As part of our ongoing work with the local Police, we were invited by Devon and Cornwall Police to join Sergeant Mike Giarchi-Faulkner for a night shift on Friday 30th October. The aim of the night was firstly for us to learn a bit about the work of the Police, and secondly to see first-hand some of the issues caused by the night-time economy on North Hill and Mutley, and in particular any issues surrounding University of Plymouth students. Key issues here are obviously the safety of our students, but also problems of noise or disorderly behaviour, particularly around residential areas.
So, on Friday 30th October at 8pm after a full day of work at UPSU, we found ourselves sat in a briefing for the Friday night shift – operation ‘Talon.’ After the briefing we were planning to go and see a local resident to follow up on a series of complaints made to Mike, but as soon as we reached North Hill we received a call to support some PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) and were plunged into our first “blue light” driving experience. Speeding down Alexandra Road at 75mph in a transit van was fairly exciting but we were certainly glad when it was over. After that, we did manage to talk to the local residents, who were very pleased to see us getting involved with the work of the Police. Likewise, it was good to hear some stories and ideas from people outside of our usual contacts.
During the course of the night we also visited the Shekinah Mission, just off Union Street, which on a Friday and Saturday night is a base for Paramedics to provide first aid and the Police to take statements quickly and easily as soon as an incident takes place, to enable people to get on with their night out if they were a witness. We also visited the CCTV control centre for the city, which covered everywhere from the Barbican to Efford. One thing that it did highlight was a lack of coverage of North Hill on the main Police network of cameras, which is a significant concern as far as student safety goes. The University liaises with the Police, and can share footage, but this can sometimes take time. Mike told us that the Police had put up half of the money, and have requested the second half from the University. We have pledged to lobby the University on your behalf for this, as we can see real value in the installation of a camera on North Hill – especially as there has been a rise in violent crime on North Hill recently.
Overall, it was quite a quiet night on North Hill and around Campus, which Mike and Jim put down to the horrible weather and the fact that Halloween was the following day! However, we did discuss a number of issues with regards to the high density of student residents in the area, particularly noise and student safety.
But what it boils down to is that students have to take a bit of responsibility for themselves – at the end of the day there is only so much that the Police and UPSU can do, both to protect students and to maintain healthy relationships with the non-student community.
UPSU volunteers, Sports Clubs and Societies do a lot of great work in the local community and for charity, but that is little consolation to an elderly resident of Winifred Baker Court Residential Home (it’s behind Cuba…) who is kept awake until 5am by irresponsibly drunk people.
It’s also about your safety. If you drink so much that you lose control of your body, how can you be sure you’ll get home safely?
Here’s a little video from the night:
I guess the take home messages that we would like to pass on from our experience that night are:
- Drink Responsibly! I know you hear it often enough, but ultimately you’re more safe if you are alert to what is going on around you…and actually, your friends probably aren’t big fans of carrying you home!
- Be aware of local residents – There are many people, both students and non students, who are asleep whilst you are out on the town. Please be aware of this, and keep the noise down when you are out walking between venues.
- Respect the Police – We saw first-hand how dedicated the Police are to keeping both students and non-students safe on busy Friday and Saturday nights. If you are asked to move on, or quieten down, please do so!
If you want to contact any of us…
Mike – michael.giarchi-faulkner@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
Aleshia – president@upsu.com
James – vpactivites@upsu.com
www.drinkaware.co.uk
James
