Mark Ranola
Pick up any newspaper today, or read any news bulletin, and you will find that most of the information related to crime will be about county drugs lines and knife related violence.

This quite rightly has become a focus for the government and for the police and how they can respond to this seemingly growing problem.
These headline incidents can happen in any community and it is only just over one year ago that Richard Hardy was stabbed to death in Farnborough, which was drug related, so in Rushmoor, residents will need no reminding of this, however, the Richard Hardy case was isolated and not gang related. Whilst there is a need in all communities to tackle violent crime, where partnership approaches are required, it is equally important to stay focussed on local matters and how these affect residents.

The gang related violence and county drug lines are a particular problem in certain cities – London and Birmingham, to name two, and of course the county drug lines crop up in some of our quieter communities, but in general, these are not matters which are the main problem in all communities, therefore the voice of local residents must not be drowned out by the headlines.

Policing in the UK has always been by consent, meaning that the police respond to what matters to local people. This is true also in areas where violent crime does occur, so whilst there needs to be a focus on the more serious crime, the needs of others cannot be ignored.

In times of limited resources, then it will be necessary to direct the resources available to the most serious issues, however, in other areas, and I would include Rushmoor as one of these, there is still the ability to direct police resources to local problems.

Take for example a resident who lives in an area where youths gather, drink alcohol, cause minor damage and shout and swear, which happens often. This resident may read the national headlines, but the issue most urgent for them is to address the problem of the youths, who will keep them awake late at night, cause damage to their home and make them fearful of going out.

This is just one example to demonstrate the need to have community policing with their feet on the ground, tackling local problems, because like a dripping tap, it becomes worse for these residents and has an impact on the quality of their daily lives.
Additionally, groups of youths gathering are sometimes referred to as `gangs` and in most areas this is not the case, they are simply groups, however, attention grabbing headlines alter perceptions of residents, so this can add to their fear, so for them to see patrols by police officers and police community support offices is important to reassure them.

Community policing is not about dealing with problems alone and problems like the one in the example above, will need a partnership approach, where other organisations, such as the Youth Offending Team, local council, Children`s Services and other support services, some of them voluntary, will need to become involved.

I am currently dealing with a small group of 15 year old boys. These are out during the night, going missing and committing crime, where they are stealing from cars and stealing motorbikes to joy ride and pedal cycles. This activity means they will not in regular education. It also indicates that there will be matters to address in their homes, including parenting. The types of crime they are involved in clearly means that they are exposed to dangers to themselves, but also that they may be involved in drugs, where theft often funds this habit.

For these youths, there will need to be a response to their criminal behaviour, but at the same time, it is essential to engage with their families and identify what has led to the current situation and to bring in the relevant support services to tackle any underlying problems.
For these youths, it is far from too late; they are still young and with a future ahead of them. The same can be said for the youths I have referred to in the earlier example and although in times of austerity, solutions are harder to achieve, there is still a mechanism in the partnership work that is done to seek ways of preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.
Namaste.
PC 1860 Mark Ranola.
Yateley Police Office.
101 (mark.ranola@hampshire.pnn.police.uk)