Public meeting airs concerns over burglaries

Organised by the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Policing and Community Safety Partnership, the community engagement event saw local representatives from across the Lagan River district electoral area gather in Dromore Bowling Pavilion.

It was one in a series of district-wide community meetings to give locals the opportunity to engage with the PCSP and PSNI, who went along to answer questions and deliver a policing update for the area.

“The thing people are most concerned about at the minute,” said one Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator, “is the amount of burglaries, especially along the A1 corridor locally, and there were the usual concerns about anti-social behaviour in Dromore Park and behind the school at Kinallen.

“It was a good meeting, worthwhile, and I hope the things we talked about will materialise.”

Up for discussion was a general bolstering of the Neighbourhood Watch network, a briefing on the new neighbourhood policing teams coming into operation and plans for officers to routinely visit watch co-ordinators; also, moves towards interaction between co-ordinators over a much wider area with a view to sharing experience, and the reintroduction of a text-alert system advising co-ordinators of incidents in their respective areas.

Those attending were also given the opportunity to suggest issues they feel should be included in the PCSP’s new strategy.

A spokesperson said: “All members of the public are encouraged to have their say on the PCSP strategy, which will cover their local area for the next three years and for those who are unable to attend a meeting they can take part in an on-line survey which closes on February 1, via https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WBVRH5W.”