Coleraine DPP publishes annual report

This is the seventh annual report and it outlines all the work that has been done in the last year along with members attendance rates and the audited accounts for the year.

Coleraine District Policing Partnership again held six public meetings during the year.

The two themes were on anti-social behaviour and young people comparing policing in Northern Ireland with policing in America.

In addition, there were four statistical meetings in a variety of locations around the borough. There were a total of 53 questions asked of the PSNI at these four meetings with the majority of questions being on police resources, anti-social behaviour and crime prevention initiatives.

Throughout the year the DPP takes note of questions asked at public meetings and questions that members of the public ask DPP members at other meetings.

The DPP also held nine focus groups and an on-line survey to find out what people think of policing and to discover what you would like to see the police concentrating on.

This information is used by the DPP when they are having discussions with the PSNI for the Local Policing Plan and all the priorities identified by the DPP are included in the plan for 2010-2011.

DPP members also do a lot of work away from the public meetings by meeting with groups, communities and individuals during the year.

Road safety is still something that the DPP feel strongly about and members have supported events such as the Roadsafe Roadshow, the Road Safety Committee events and the Ford Fair event during the year.

Members have also been involved in outreach with students, rural communities and young people in a variety of meetings and initiatives.

Councillor Robert McPherson, Chair of Coleraine DPP, said: "This was a sad year for the DPP because of the death of one of our founder members, councillor Mrs Liz Johnston in October 2009.

"However, it is with approval that I launch the seventh Annual Report on the work of the DPP during the 2009-2010 year. The members have done a lot of hard work during the year and we look forward to another successful and busy year for the District Policing Partnership in Coleraine.

"I should also congratulate the local PSNI on their good performance during 2009-2010 which has resulted in a drop in crime rates in the Borough and seven out of their nine local targets being met.

"I would again encourage anyone who has views on policing in the Borough to contact the DPP members directly or to come to one of our public meetings to meet with us."

Members of the public who would like a copy of the Annual Report can visit www.districtpolicing.com/coleraine or contact the DPP Manager at Coleraine Borough Council offices.