20’s plenty campaign – private correspondence revealed by Council

Copies of Emails between Councillors and officials in York – exchanged in the run up to the launch of the wide area 20 mph speed limits in west York – have been published by the Council.20 mph sign

The exchange of Emails  can be viewed by clicking here

The project cost £600,000 to implement

The correspondence includes a request from Cllr Anna Semlyen for the use of a police radar speed gun (!)

This was the same Labour Councillor who argued that 20 mph speed limits should be introduced without consultation with residents.

Subsequently, as we now know, the new limits have had no effect on traffic speeds.

Acomb Wood Drive store theft – pictures released.

Police have released CCTV images of two people they would like to speak to in connection with a shop theft in York.

Acomb Stills

At around 6.45pm on 27 June 2014, a man and a woman entered Tesco on Acomb Wood Drive and took alcohol and food from the shelves before leaving the store without paying.

Acomb Stills 1 Displays a larger version of this image in a new browser window

Officers are appealing to anyone who recognises the people pictured in the images to contact them with information.

Anyone who can help officers with their enquiries is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 – select option 2 – and ask for PC Gemma Churchward or York police.

Alternatively, information can be emailed to gemma.churchward@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you prefer not to give your name, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111.

Please quote reference number 12140105226 when passing information about this incident.

 

Mobile speed camera locations for York area

Tadcaster Road included in checks

Below are the enforcement locations for North Yorkshire Police’s mobile safety cameras for week commencing 13 August 2014.

North Yorks speed camera vanThe safety cameras are now more visible then ever before with each of the three vehicles bearing the same hi-vis livery as North Yorkshire Police’s marked vehicle fleet. Photos attached.

All safety camera locations are published on the force website along with an explanation of the various route types.

Members of the public can now view the results of the safety camera enforcement activity on the force website. Up to date data for the previous week is uploaded every Tuesday which can be interrogated by route and date ranges. http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/10951

The mobile safety cameras will be in operation at the following sites at various times over the coming week. Cameras will not be in use all day, every day. The locations were accurate when this news release was produced.

Due to operating constraints, our mobile safety camera locations may change without prior warning.

  • The cameras operate at three difference types of site, these are:
    •Exceptional sites which are identified through the speed management protocol as being of community concern.
    •Motorcycle routes – route used by motorcycles that have a high incidence of collisions and anti social behaviour.
    •Killed or seriously injured – sites where people have been killed or seriously injured and where excess or inappropriate speed has been deemed to be a factor.

The list below now includes the site types.

  • A1237 Monks Cross, York – Motorcycle
  • A64 east-bound, Heslington York – Killed or seriously injured
  • A64 west-bound, Heslington York – Killed or seriously injured
  • A64 west-bound, Street Houses, Bilborough – Killed or seriously injured
  • Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York – Community concern
  • Strensall Road, Huntington, York – Community concern
  • Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, York – Community concern
  • Church Lane, Wheldrake – Community concern
  • Greenshaw Drive, Haxby – Community concern

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Make your home BurglarProof with new app

North Yorkshire Police has launched an online app to help you make sure you don’t become the victim of burglars.

NYP App Store

BurglarProof is a quick and easy step-by-step guide to help you assess your home’s security.

A quarter of all burglaries are carried out by opportunist thieves taking advantage of an unlocked door or window.

Homes that don’t have basic security devices, such as window locks and sturdy door locks, are far more likely to be broken into.

BurglarProof features:
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York river deaths report makes sober reading

Hot weather attracts more to river plunge

Man jump York Bridge

 

A report to a Council meeting next week, from the Safer York Partnership, confirms that there have been 24 deaths by drowning in York’s’ rivers over the last 15 years.

There were more deaths in the river Foss (14) than the river Ouse (10)

Of 6 deaths in the Ouse in the City centre area, 4 have been treated as accidental.

The report comes at a time when many young people are risking their lives by jumping off City centre bridges (see above).

The report says,

“Between 1999 and April 2014 there have been 24 deaths connected to rivers within the York district. Of the 24 deaths that have occurred 10 of them went into the River Ouse in York and 14 of them went into the River Foss in York.

Of these 10 deaths connected to the River Ouse, 4 of them did not enter the river in the City Centre and 6 of them did enter the river in the City Centre.

Of these 6 deaths that were within the city centre connected to the River Ouse; 2 are believed to have entered the river accidentally; 2 are believed to have committed suicide and 2 climbed barriers to jump in and drowned accidentally.

