Cumbria Police campaign against Child Sexual Exploitation

Cumbria Constabulary is committed to preventing child sexual exploitation, helping victims and bringing offenders to justice. It is a crime that can affect any child, anytime, anywhere - regardless of their social or ethnic background.

It involves offenders grooming young people and using their power to sexually abuse them. It can take many forms, whether it occurs through a seemingly 'consensual' relationship with an older boyfriend, or a young person having sex in return for attention, gifts, alcohol or cigarettes.

Sexual exploitation is child abuse and, although they may not realise it, it puts the young victim at huge risk of damage to their physical, emotional and psychological health.

Many young people who are being abused do not realise they are at risk and will not call for help. They may see themselves as willing participants when in fact their behaviour is anything but consenting. And, while there is no stereotypical victim of exploitation, there are warning signs in children's behaviour that may indicate something is wrong – and if you know what you're looking for, you can take steps to help them.

Read more and how to help keep our young people safe:https://www.cumbria.police.uk/Advice-Centre/Personal-Safety/Child-Sexual-Exploitation.aspx

Anyone with concerns about child sexual exploitation can contact Cumbria Police on 101. In an emergency always dial 999.

Notice from the Parish Council

It has come to the Council's attention that horse manure is being dumped beside the roads at many different locations in the parish. As fly tipping, it is a criminal offence under the terms of The Clean
Neighbourhood and Environment Act. This unsightly and noxious mess is now attracting other forms of fly tipping.The council asks residents to be watchful and if the offender is seen carrying out this offence that the vehicle registration is taken and reported to the Police (call 101) or South Lakeland District Council (01539 733333) so appropriate action can be taken.

Cumbria's new Police & Crime Commissioner

In the first PCC elections in November, Richard Rhodes was returned as the first PCC for Cumbria. As time goes on we will no doubt see him out and about, he may possibly even manage to visit small villages like ours, but in the meantime, if you want to contact him, here are some handy links:

Cumbria Police & Crime Commissioner website: http://cumbria-pcc.gov.uk/

Cumbria PCC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cumbriapcc

If you wish to contact the Police and Crime Commissioner please do so using the contact information below:

Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner
Carleton Hall
Penrith
Cumbria CA10 2AU

Telephone: 01768 217734
E-mail:commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk

Cumbria PCC candidate info now online

Leaflets for the various candidates are slowly going out, but it's a mammoth task covering the whole of the county, so if you've not had information about the candidates, why not pop along to the Choose My PCC website (set up by the Home Office) http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/candidates/area/cumbria where you can find summaries of each candidate and their election addresses.

Who are Cumbria's Police Commissioner Candidates?

We've been asked who the candidates are who are standing in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections for Cumbria on Thursday 15th November, so here is a screenshot showing the official list as published by the Returning Officer at SLDC.(Click to view a larger version.)

The Polling Station for Burton is Burton Memorial Hall, and voters on the list should have received a Poll Card through the post by now. If you haven't had one, nor arranged a postal or proxy vote, you need to contact the Electoral Registration Officer as soon as possible to ensure you will be able to vote on the day, or if you're not on the Voting Register complete the form you can obtain here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/registering_to_vote.aspx or https://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/electoral_registration_applica.aspx and send it into the Electoral Registration Officer as soon as possible.

Contacts:
Electoral Registration Officer
South Lakeland District Council, South Lakeland House
Lowther Street, Kendal, LA9 4UQ
Tel: 0845 050 4434

Confused about the PCC Election?

The Electoral Commission website has provided 2 helpful pages about the voting process for the new Police and Crime Commissioner on 15 November. http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/pcc.aspx and  http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/voting_systems/police_and_crime_commissioner.aspx

It's especially useful to watch the video they have provided, which explains you can vote for two candidates - a first choice and a second choice, so that's one X in each of the two columns on the ballot paper.



http://youtu.be/PptcuCdSur0

Once elected, the Police and Crime Commissioner will serve until May 2016, a term of 3½ years.

The Electoral Commission has produced a booklet about the election of the Police & Crime Commissioners, a copy of which should be delivered to every household before the 2nd November. However, you can also download a PDF version of the booklet using the link here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/PDF/PCC-booklet-public-info-FINAL-ENGLAND-English-web.pdf

More information on the candidates standing, including copies of their statements, may be found online from 26th October on the Home Office website  http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/ or you can pre-order printed copies by calling 0800 1 07 07 08. The Electoral Commission also has a Helpline if you have questions about the election, where you can talk to a real person, call 0800 3 280 280. Both calls are free from a landline, charges from a mobile phone will vary depending on your service provider.

Election or non-event? You choose!

Why does the Home Office think that having the information about candidates for the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections on Thursday 15 November should only be available after October 26th? Isn't that getting a bit late in the day? It's certainly too late for village newsletters like Burton News, which are published monthly, to carry it in their November issue.

Also, today is the first that I've heard an advert on local radio (Lakeland Radio) about these elections. The information is online, but not everyone has access to the internet still or wants it in that format, but if you want printed info you have to ring up and ask for it. (You can phone now on 0800 107 0708 and pre-order a printed copy.) Which begs the question, if you don't hear or read an advert telling you this, how would you know that you can ask for it?!

The election of Police & Crime Commissioners is the biggest change in the way police forces are managed for decades and yet it's being carried out in a less than voter-friendly manner. An election taking place in November seems destined to attract a low turn-out - dark nights are never an encouragement for voters to turn out, and the Electoral Reform Society is predicting a turn-out of around 18.5% as against a more usual 60%+ for a general election. How is this democratic? How will the person elected reflect the electorate with such a low turn-out?

In Cumbria there are 4 candidates standing. Whichever of them gets the most votes, it still means that the most powerful person in policing in Cumbria would have been elected by a minority of the electorate.

The PCC will have the power to set out the crime plan for the county, set the budget and precept for the county police force, and hire and fire the chief constable and the deputy chief constable. These are huge powers, and they should be in the hands of (preferably) a non-political elected police authority or of a commissioner who is elected by a majority of the electorate, not just by the votes of the few who realise how important these elections really are.

http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/ Home Office website about the Police & Crime Commissioner elections
List of candidates standing in Cumbria: http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/pdf/SPN%20-%20PCC.pdf (PDF file)

The Polling Station for Burton-in-Kendal is Burton Memorial Hall, polling hours are 7am - 10pm.

Missing things...

Two stories caught my eye this week: one on Thursday 14 July 2011, from a Twitter contact whose son had his Yamaha motorbike stolen from outside where he was having lunch in Dipton (near Consett in the north-east apparently). His Mum says the Police hold out little hope of it being found again, but just in case anyone does happen to spot it here are the details: Yamaha YBR Reg: NK58 DFO - if you spot it please let the Police know and send a Direct Message to @Dannyboy_37 on Twitter. 


Second story was from today's The Bay newsroom and worryingly concerns an 83 year old man who vanished Friday 15 July 2011 whilst apparently going for fuel for his lawnmower. 

83-year old James Hodgson was last seen leaving his Main Street home in Warton yesterday afternoon. He was going to get petrol for his lawnmower and was driving a silver VW Polo. James was wearing a light coloured shirt and trousers. Anyone who's seen him or his car is being urged to call police.

If anyone spots him or the car please contact Lancashire police on 08451 253 545 quoting log 1232 of the 15th July 2011.