‘Make park safe’ petition heads towards 15,000 signatures in just a day
With close to 15,000 people having already signed a petition only launched this week that demands CCTV in Alexandra Park Hastings Police have had special patrols in the park today.
A statement from Hastings Police this afternoon said: “Officers have been on patrol in Alexandra Park this morning, talking to members of the public, giving advice and reassurances. These patrols will continue throughout the day and night, if you see officers and want to discuss any issues then feel free to stop and have a chat.”
Clair Noble who has launched the petition and an associated Facebook group says: “In light of both past and recent events highlighting the need for better safety management and crime prevention within and around Alexandra Park I have created the group to discuss and share ideas to make Alexandra Park a safer place for the community.
“We are currently petitioning to have CCTV and appropriate lighting installed within the park, and regular police patrols.
“We are calling for CCTV monitoring of all of the main routes through the park, which are regularly used by everyone from families with children to the elderly.
“I wish for a place where everyone in our community can feel protected and safe while using it. Safety within the park was brought to my immediate attention last year when my best friend was attacked while walking her dog. The investigation has recently been dropped due to lack of evidence – the police said that appropriate CCTV footage would have strengthened the case!
‘What an amazing response in such a short space of time…’
“Sadly this case is not the only case of this nature within the Park, there have been many robberies, sexual assaults and attacks both during daylight and after dark. The park is situated within a highly populated area linking the town centre and St Leonards so is also often used as a bypass route for commuters. This is why I believe it is now time to do something to prevent further crime.
“Not only is CCTV and lighting essential in terms of gathering evidence in order to convict those who use the park for criminal activity, it also as a deterrent and should be there to keep all members of our community who use the park safe.”
Kay Early who was attacked in the park while walking her dog last year adds: “I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for all the support they have given me, the support you have shown your own community and also all the other victims. What an amazing response in such a short space of time, there are so many members on this group already and so many signatures on the petition. I feel inspired and ignited!
“We have a voice, we are a force, lets reclaim our community and its public spaces and lets live without fear.”
- Sign the petition here
- https://www.change.org/p/cctv-in-alexander-park-hastings
- Join the Facebook group here
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/421078112321057
Need cctv in whatlington way, Catsfield close and Bodiam drive to stop antisocial behaviour.
I realise there have been incidents, but thankfully they are rare. My wife and I use the park every day and have not once felt threatened. I very much doubt lighting or cctv would make any difference. The town centre has problems and has long had both. There is surprisingly little evidence that cctv or lighting makes and difference to crime. I think there is a danger that this campaign will needlessly frighten people from using the park.
Gone are the days of designated foot patrols, PCSOs with their own areas getting to know nearly every single member of our neighbourhoods, despite what people said about PCSOs, they truly were the eyes and ears of Policing and made a huge difference to the “Police Community Support” teams.
“Bobbies on the beat”, “Peelers”, speaking to people and just being a visual reassurance, a presence to prevent crime as Lenny is speaking about,
It should never be about stats and numbers to justify Policing, important as they can be, but thats what a Government wants so thats what has to happen to justify funding etc. It “should” be about The Prevention Of Crime, whats important to the every day person as in Anti Social Behaviour, Burglary, Theft, Criminal Damage, making people feel safe.
There are now more officers employed than ever before, but, there are now more departments dealing with vastly different types of crimes than ever before too. Cyber crime, sexual offences, drugs teams to name a few, these take officers from the streets but their roles are so very important too. There are only so many “Front Line” Response cops on duty at anyone time, most probably more people working for Uber in Hastings and Rother right now than there are “Front Line” cops…and thats scary, but dont blame the local Police Force, look at the Governemnt who have made the drastic cuts to officer numbers over the years and changd the way theyre employed and trained, and, decided to close Town centre Police stations early to the public, close Rural Police Station all together and move the Rural officers to the towns with officer mergers, thus leaving Rural villages and Towns more at risk, the only time Rural folk will see a copper is if theyre a victim of crime or seeing them whizz past on blues and twos, its as if Rural crime doesnt exist or happen anymore ?
Patrolling in cars is sadly a must due to the large areas that cops now have to patrol and be able to respond too, Hastings & Rother is a huge area, running to a job on foot to Camber … ?
The Government should open all Police Stations again, get back to neighbourhood Policing, train new officers at places like Hendon and one time Ashford Police training centres. Once theyve passed their initial few months of training, all new cops should be on foot patrol learning how to speak to adults and children, the vulnerable in society, gaining those much needed people skills, not gaining a degree in Policing, its life skills that matter and self discipline much like our Army boys.
Offcers should be taught to NEVER EVER pre judge ANYONE in society despite what theyve done wrong on the night. Theres a story behind every pair of eyes and door a cop walks in to. Treat and speak to people how you wish it be done to you, you cant go far wrong as a cop or every day person if you live by those simple rules.
Despite the BBC, SKY and all other media outlets running scaremongering lying bullshit stories on the Police, they all care and want to catch the dirty criminals robbing people, breaking in to your homes, stealing from your garages and sheds, preventing serious assaults and sex offences, most cops are off late every single shift, work weekends, Birthdays, Christmas and the Bank Holidays when everyone else is getting pissed and having a great time. But they do it because they love the job. Most cops would love to be back out out on th streets on foot burning off those much eaten doughnut calories !! Dont believe bullshit from SKY or BBC.
Robert Peel was the man who created the Police Force and i wonder what he would make of it today ?
The Police are the people and the people are the Police.
Is that how you all feel?
If not what would you like to see changed for the better ?