Minutes:
Sgt Body introduced himself to residents as Local NPA Sgt and gave an overview of crime figures for Oadby. Burglary – in the last 100 days, 2023 – 37 burglaries, CSP funding and Safer Streets items were provided in response to these figures, 2024 – 16 burglaries, marked difference following previous years’ intervention. 2025 – 10 burglaries. Police actions, patrols, incentives and initiatives appear to be working in relation to burglaries which present as the main public concern. The detection rate for burglaries is unfortunately low, but seasonal sprees are a focus for the Police.
Vehicle Crime – including vehicle interference (stolen plates etc.) through to theft of motor vehicle 2023 – 24, 2024 – 16, 2025 – 18.
Shop Thefts – Dedicated officers have been working across the NPA to collate evidence of shop thefts, with criminal behaviour orders having been issued to some perpetrators, including bans from specific stores in the area.
Cannabis Warrants – A number have been undertaken over the last 6 months, with one house having over 400 plants growing in them. This is approx. £70k worth of cannabis removed from the streets. Sometimes police are criticised for not moving fast enough but there is a strict process that has to be following through evidence gathering, intelligence gathering, and via the courts. Reports can be made through the Police website and crimestoppers.
University of Leicester – Bike Register – Students were having bikes stolen from Halls of Residence. There is a higher chance of registered bikes being returned to their owners if stolen.
eBikes and eScooters – Working with schools around the legality of escooter use, with messages going out via the schools to parents. There are fire risks associated with aftermarket batteries.
School Parking Wardens – Local officers have been out with school parking wardens were possible, this is an action that needs to be balanced against other areas of work. This work will continue.
Social Media – Lots of comments and questions are being asked via social media, or in relation to social media posts. There is a lot of misinformation being shared regarding burglaries, or the same incident being raised multiple times which can inflate the perception of crime.
Speed Cameras – Raised by a resident. Data can be collected via speed guns by PCSOs which is passed to the Road Safety Team. Decisions on local placement sites etc. are not made by local NPA officers.
Oadby Industrial Estate – Car Cruises – Road Safety Team are aware of these and have action plans in place for the cruise dates. Section 59 notices have been issued to some drivers and ANPR cameras are in use by the police. A resident also raised an issue of speeding vehicles on the A6, suspected of racing, which appears to be a weekly occurrence – some of this is linked to the car cruises and the Roads Policing Team are aware. Residents are encouraged to report incident via 101 or the online form to build evidence and intelligence. A resident highlighted an incident on the Saturday before Christmas of a gathering of vehicles in laybys along the A6 which were entering the carriageway at speed; this wasn’t reported at the time.
Oadby Parade – Car Parking outside takeaways and around Chestnut Avenue – This is an ongoing issue which residents are growing frustrated with. The Police have attended the shops that are regularly linked to the vehicles to discuss and deter the parking. Vehicles parked on corners or dangerously the Police will attend. Reports need to be made via 101 or the online form in order to build intelligence. Parking Wardens are responsible for parking enforcement. Dangerous Parking refers to vehicles that block sight lines for other drivers, or poses a danger to members of the public. Blue Badge holders have dispensation to park on double yellows. Zig-Zag parking is a Police matter. Councillors have looked at placing planters outside of Bru to block vehicles accessing the pavement, this is awaiting funding. Cllr. Ridley noted that LCC employ traffic wardens, and that their website highlights that obstruction on the pavement adjacent to double yellow lines is still the responsibility of LCC’s wardens. Residents are frustrated with the lack of representation of LCC Highways at the Forum which is an ongoing issue. The Government has announced that local councils will be granted powers to remove obstructions from the highway, there is no timeline for this presently.
Domestic Violence – The increasing figures were queried. It was confirmed by Sgt. Body that reporting and recording of domestic incidents have changed, and an argument in the household could now be logged as a domestic incident without necessarily being violent. The NPA has a really high detection rate, one of the highest in the County, which also increases figures. DA Protection Notices are also being utilised by local officers and the courts locally. Data can be provided on detected crimes and positive outcomes.
CCTV Cameras – M Smith provided an overview of the redeployable CCTV units operated in the Borough and how they are moved around depending on seasonal crime trends and data-driven need.