Last night's Community Action Meeting

There was some lively discussion at last night's Community Action Meeting held at St James' School.

The meeting opened with a fascinating presentation by Anna Collins on the SmartWater security system. SmartWater is a revolutionary forensic coding system which protects homes or businesses and deters burglars from stealing property. It's now being used to protect hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and vehicles across the UK, and is used by over 95% of police forces to deter criminals. The results have been little short of phenomenal. The evidence – based on police statistics – shows that criminals really fear SmartWater and, where used, the system has helped to reduce burglary by five times the national average.

It works because, hardly surprisingly, the most powerful deterrent for any criminal is the thought that they might get caught.

Thieves cannot risk handling stolen goods coded with SmartWater because 'forensic profiling' means they can be linked directly to the crime... often long after the event. Stronger and more accurate than DNA itself, SmartWater deters criminals because they know that they will be arrested and convicted. Possessions marked with SmartWater, with each household having a unique formula, enables goods suspected of being stolen to be forensically identified. By displaying the SmartWater warning labels, criminals also know that your property is protected.

PC Ken Maple referred to the recent 'Police Perception' survey which many Audlem residents responded to. The findings are now available and a separate Audlem Online report on the local figures will be published shortly.

There was then a lively discussion on the proposed 'Alcohol Exclusion Zone' in Audlem. Those present clearly had many concerns – again, there will be a separate, detailed report on this proposal on Audlem Online shortly. It is also the subject of the current Vote Poll and a Forum topic is also well underway – see 'Forum'.

Reidents at the meeting voted for speeding as the main issue for the police to concentrate on in the coming few months. Parking, use of mobile phones while driving and drink/driving where other issues raised. It was noted that no-one raised 'troublesome youths' as an issue, clearly a step in the right direction.

There was also a discussion about emergency call out times by the the ambulance and police services, particularly in the light of the seventy minute ambulance response to a recent emergency call in Audlem. The ambulance service will be invited to attend a future Community Action Meeting.

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