It's happening, because you tell us it is.

Villagers concerned about crime
Residents in two Nottinghamshire villages say anti-social behaviour has become so bad they are considering employing a private security firm.
An emergency meeting was called by villagers in Aslockton and Whatton after increasing reports of violence and nuisance behaviour.

Gaz Gallagher, who is from Whatton, said the villagers were fed up with verbal abuse and petty crime.

Police said they were working with the community to try to find a solution.

Drug taking

Mr Gallagher said: "We're cheesed off with the number of people depreciating our quality of life.

"We've had lots of little incidents of crime and vandalism, but lately we're getting serious assaults, drug taking and lots of excluded youngsters, and I feel we need to address these issues."

Pc John Neil from the Safer Neighbourhoods Team said he wanted to come up with a plan to tackle the problem.

"I want to look at setting up a local area group which is not necessarily run by police but by the community.

"I'll go away, research the residents' concerns and try to see how we will tackle them, then get together and see whether things have improved or not."

Pc Neil also urged people to come forward with problems. "A lot of people don't tell us what's happening, so please get in touch and tell me what's happening in the villages."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7147835.stm

Published: 2007/12/17 11:02:23 GMT

© BBC MMVII

I do not wish to sound critical of PC Neil, I am sure he is a very good officer, and I am sure his vocation in life is to prevent crime but does anyone else think it's odd that we have a situation where the modern version of the village bobby admits to not knowing what goes off in is village?

Perhaps instead of have a 'Safer Neighbourhood Team' the police should instead have bobbies living and walking the beat in the villages that they are supposedly looking after?