Episode 8 Neighbourhood Blues

With unprecedented access, Neighbourhood Blues

follows the police in Somerset

as they take on the crimes that annoy us all.

-Don't manhandle me.

-Come over here.

Targeting antisocial behaviour, drug abuse and criminal damage.

Beat officers and PCSOs tackle the problems

that, if left unchecked, could blight the lives of millions.

Armed with the latest cutting-edge kit,

they have the power to strike hard when needed.

Police, stay where you are!

But just like the days of Dixon Of Dock Green...

Evening, all.

..it's all about partnering with local people.

Brilliant!

Working together to sweep crime off our streets.

Police, search warrant!

Coming up...

See you later, John.

An on-the-ball officer in Weston catches a man out.

It's not Robin, all right?

-She just called you John and you've told me Robin.

-I don't know!

Dom hunts for an arcade vandal.

And a wanted man is caught red-handed.

-In the van, all right?

-BLEEP

-sake, man!

Somerset is a place of contrasts.

Unspoiled countryside, picture-postcard towns

and beach-side resorts.

All watched over by almost 3,000 police officers and over 350 PSCOs.

To be an effective neighbourhood officer, you need to be resourceful.

You need to be brave. And you always need to keep your wits about you.

In Weston-super-Mare, there have been recent complaints

about antisocial behaviour in one of the town's parks.

This should be somewhere for people to relax

and children to safely play but there's been recent reports

of groups of people drinking and taking drugs in broad daylight.

Gemma Harper and Alice Durston are sent to investigate.

-Hello, police.

-Hello.

-Hello.

And it doesn't take them long to come across a group of homeless people

that they think could be the suspects.

-Is any of that yours?

-Definitely mine.

-Pardon?

-That's mine over there.

-I don't smoke.

You don't smoke but it's down to the side of you?

This is a bong, a type of pipe usually used for smoking drugs.

And it's soon joined by a second one.

It's looking more sure that this is the group that reports were about.

So, there's two bongs which have been located.

And based on that, basically, they've all been detained

for a Section 23 Misuse Of Drugs Act search.

And that's what we're doing at the moment,

checking if they're known to us, checking what they're known for.

Gemma has found what looks to be a tin of cannabis.

It looks like cannabis looks like but you smell it,

it doesn't smell like cannabis.

But it turns out to be a legal high,

antisocial to smoke in the park but not against the law to own.

-What's your name?

-Robin Feres.

-Robin Feres?

-Have you got any ID on you, Robin?

-No.

Alice finds another tin of suspicious smoking material

on the man who calls himself Robin.

You smell it? It smells very strongly of cannabis, so...

-The chap's just said it's weed as well.

-That's the tiniest amount.

It doesn't matter, you shouldn't have it, should you?

This is a small amount and if he hasn't been caught

with cannabis before, he's likely to get a street caution.

-See you later, John.

-See you later.

-See you later, John.

Have you still got your tokens on your bag?

He's told Alice his name is Robin.

But it seems not everyone calls him that.

I'll have to get you another one.

Right, so now your name's...

-Now your name's John.

-Hey?

-Now your name's John, isn't it?

-It's not Robin.

-Hey?

-All right?

She just called you John and you've told me Robin.

I don't know, I don't know his name. He's a homeless man, you see?

So, I make my own name up for this gentleman and that gentleman

and this gentleman...

The lady is claiming that John is just a nickname

but Alice isn't convinced.

I need to be 100% certain that you are who you say you are.

I can't deal with this matter unless I know that, OK?

-So, have you got any form of ID on you whatsoever?

-No, nothing at all.

-So you haven't got a bank card or anything?

-No, I can't...

Well, I'm outdoors, I spend most of my life outdoors. I can't even...

People end up on the streets for all sorts of reasons.

Some are forced there through hardship, others have drug issues.

That makes it impossible to find accommodation.

But a few want to slip through the gaps in society and disappear.

They don't carry money around with them,

they don't carry bank cards around with them.

Or any identification like a driving licence or a passport,

anything like that.

So it is quite difficult trying to identify who this person is.

Alice checks both of the names the man's been called

through the National Police Computer.

Control from 4694.

Gemma finishes checking the others

and doesn't find anything else illegal.

