Oxford Blog

The Oxford Blog is a collection of diary entries, news, gossip and other Oxford related information.

Oxford City neighbourhood update
Neighbourhood Specialist Officers, PC Paul Phillips and PC Martin Wizard provide the lates Oxford City neighbourhood update:

The Oxford City centre Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) has now been up and running for several months. A number of issues have been raised by members of the community and targeted and addressed. Below are details of current problems being addressed within the neighbourhood.

Anti Social Behaviour
This priority has been broken down into two areas. The first being the night time economy within the City Centre, tackling late night violence, disorder and assaults. Dedicated patrols work very closely with door supervisors and support agencies such as licensing officers, trading standards and health and safety teams to provide a structured focus on City centre licensed premises. This is supported by high profile police patrols that visit licensed premises and patrol the City dealing robustly with incidents of disorder and anti- social behaviour. This is known as Operation BIRRIA.

The second area covers the remainder of the City centre such as residential neighbourhoods. With the presence of dedicated police community support officers (PCSOs) it has been possible to provide a high profile visible presence in the areas of concern, such as Friars Wharf estate and the area around the Night Shelter in Luther Court, Oxford. This has helped reduce the incidents of anti-social behaviour and provide support and re-assurance to residents and people within that neighbourhood.

Drug issues
Drug activity has been identified as talking place in the following areas – The Spider in Upper Fisher Row, Oxpens Field opposite the College of Further Education and the night-time scene in Oxford City centre. These issues are being dealt with by way of high visibility patrols and also by working closely with local agencies to address issues such as overgrown shrubbery that may be used to shield people using drugs in isolated locations. With regard to licensed premises, work is undertaken closely with door supervisors who search customers going into premises; this is supported by a dedicated drugs dog operation on nominated days.
Intelligence and information regarding drugs issues locally are always being reviewed. As a result of which drugs warrants will take place at premises that are identified with these issues. It is important that you, as members of the community, let the neighbourhood team know of your concerns so that positive action can be taken to address them.

University issues
We are currently in the process of training four PCSOs to work within the university and equipping an office within the Bodleian library. Once this process is complete the PCSOs should be fully operational around the middle of April.

The areas affected by graffiti will shortly be cleaned up, If any new graffiti appears in the neighbourhood, please report it to us so we can photograph the tags to identify any offenders and arrange for the tags to be removed. If you have any information that you would like to pass to your neighbourhood team please contact them by telephone 08458 505 505, by email to oxfordcity@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk or contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Posted : 02/04/2008 15:08:43

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