Mike Causey – Wrecclesham and Rowledge
Waverley Borough CouncillorArchive for Law and Order
Insulted? A consequence of free speech
Dear Jeremy,
I’ve been considering the Freedom Bill recently – the bill referenced in the “Political Reform, Draft Structural Reform Plan” of 27 July 2010. I’m encouraged by the coalition’s intent to repeal the ill-advised and perhaps even nonsensical acts of law (or parts thereof) that were passed under the past years of Labour Government.
May I suggest a possible inclusion? That the word “insulting” is removed from Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
I believe in free speech, and that it is so important that we must accept that it is possible that what others say may insult us. And I write this in light of the fact that this section of the Public Order Act has recently been used too many times to justify the arrest of individuals expressing their religious beliefs about lifestyle, sexuality and other faiths.
Christians absolutely do not wish or intend to insult others, but equally absolutely believe in the tenets of their faith. Expressing them should not be at risk of criminal charge.
Will you support the removal of the word “insulting” from Section 5 of the Public Order Act?
Yours faithfully,
Mike Causey
Safer Neighbourhood
Ever since we moved into our home in Wrecclesham – in fact before I became a councillor – we’ve known our local community police officer, and attending neighbourhood meetings at the day room in Weavers Gardens just around the corner. Whilst I wouldn’t say it’s the most efficient and objective meeting I get to every few months, it’s definitely a brilliant way of getting the police and the community to work together. I know that I certainly feel safe knowing that Simon and Karen are doing their jobs in our village and, having been out on a shift with them one Saturday night, know exactly how well they know this area, and the people who live here. They sincerely care about our communities.
Therefore I was delighted to receive an email this week detailing a consultation exercise that the police will be running over the next month, hoping to hear from local residents what priorities we have for the Surrey Police. The opportunities are extensive (going by the very very long list of meetings and surgeries where they’ll be available over the coming months. For the purposes of this blog I’ve only included Wrecclesham and Rowledge events below, but if you want to complete a survey online, or see all the opportunities to get involved, go to the Surrey Police website: http://www.surrey.police.uk/surrey_public_first/
October 26, Street Meeting, Rowledge Village Stores, (12:00 – 14:00)
October 29, Surgery, Rowledge Village Hall, (11:00 – 12:00)
November 16, Panel Meeting, Weaver’s Gardens, Farnham, (18:30 – 19:30)
Community Support, Coffee & Massage Therapy
Ever since PC Simon Anderson started up the Rowledge police surgery last year, I’m been unable to make any of them due to work commitments during the day. However, being more regular as an attendee of the similar surgery at Weavers Gardens in Wrecclesham, I know how valuable they can be.
And so, I was delighted to see the note from Simon about the next meeting, and, slightly envious that I’d be missing it again: this time there’ll be coffee as normal, but also a local massage therapist!
Please do consider attending. These are great opportunities to learn more about the police support for our communities, and get to know a few of your neighbours. Full details below.
Police surgery in Rowledge
A public house in Rowledge is the venue for local residents to meet their local policing team next week.
Residents are invited to come along to the surgery, which will be held at the Cherry Tree pub in Cherry Tree Road, next Wednesday (October 13), from 11 am to 12 noon. Neighbourhood Specialist Officer PC Simon Anderson and Police Community Support Officer Karen Phillips, who are responsible for Wrecclesham and The Bourne as well as Rowledge, will be on hand to offer support and advice to local residents.
Pub landlady Elaine Roberts will be running a coffee morning alongside the surgery, and local massage therapist Alexia Cundy will be offering a free head, neck, shoulder or hand massage to anyone who comes along.
For more information, please contact PCSO Phillips on 0845 125 2222, extension 30076.
A screwdriver and a pair of socks
There were almost tears of laughter just now as I received an email about an attempted burglary in the ward of Wrecclesham and Rowledge, and in fact, just yards from our home.
Unfortunately, it’s also rather a sad tail and just the latest chapter of the mixed history and reputation of the newsagents at the bottom of School Hill in Wrecclesham.
Here it is just as I received it from the Community Safety Officer at Farnham Police Station (with emphasis in the third paragraph mine, just so you don’t miss it):
September 8, 2010
Arrest after suspect detained by police dog
A Farnham man was arrested on suspicion of burglary following a break-in at a shop in Wrecclesham in the early hours yesterday (September 7).
Police were called to McColls Newsagents in School Hill at 12-30am following reports of intruders at the premises. When police arrived, they saw the suspect running away from the shop. He was eventually caught by a police dog after a brief chase on foot.
The man was arrested on suspicion of going equipped for burglary and attempted burglary, after he was found in possession of a screwdriver and a pair of socks. He has since been released on police bail, pending further enquiries, and will return to Guildford police station on November 2.
Life means Life
This past week, the Yorkshire Ripper heard that he would not be released and would be remanded in custody for the remainder of his life. I applaud this decision, but do not do so on the basis simply because it shows the robustness of our legal system. In fact, normally I’d be seeking out details on the story in order to consider if the both the victim and the guilty party might be served better through a non-custodial sentence, or at least via the process of restorative justice.
No, in this instance, I believe that the crimes of Peter Sutcliffe so heinous, that the authorities are right to insist that he remains in prison. Even if he cannot see it himself, they acknowledge that for him to be released, would unleash a wave of anger, sorrow and distress through the community that would vastly outweigh the very subjective decision that he may at some point be fit for re-integration into our society.
Being a strong supporter of the Relationships Foundation and its work, in the main I hope for other kinds of punishment and restoration. But, in some instances, our criminal justice system needs to be clear to the defendant that their release simply isn’t tenable. If Peter Sutcliffe really is changing, then we need to help him see that remaining behind bars is the most compassionate thing he can do for his victims’ families and friends.
Roll Back the RIPA
Dear Mr Clegg,
I’m delighted to read of your lead position in drafting the ‘Great Repeal Bill’, a process through which you hope to roll back the pieces of the last government’s legislation that are most unpopular.
May I submit just one idea to you that I think would be favoured by many voters?
Please would you repeal the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) ?
Regular readers of my blog are familiar with my distaste for this bill: a law that effectively criminalizes anew great swathes of our communities and puts liberty at risk through handing too strong a power to numerous local bodies who should (in my view) have no need to be probing into the private activities of constituents.
Yes, I know that some of those constituents will be playing a little fast and loose with local bylaws and, rules for getting their children into the better schools and, fly-tipping with abandon and, filling their bins one centimetre too high.
But, I believe that the surrender of our liberties through this Act is too high a price to pay for catching those few miscreants who play the system. I would much rather we encouraged residents of our towns and villages who observe such behaviour to speak up and thus to demonstrate that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. In such ways we change our communities for the better.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Causey
Surface Dressing
Not a battlefield first aid technique, but the roadworks that will be carried out in Rowledge later this spring. Surrey County Council have just announced that they will resurface The Long Road from Summerfield Lane to The Avenue.
As David Munro, Surrey County Councillor, pointed out by email to myself and fellow borough councillor Pat Frost, the proposal does not include Fullers Road. Unfortunately, that is the more damaged road and so I’m sure that this doesn’t sound like a sensible plan. However, Cllr Munro has heard from SCC that this is due to Fullers Road needing much more work to repair, and a simple resurfacing isn’t sufficient. But, that they will be doing it in the summer – hooray!
In the meantime, you’ll find the Temporary Prohibition of Traffic Order on the SCC website (although it’s not up there as at the date of this blog post), and you can see this on my Google ward map also.