Neither name that Alice has checked has any previous

but she's not convinced this guy is what he seems.

As it is at the moment,

I'm not happy that the person you're telling me you are is you, OK?

-So I don't have any other option but to take you with me.

-OK.

Unless we can establish, you can tell me who you are.

-I've just told you.

-OK.

The man is only going to the station to prove he is who he says he is.

-But it's an emotional goodbye.

-Hopefully see you in a sec.

-Yeah!

-He's only coming round the corner.

-We know the game right now.

-I don't care!

-I'll see you in a bit.

-I don't care!

-BLEEP.

Before they go,

the group are given some advice about their behaviour in the park.

Just bear in mind, other people want to use the park, yeah?

-When you're there with a bong.

-Shall we just go?

Officers will be patrolling here in future to make sure

it doesn't happen again.

People in Weston don't like legal highs anyway.

The mystery man is taken to Bridgwater custody

where they will be able to prove his ID one way or another.

What is your surname?

Feres.

-Spell that for me?

-F-E-R...

-F-E-R...

-E-S.

-E-S?

Feres.

It's quite unknown really for someone who's lived on the street

for 15 years to not come in contact with the police.

The man claims to have never been in trouble before.

But almost immediately, there's the first sign

that he may not be telling the whole truth.

He told me he didn't have any tattoos

and he's just taken his jacket off in custody

and he's got tattoos down his left arm, quite a few of them.

Offices take his DNA and fingerprints and run it through the system.

If he's ever committed a crime, it'll come up with a match.

But if he really is who he says, then it will draw a blank

and he'll be let on his way.

We've popped that into our Police National Computer

and that's brought back a different person. Um, so he isn't...

He is not the person he's been telling us he is,

he is someone else.

And far from never being in trouble before,

this guy has an extensive rap sheet.

He has got 62 pages on his record.

Burglary, theft offences along with public order offences.

So, he's quite well-known to us, this chap.

All right?

Right, we've done some checks, OK?

-And you've come back as John

-BLEEP.

-OK.

-All right? We need to speak to you...

'I'm looking at the record, he has no previous for drugs offences.'

So based on that, he can be issued with a simple cannabis warning

for possession of a controlled drug.

So if he was eligible for a caution anyway, why all the lies?

It soon becomes clear.

He's actually wanted, recalled to prison

because he's breached his conditions on his licence.

The man breached his licence conditions for theft

just over a week ago and was recalled to prison.

But he disappeared and he's been hiding from the law since then.

It just goes to show trusting your gut instinct,

I knew he wasn't who he said he was.

I think he probably thought he would get away with it.

I think it just goes to show that he won't

and now he's obviously got to go back to prison in the morning.

The next morning, the man was sent straight back to jail.

It's been a good result for the neighbourhood team.

They've cleaned up a popular local park,

taken some drugs off the street and they've captured a wanted man.

In Bridgwater town centre, Dom Bryant is patrolling the streets

when a call comes in.

Go ahead.

A man's escaped on a bus after apparently smashing up

a games arcade and attacking a member of staff.

I'll head down the A39, see if I can see any buses heading that way.

CCTV from the games arcade shows a man getting aggressive with staff.

On his way out, he throws something at the CCTV camera.

And smashes an arcade machine.

The man is an ex-employee,

so the victim has been able to give the police a name and address.

Right. He was last seen walking towards the bus station.

It may be he's gone on the bus heading towards his home address.

We need to find out with the buses ahead of us.

We'll stop it and see if he's on it.

Dom's plan is to beat the bus back to the suspect's home.

But there's no proof the man actually caught the bus.

He might have got off the bus, he might be making his way on foot.

Ah, there's the bus. Stand by, stand by.

Will Dom's gamble have paid off?

I've got the bus in sight.

It's the number 375, the Wells bus.

Just pass me a description of the alleged offender again, please?

-MAN ON RADIO:

-'Thank you.

'Description of the male again for you is 21 years of age,

'white male, spiky hair, wearing a white T-shirt and shorts.'

Dom's not seen the CCTV but that's a good description.

However, when the bus passes, it's empty except for the driver.

It looks like Dom may have to retrace the bus route to find the suspect.

But first, he decides to use his local knowledge.

There we go.

There's someone loitering back there.

