Ward priorities for March/April/May 2010 are:

- Burglary

- Street Drinking

- Flytipping

- Hassop Road

As you will see, the first 3 priorities remain the same as last month and Hassop Road has been added.

Hassop Road was added because enforcement of parking restrictions commences on 15 March. Hassop Road has numerous and various issues and in the past when problems have been dealt with it has been over a week or so and it was felt that some long term action was required and therefore added as a priority for 3 months to be reviewed at the next meeting.

Burglary continues to the biggest issue and there has been a spate recently in Exeter and Dartmouth Roads. There are also incidents of burglaries in Anson and the roads off it and this is felt because it is the A5 corridor with easy road access. 90% of the burglaries are during the day between 8.30 am and 5 pm , when there is no reply to a knock on the door, it is kicked in. It is suggested to leave a radio or light on. It would appear that often a vehicle is not involved so burglars are either taking small valuable items such as gold (as the price is so high) or stashing stolen items nearby or they live locally. Mapesbury Ward has the second highest burglaries in Brent with Queen's Park having the highest.

Street drinking problem has reduced. John Doocey of CHC had recently walked the area and only found one drinker in Mora Road. However, until Barnet have a CDZ it was felt this issue should remain a ward priority.

Flytipping is still a problem and the usual "hotspots" of Temple Road by Matalan, Agave Road and Oaklands Road. There are 3 mobile CCTV cameras for Brent and 2 of them have been vandalised awaiting repair. We requested this facility last year and we are on the wait list, after Kilburn who are next.

PC Phil Pask is leaving Mapesbury and a replacement has not yet been found. On Monday we are gaining an experienced PCSO moving from Willesden.

The SNT have a supply of SMARTWATER available free to all residents. This would cost you £50 if you were to purchase it from SMARTWATER. It is a liquid DNA which is dabbed on any valuable items such as jewellery, laptops, TVs - anything really. It is only visible under ultra violet light. In fact, when you enter Kilburn police station you pass through an ultra violet light. If you would like your valuables invisibly marked then contact the SNT and they will come to your home to do this and they process all the paperwork and send off your unique liquid to be registered so that if any of your items are stolen and found they can trace them to you.

Some of the discussion at this meeting is sensitive and involves undercover operations in progress. As it is not a public meeting, and if you are not an existing ward panel member and would like to attend future meetings, please email Sgt Jackson (email: Mapesbury.SNT@met.police.uk) so that there is representation across Mapesbury Ward.

Regrettably, John Hoskins who has been Chair of the Ward Panel since the inception of the SNT, and who also represents the GPCC, is moving away from the area and this is likely to be the last meeting he will attend. He will be greatly missed and we would like to thank him for all his hard work. Sgt Jackson proposed Marie Hancock, seconded by PC Phil Pask, who will act as an interim Chair.

The next meeting of the Mapesbury Ward Panel is on Thursday 10 June at 7.30 pm at CHC.