Reporting of sexual crimes increasing – but other crime down

Insp_Mark Harling

AN increase in the reporting of sexual offences is on the increase in the Thame area, while more traditional crimes like burglary have been steadily decreasing.

This example of the changing nature of policing was just one aspect of a verbal update given to Thame Town Council, during its meeting on Tuesday, March 1, by Inspector Mark Harling and Sergeant Vicky Hosking of the Thame Neighbourhood Policing team.

The increase in the reporting of sexual offences is mainly down to people feeling more comfortable about reporting historical sexual offences, explained Insp Harling. Although there had been a steady reduction in crime over the last ten years, including in Thame, Community Police Officers are more likely these days, to have to deal with people suffering from mental illness or vunerable in other ways:”..those leading chaotic or dysfunctional lives.” The force does, however, work with other agencies in these incidences, he added.

As well as all this, his team had to be ready to deal with domestic and crime emergencies, and to help with major incidents like the recent tragedy at Didcot power station, protecting the scene and supporting in different ways.

Insp Harling was asked by a councillor if the force was ‘up to strength’. He said that it was, but that the Thame team was about to lose a member on maternity leave and that he hoped the post would be ‘back filled’.

“Whilst there is always 24 hour cover by shift officers at Thame, 52 weeks of the year,” he said, “I could not say that on any give shift how many officers there would be, and where there are gaps, PCSOs will come into that role for the occassional short gap.” At other times, he reported, officers would be called in from Abingdon or Didcot to help cover the sector which is 110 sq miles !

FRONT COUNTER COVER

Another councillor asked about front counter cover at Thame police station, which will cease altogether from April this year. Insp Harling explained that the use of the front desk had fallen considerably in Thame over recent times, and that the cost on average of £20 per person on the force was not sustainable. People were being encouraged to use the 101 phone service for lost-property and other non-urgent situations, he said, but that he was confident that anyone presenting at the station in dire need or fear, would not be turned away.

THAME STATISTICS

Sgt Vicky Hoskin there gave councillors some statistics for Thame area (includes Chinnor & Watlington) for the last period . These included:
* 10 Missing people
* 20 Adult Protection cases – some elderly people and some with mental health issues – usually dealt with by a Mental Health nurse on duty.
* Child Protection cases – often Domestic cases which are oftern referred to Social Services and specialist Domestic Services

PARKING

Always a hot topic in Thame, one councillor referred to vehicles parking on zig-zag lines near pedestrian crossings, particularly delivery drivers, who, the councillor thought, were being ignored by officers. Insp Harling replied that although PCSOs could tell them to move along, they do not have the authority to do more, because such offences are endorsable. “If the public report these incidents, we will deal with them,” he said.