Just saw someone stick his head round. Not getting out just yet.

And it looks like the man was on the bus after all.

Right, there's somebody up there.

Right, let's have a word with him.

He just got off the bus. I'm saying that's him. Let's have a word.

-All right, mate. How goes it?

-I remember you.

-Where from?

Bridgwater with Marcus.

No, the other kid you brought, you banned, from Poland.

Dom's met the man before, which always helps

when dealing with someone.

-I'm going to ask you a couple of questions.

-Yeah, OK.

-I need you to be totally straight with me.

-Yeah.

-Is your name Tom?

-Yeah.

-Tom...

-Did you stop the bus?

No, this is the gentleman, I think, possibly.

-All right.

-The bus is empty.

-Yeah, my house is just there.

Just stay there a minute. The bus is empty, Al!

The bus is empty, I've checked the bus.

-Yeah, look. My house is just...

-That's fine, mate.

Everything' cool, everything's cool.

Dom's joined by Alan Gothard

who has also been hunting for the possible vandal.

-Tom, yeah?

-Yeah, it is, mate.

-I'm Alan.

Listen, we've got a complaint from Casino Slots in Bridgwater

-that you've damaged a laptop.

-I haven't been...

You've damaged some kind of fruit machine and assaulted the manager.

I didn't assault the manager, he pushed me.

-OK, well, that's the allegation that we've got.

-OK, that's fine.

Um, on... Because of that, we'll have to arrest you.

The lad may deny criminal damage but the footage clearly shows him

smashing a laptop off the counter,

throwing an object at the CCTV camera,

and kicking the front of an arcade machine.

We've got the suspect under arrest. Can you let Victor know?

It's a good catch, all thanks to Dom's sharp eyes.

Conducting an area tour, I saw this gentleman was loitering.

He was popping his head out and back again.

To me, that set alarm bells ringing already. Why is he doing that?

Trying to evade the police. That's good enough.

But more than that, it's all about knowing your neighbourhood.

He knows me from the town.

It was all relaxed, doesn't want to run off.

Not putting up a struggle, which again, is great.

It's great, that's community policing.

That's what it's all about.

With the lad in custody, Dom goes to speak to the arcade owner.

-How are you doing, my friend? All right?

-Quite good, thank you.

-How's things?

-Good, better now.

Have you kept up-to-date with the outcome?

Nothing at the moment, bits and bobs.

Well, it's a conditional caution at the moment.

Depending on the value of the damage,

-he'll have to contribute.

-Towards it?

-If not, pay for it.

-The manager shows Dom the damaged machine.

-This one here, it was.

-All right. Oh, he kicked the screen in?

-Straight through it.

-Wow.

-What's that going to cost to repair, then?

-The whole thing is ruined now.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Obviously, his foot went through and smashed the PC as well.

-Going to cost him 300, 400 quid.

-Well, there we are. Elvis as well.

-Good machine, was it?

-Yeah, limited edition!

-Viva Las Vegas.

Dom wants the owner to feel secure

and doesn't want any repetition of the incident.

-Even if he comes near the store, 999 straightaway.

-Yeah.

Don't take any chances, don't wait for him to come in.

He's not allowed. I've got a picture of him and the family for the staff.

Just 999, straightaway. OK?

The angry young man was given a conditional police caution

for assault and criminal damage.

He was made to pay £200 compensation and banned from the shop for life.

He took a gamble when he attacked the machine and it was a bet he lost.

Still to come on Neighbourhood Blues, it gets all Wild Wild West in Weston.

Go get 'em!

And when the call comes in...

-..Sam is ready for action.

-Control, 1429.

We need an ambulance to Regent Street outside of Peacocks.

In Weston-super-Mare's Bournville Estate,

mini motorbikes have been making residents' lives a misery.

Illegally being ridden on roads and parks and generally being a menace.

Russ Millier and Sgt Colin Batchelor

are patrolling the streets on the lookout for any trouble.

We just heard one of our horse patrols has found a possible

stolen moped or a motorbike somewhere around here.

And we'll go down, we'll take a look at it.

And if needs be, we'll bring that one in on the van.

Mounted police have stopped a couple of lads with a mini motorbike.

It's not long before Russ is on the scene.

You can't ride down the tip, I told you!

