son was tragically killed in a road collision in Cheshire less than three years ago.

Their son was slightly over the legal alcohol limit but had not been speeding - the vehicle at impact was estimated to be only 43mph in a 60mph speed limit.

The car is used as a tool by Cheshire

Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service to warn people about what could happen if they get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

Road Safety Officer Dave Murray said: “The vehicle provides us with an opportunity to show people of all age groups just how little alcohol it can take to put someone over the limit.

“The courage and bravery of the driver’s family who support the use of the ‘Think’ car in this way can only be admired. It offers a degree of comfort that something positive can be achieved from such tragic circumstances.”

The ‘Think’ car will be on display at the Wilmslow Motor Show on Saturday, September 7 and the emergency services Community Engagement Day on Sunday, September 22 at Winsford Police HQ.

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