Between May 2013 and April 2014 there were approximately 35 other reported incidents to North Yorkshire Police that were connected to the river that involved some from of possible harm.

This figure is likely to be an underestimate due to difficulties in data retrieval and classification. The following are known about these incidents;

  • 4 incidents involving falls in to the river;
    • 20 incidents involving swimming in the river;
    • 11 incidents involving threatening to jump in the river;
    • Approx 1/3rd of incidents involved people under the age of 18;
    • There is no significant pattern by hour of the day;
    • Incidents are reported all year round but peak in July / August;
    • Reported incidents are mainly on the Ouse river;
    • Reported incidentsareatmanydifferent locationsontheriver,withkey locations being Lendal Bridge and Scarborough Bridge”.

      • ”

    Flares and smoke grenade amnesty in York tomorrow

    flares

    North Yorkshire Police’s Football Liaison Officers will be holding a Pyrotechnics Amnesty at Bootham Crescent this Saturday (12 July 2014).

    The initiative is being held with the support of York City Football Club to raise awareness of the dangers and the law around flares and smoke grenades which many people believe are harmless.

    A red bin will be placed outside the ground where fans can drop off any flares or smoke grenades ahead of Saturday’s game against Sheffield Wednesday.
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    Dim Council?

    in the dark

    York Council are planning to dim streetlights between midnight and 6:00am.

    Residents, in part of Council Leaders James Alexander’s Holgate ward, were used as guinea pigs in a trial earlier in the year.

    In January 2014 the council installed LED lighting in Hamilton Way, Collingwood Avenue, Stewart Road, and Amberley Street in Holgate with several being operated at 50-60 per cent.

    The Council Leadership claims that residents did not notice that lights had been dimmed.

    Problem is that there was no consultation and residents were kept in the dark (sic) about the trial.

    No data on crime levels was reported by the Council who claim that the programme was agreed by the Councils Cabinet on 1st July as part of its (no irony) “rewiring” project.

    In reality only passing reference was made to street lighting in a report which ran to over 100 pages.

    The Council says, “No comments or complaints were received on the varied levels of lighting throughout the trial”.

    Given the flaws in the Councils customer contact system this is hardly surprising. You can’t even report, through the Councils web site, a faulty street lamp let alone a “dim” one.

    The Council says,

    Behind closed doors logo

    “Over 1,500 lanterns in York will be replaced this year with a new ‘white light’ – providing a clearer light, which will help make people feel safer at night.

    The LED lantern conversions will be installed over a seven month period until January 2015, predominately in the following areas: Rawcliffe, Clifton, Huntington, New Earswick, Copmanthorpe, Bishopthorpe and Micklegate.

    The Wards that have been chosen are areas that house the highest number of 35watt low pressure sodium lanterns (orange light).

    The new lighting will also help make significant carbon, energy and cost savings.

    In addition to the new LEDS, lights will also be reduced by up to 50-60 per cent on streets between midnight and 6am when the traffic flow levels can be described as quiet. Although the level of lighting reduces this is still within current lighting level standards”.

    It is certainly possible to make some savings – and reduce carbon emissions – using more energy efficient systems and lighting cycles.

    Such a programme was started by the Council as long ago as 2008.

    However, the cost/benefit figures – produced by the Council – now do need further analysis

    And, of course, street lighting has a major role to play in tacking crime with back lanes and snickets likely to be particular problem areas when we get to dark winter evenings.

    The Council has been secretive in its approach and has played fast and loose with resident’s safety.

    They should be more open with their plans in the future.

    Police launch summer holidays competition for young people

    A competition for young people to win exciting prizes by making a difference in their community has been launched for the second year running.

    Launch of Lifestyle

    The Lifestyle competition is open to school children aged between 10 and 16 across York and North Yorkshire who want to do something positive for their community during the summer holidays.

    In return for helping their community, contestants will get the chance to win a host of prizes including PLG adventure holidays and mountain bikes.

    Last year’s winners include Team Community Spirit who raised funds for their local boxing club in Acomb, The Green Team who launched a campaign to re-use and recycle in York, Team Ice who organised the clean up of their local park in Sherburn in Elmet and Eastfield Youth Council from the Scarborough area who cleaned up The Dell and devised a campaign to encourage people not to drop litter.

    This year’s project was launched at Westfield Primary School in York with the help of Minster FM’s presenter “Griffo”.
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