Another one going round now, I can hear it.

There's another bike nearby.

MOTOR REVS

-Go get 'em!

-And the mounted police turn cowboy.

Chasing down the errant biker.

The horse manages to corral the man on the bike.

But now he's claiming he wasn't actually riding it.

-No, just slide it up there, innit?

-You're riding it, mate.

-I saw you riding it!

-Sliding it there, innit?

My eyesight's quite good, I can see that far.

Unless they are registered with a DVLA and taxed, mini motorbikes

can only be ridden on private land with the owner's permission.

-Not in a local park.

-Shall I tell you what's made it awkward?

-What?

-You riding it, that's what's made it awkward.

-What do you mean riding it?

-What, literally two feet?

-He was riding round on it.

And that is a really silly thing to do.

It's not as if you can hide two horses.

You're riding around in front of two horses.

Sitting here, he's getting a 59 notice now.

You shouldn't be riding it in the park, should you?

A Section 59 notice lets police seize any vehicle

that is causing alarm, distress or annoyance.

You get one warning.

If this guy ever gets another Section 59,

then whatever he's driving will be seized.

But for the moment, police are taking this bike

until its ownership is proved.

-Are you going to take my

-BLEEP

-away?

-Temporarily.

-We're going to take your bike.

-Well, it's not my bike.

You just said are we going to take your bike away?

Yeah, but it's my mate's bike.

I've come here today to sell it because someone else is coming over.

-Whose bike is it?

-It's my mate's bike. It's Gaz.

-Who?

-Gaz.

-Have you got Gary's phone number?

-Yeah.

Suggest you call him, then,

find out what documents he's got to prove it's his.

Whoever collects the bike will need to prove they're the legal owner

and because it was ridden in public, that it's insured too.

This chap's come in the park riding one,

causing antisocial behaviour on this estate.

It's quite a big problem we've got at the moment.

So yeah, like we said, we're going to take the bikes

until they can prove where they come from and who owns them.

You can go when you want.

The noise alone is causing the residents issues.

And they're riding around, like you said, going 30-40 miles an hour.

If they're riding that in a park, you have a kid who comes out,

it's going to cause serious injury, if not death.

So yeah, it's causing a major problem at the moment.

The man who the first guy said owns the blue bike turns up

and he's not happy.

-Yeah, it came out right of St John's.

-People are riding it...

Hang on a minute, calm yourself down and let me finish on the radio.

It's my bike, I'm waiting to hear what happened to it.

Your mate's been riding it round on here. And I want to check...

-I want to get it checked properly.

-Yeah, get it checked.

This is legit. And then if it is, you can come in and pick it up.

If you can prove it's yours and where you got it from, yeah?

-I bought it off Facebook.

-OK, fine.

You'll have a trail on it, won't you?

I've just come out of jail four months ago, I can't get a job.

They won't give me a job.

-So, I've got to

-BLEEP

-buy and sell stuff like this

off of Facebook all day long.

And I can't do that because I get hassle off of these.

Why do you think I got that put on my hand?

I'm not saying what it stands for but most people should know, ACAB.

All cops are...brilliant, maybe?

The man may well own this bike, but if he wants it back,

-he'll have to prove it.

-"Meet on the park." "OK, defo, yeah. 2.30..."

-What? So his name's Baked Bean, is it?

-"Baked Bean..."

-That's his Facebook name.

-Right.

-That's the bloke there.

Well, how can I see what that is? He's got a mask on!

The very least you need to prove ownership is a handwritten receipt.

Anonymous messages on Facebook won't cut it.

-These bikes are coming with us.

-Why?

You can stand there all day in the rain and argue as much as you like.

What, you can't prove... Haven't you got to have a reason?

No, you've got to prove whose they are.

The plan is to take both bikes back to Weston police station.

We'll carry out a few further checks on the chassis

and serial numbers, engine numbers, etc.

And that will give these boys some time to provide us

with a bit of proof of who owns the bikes.

Colin's hope is that by taking a hard line on these mini motos,

people will get the message and use them more responsibly.

Unfortunately, we are inundated with calls from the public,

from the community, from the residents here, regarding these...

-They're not quite mini motos but they're smaller bikes.

-Pit bikes.

Pit bikes, as my colleague's just told me.

