PC 193 Lee Howell is a 'local lad', from Great Yarmouth and now living in the south of the Borough. Lisa Davies, community reporter, caught up with him yesterday to talk about some of the issues faced by the local community and its police.
Lees responsibilities as a beat officer include engaging with shops, schools and organisations in the area. He also works with youngsters and adults who have been in trouble in the past finding ways to interact positively. There is an emphasis on confidence building in all he does in the area.
Five or six years ago things were very different on the estate. At that time there were many youth problems. An positive approach was looked for to overcome these problems and it was decided that the authorities would listen to the youngsters to find out what problems they were experiencing and try to overcome them. By doing this many of the so called anti social behaviour issues have gone away.
Lee has noted a real change in the levels of respect shown on the estate these days. Lee says this is not just respect for authority, which must be a two way thing, but respect for themselves as individuals and respect for each other.
A problem for Lee is that it can take considerable time to build up a rapport with shops etc, he believes it can take up to 18 months. With young people it can be an even longer process building the trust needed for positive engagement, sometimes as long as 2 years.
Many of the young people on the estate now call PC Howell by his first name which Lee feels is positive, although some revert to PC Howell when they know they've done something wrong!
Anti social behaviour and shoplifting are both down - between 50 and 60% in the last 3 years. CCTV and SIRCS have both helped but Lee believes simple initiatives can really work. He cites the bushes on Magdalen Green being cut back and thinned out which has stopped the problem drinking on the green. 5 to 6 years ago anti social behaviour was one of the biggest problems in the area - nowadays it is negligible and the crimes reported tend to be around parking on yellow lines and grass verges.
Lees latest project will be a community sit and relax garden at the Methodist church on Magdalen Way. This has been agreed by the Church Council and will hopefully be picked up by MESH (Magdalen, Elmhurst and Shrublands) and the MCA (Magdalen Community Association).
Of these two groups Lee says that MESH has been really helpful to his work and is successful at sourcing funding for local organisations within the Mag. MCA has revived recently to become a vibrant group once more looking to help the communities within the area.
Lee believes that discretion, a common sense approach to policing and Restorative Justice have given good results in terms of not reoffending.
Many people are worried about the effects of possible cutbacks to the local policing. Lee wants to assure local people that SNTs (Safer Neighbourhood Teams), which have made an enormous difference to the confidence and safety of local people, will remain in place. PCSOs (community support officers) will also remain in place. Peoples confidence in their ability to stop and talk to a 'bobby on the beat' has led to a better environment for everyone.
Lisa Davies
Community Reporter
