Inspector says tackling violence in Corby is her top priority

Inspector Julie Mead took over as sector commander for Corby less than three months ago but has already been out meeting key people in the borough and finding out what they want her and her team to focus on.

She attended a meeting of the full council to introduce herself and encourage councillors to get in touch with any issues.

Regular meetings are to be held with the council’s chief executive Norman Stronach to keep up-to-date with what’s going on and Insp Mead also recently met with Corby mayor Cllr Julie Riley.

Insp Mead said: “It’s been really good, I am settling in, finding out what’s been going on and who the main guys are.”

But as well as getting out and meeting people, Insp Mead has already started working on tackling what she has said is her main priority since returning to Corby.

She said: “The main worry with Corby is violence so violence is my priority here.

“We have increases in violence while things like burglary and anti-social behaviour have dropped.”

Insp Mead said Corby is the third highest in the county for violence and that is ‘not where we want to be.’

One of the first measures she has taken in a bid to cut violence is to introduce a night-time economy plan.

And she said: “What’s really refreshing is that the councillors and Community Safety Partnership are all behind that it is not just a police effort.”
She said ‘traditional’ policing where officers go along to break up fights is not enough so they are working with the pubs and doorstaff, trying to prevent incidents before they happen and working on ways to protect those who put themselves at risk through drinking.

As part of this, members of the Pubwatch scheme now have direct access to the police via a radio bought by the Community Safety Partnership.

Officers are also looking at specific dates when there could be the potential for trouble.

Insp Mead said: “Sunday night is fun night with bank holiday weekends.

“We know it happens which is why we have now got a van out on these days.”

Officers are working closely with the Street Pastors, including an initiative with the police cadets who will be raising money through bag-packing.

All the money they raise will be given to the Street Pastors, who will use it if they see someone who is vulnerable by getting a taxi for them and paying for them to get home safely.

Insp Mead said: “What I want to do is protect people from harm.”

She praised pubs including The Saxon Crown for using the Pubwatch radio and added: “With the night-time economy, stuff is going really well and feedback from the pubs is really good.”

Much of the work to tackle violence in Corby ties in with the force’s countywide initiative to cut violent crime, known as Operation Scorpion, and this will continue in the future, including use of the drug sniffer dogs in Corby.