NPT Sergeant Mark Edwards continues his regular blog on Aycliffe Today…
It’s time again for a bit of blue, Aycliffe Blue that is.
The team will be engaged in several community events upcoming.
This Sunday sees the Newton Aycliffe 10K Road Race and 3K Fun Run commencing in Greenfields at 9.30 am.
The team have supported this event for the last few years and love to cheer on the participants.
This year’s race actually falls on a day off for the NPT however everyone will be coming in on duty as a continued show of support. I hope this demonstrates to our community how committed we are to the area we serve.
The team’s principal role will be in maintaining the road closures at key points along the route.
For the information of local residents, those roads that will be closed will be Burnhill Way from Greenfield Way, Meadowfield Way/Burnhill Way junction, Burnhill Way/Burn Lane roundabout, Bluebell Way/Burn Lane junction, and Greenfield Way/Alston Crescent junction.
The event is scheduled to finish at approximately 11.30 am at which time the above mentioned roads will be re-opened.
Another forum where the NPT will be present at is the ‘Meet The GAMP Team’ day at the town centre Community Shop (next to the Post Office) on Tuesday 18th June between 10am and 2pm.
For those querying ‘GAMP’ – this stands for the Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership and is the Area Action Partnership (AAP) for our area. AAP’s allow people to have a say on services, and give the various organisations the chance to speak directly with local communities.
Working in partnership ensures that the services of a range of organisations – including the county and town and parish councils, police, fire, health, and voluntary organisations – are directed to meet the needs of local communities and focus their actions and spending on issues important to these local communities.
The NPT recently applied to GAMP for funding for a community safety crime prevention project for which we were successfully awarded just short of £5000.
This has allowed us to order crime prevention equipment such as shed alarms, warning signs, UV property marking pens, anti-purse dipping bells, a variety of bike marking tools, amongst other things.
Over recent weeks the team have been out and about in areas identified as potentially vulnerable or where there have been reported crimes – Aycliffe Today recently reported on such an event in Burdon Close area.
The team will be distributing such items to members of the community at the ‘Meet The GAMP Team’ day next Tuesday so please feel free to come along.
Stocks are naturally limited so the numbers of items to be supplied will be restricted to one per household.
As for the team itself now and I’m afraid I bring bad news. PCSO Scott Hodgson will soon be departing the team to take up a new role as an investigator within the Crime and Justice Command’s Prisoner Handling Team.
The date of his departure is yet to be confirmed however I will keep you all updated. Scott is one of the longest serving members of the team and will be sadly missed when he goes.
There will be internal changes within the team as a result with Officers swapping beat areas – again details will be furnished in due course.
Now onto some court results…
Caroline Michelle Murdoch, 30, from Spennymoor, was convicted at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on 7th June for fraud related offences. She was discharged conditionally for 12 months, ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Robert James Chambers, 33, from Aycliffe, was convicted at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on 5th June for drink driving on Burnhill Way back in April. He was fined £110, ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Ross John Porter, 25, from Aycliffe, was convicted at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on 4th June for theft of biscuits and a milkshake from the Co-Op on Neville Parade back in April. He was fined £100, ordered to pay £3.95 compensation to the Co-Op, ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.
That’s it for now, plenty to digest. Whether you agree or disagree with the whole ‘name and shame’ campaign I would like to highlight that all of those convicted at Court are a matter of public record and therefore in the public domain.
Whether you approve or disapprove with the sentences is a matter of opinion. I like to report the facts as they are in this forum. ‘Just the facts ma’am..’
Be good!
Mark J Edwards
Aycliffe NPT Sergeant
