Residents and businesses in Basildon are being invited to find out more about crime and community safety in the district at a public meeting chaired by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst.
At the meeting people can put their questions to Roger and a panel of senior representatives from Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Basildon Borough Council. Issues expected to be addressed include:
- Drug driven violence and knife crime
- Anti-social behaviour
- Crime and disorder in town centre
- Fire and rescue concerns
The meeting is taking place on Tuesday 17
th of January, in St George's Suite, Basildon Centre, St Martin's Square, SS14 1DL Basildon Council Offices, from 7pm to 8pm. If people can’t make it in person, the event is also being live streamed on the PFCC’s Facebook page.
Roger will be joined on the panel by Ch/Insp Dan McHugh, Essex Police, South West Group Manager Mark Eaglestone, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Elaine Navin from Basildon Borough Council.
Roger said: “Being able to hear directly from local communities about any concerns they have or issues they are experiencing helps us understand what more we can do to make people feel safer.”
“Our public meetings are also a great way to brief residents on how we are working together with a range of partners to deliver the priorities laid out in the Police and Crime Plan and the Fire and Rescue Plan.
“Funding for more police officers, helping those suffering from domestic abuse, protecting vulnerable people and tackling gangs and serious violence are a few examples of how we are making this happen. Attendees can also hear from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service on the excellent prevention work they are doing in Basildon to reduce the risk of harm.”
At the meeting, attendees can hear about crime tackling initiatives such as ongoing work by police and partners to tackle drug driven violence and knife crime. By conducting multiple search warrants for controlled drugs, a number of people have been charged, and millions of pounds worth of drugs have already been removed from the streets of Basildon.
The Community Policing Team have also been focussing on tackling anti-social behaviour, vulnerability, crime and exploitation in specific areas in Basildon. You can hear more about this at the meeting.
If people can’t make the meeting in person, it will live streamed on the PFCC’s Facebook channel, where residents can watch live on the night and post questions in the comments. Alternatively, they can submit their questions in advance by emailing them to pfcc@essex.police.uk
