Aycliffe Neighbourhood Police Team Sergeant Mark Edwards continues his regular blog on Aycliffe Today…
It feels like it’s been some time has passed since the last blog – hopefully the ‘Meet Your Bobbies’ and ‘Day in the life of the Plod’ regular features have been just as informative.
The team have been coming up with various innovative ways of using QR (or Quick Response) codes of late – in short, an educational approach has been adopted to highlighting the dangers of alcohol misuse amongst the youth and the risks associated with playing with fire.
Most youths do not understand the long term effects and consequences of drinking underage and arson.
This is the first stage of a three phased initiative that went live last week.
Signs bearing a series of QR codes were distributed en masse across Aycliffe – each one linking to one of six sites, and the hope is that curious youngsters with their smart-phones will scan the thereby accessing information in relation to alcohol and arson.
Originally titled ‘QR Quest’ this scheme has been developed in partnership with 4Real, County Durham and Darlington Fire + Rescue Service, Durham Constabulary Alcohol Harm Reduction Unit, Balance amongst others.
I will provide updates via this forum and the Team’s other social medium (@Aycliffe_FiveO, @AycliffeNPT) as things progress.
We have seen an unfortunate spike in vehicle related crime over the past few weeks in Aycliffe and Middridge.
There have been 13 reported crimes of this type over a week period, areas hit have included Woodham’s ‘Yellow Estate’, Alverton Drive, Foxglove Close and Middridge.
It’s sad to say that many of these crimes have arose as a result of vehicles been left insecure with items on display in footwells, on seats etc.
For the opportunist thief skulking around in the dark during the early hours it only takes a second to try a car door and just a few seconds more to be in.
The team blitzed the Greenfields and Middridge areas last week where a large scale leaflet drop was conducted.
This wasn’t rocket science but merely a basic common sense leaflet raising awareness as to the issue and urging owners to secure their vehicles when parking.
This doesn’t apply to every crime but it does account for a significant percentage of them. So please…take note!
Aycliffe Today has been running a series of articles entitled ‘Meet Your Bobbies’ which is a way (we hope) of readers becoming familiar with their NPT – putting a ‘face to a name’ so to speak.
It’s worth checking out! So far, we’ve had PC’s Alan Thompson and Mike Welch and PCSO Richard Scott in the limelight, there’s still plenty more to come.
If you haven’t seen those articles please feel free to check out past features on the website.
Right, sales pitch over now back to business!
Court results time…
Henry Devlin, 49, from Aycliffe, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court charged with drink driving. He was fined £110, ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge, ordered to pay £50 court costs, and disqualified from driving or holding a licence for 12 months.
Stephen Boyes, 43, from Aycliffe, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on September 18 charged with assaulting two police officers. He was fined £400, ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay £250 court costs.
Until next time, Be good!
Mark J Edwards
Aycliffe NPT Sergeant