Um, causing us no end of issue, antisocial noise, nuisance,

tearing up the grass.

Generally being a pain in the backside.

Hopefully, the residents will have seen us taking some positive action

and getting them off the street,

even if it's only for a short period of time.

The man with a red mini moto was able to prove it was his

and was allowed to collect it from the station.

The man caught by the mounted police riding in the park

was reported for driving with no insurance.

At court, he was given six points on his licence

and fined a total of £365.

The man in black managed to prove that the bike was his,

but because it was being ridden in public without insurance,

it was crushed, much to his annoyance.

Drugs cause huge problems.

They destroy people's health, relationships...

Each time you relapse, you've got to realise, yeah,

it feels like I'm being kicked in the teeth.

..and lives.

And the knock-on effects damage whole communities.

But it isn't just illegal drugs that are a problem.

There is a growing menace of so-called legal highs.

These are untested chemicals with unpredictable effects.

HE SHOUTS

And the police are the ones left picking up the pieces.

It's the police. Up you get.

Many people think that as they aren't illegal, they're safe.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Even seasoned drug users are shocked by their strength.

They have one smoke of this and bang, it whacks them out.

It's a lot stronger than the smack.

And I smoke it and I'd like to see it banned.

I've done it all. Charles, the LSD. No, nothing.

I got some legal highs and I was just tripping.

There was never a buzz like it, my body was shutting down.

The seaside town of Weston-super-Mare has two legal high shops.

There are changes going through Parliament

that could make these new drugs illegal.

But knowing the damage they can cause,

officers like Sgt Mark Jenkinson have to find other ways

to limit the supply in Weston.

They were looking to go into one of the legal high shops

with the Trading Standards team, have a chat with them

and just make sure that the products they've got on sale,

if Trading Standards believe that those products

are not safe, then they will look to seize those items.

Trading Standards officers have repeatedly asked the shop owner

to prove his products are safe for human consumption.

It's something he's unable to do.

So now they've come back to seize the drugs.

-We'll follow

-you, then. OK.

-All right?

Hiya!

If you want to lock your doors,

you do whatever you want to do to lock the doors.

The owner decides to close the shop

while Trading Standards do their inspection.

If they're of the opinion that it is unsafe, they will seize it.

These are the powers that are given to these officers.

Yeah, no, they're in there now. Itemising everything on the till.

Although it's only 11.45,

-there's already a queue waiting for the shop to reopen.

-Hiya, can I help?

-I'm going in there.

-Are you? What is it?

Is it to buy anything legal high wise?

-Because we're kind of seizing the stock.

-What?

-Seizing the stock.

-Why?

Because it's a public health issue.

What, are all the legal high shops shut or just this one?

-Just this one at the moment.

-Just this one?

-Right, it will be reopened, yeah?

-It's down to the shop owner.

-It's nothing to do with us, is it?

-It's ridiculous.

What's going on, mate? It's legal.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Do you have any more questions?

-When will it be open?

-A

-BLEEP

-legal high shop, mate. You ain't got better things to be doing?

Bye.

Straight behind the disgruntled customer, a volunteer

at a local homeless charity arrives in search of information.

-Really, it's a public safety issue, isn't it?

-Yeah.

OK, and that's exactly why we're here now.

The huge variety of new chemicals flooding the streets

means everyone is in the dark about what they can do.

At the moment, we're getting some very sick young men

that are on the streets already, taking these legal highs,

whatever they might be and they're really damaging them.

We don't know what they are.

Although legal highs can be bought online,

the majority of people buy them from shops or friends.

So, today's raid should have a big impact on supply in the town.

Everything that these Trading Standards guys

consider to be a legal high, all of it's been seized.

Everything that was on display,

everything that was in the stockroom, the whole lot's gone.

Back at the station, Mark surveys their haul.

It is a massive success from our standpoint.

This is the first time locally that we've done anything like this.

At an estimate,

we're looking at about £15,000 worth of product here at retail value.

The impact of this will send an absolute direct message

and the right message to people that are selling these.

We won't tolerate it and as a result, we're taking tough action.

But will the action have got the message across to the owner?

A few weeks later, Gemma Harper goes back to the shop.

Not sure what she'll discover.

So, it was the counter that was here

that had all the legal high packets in.

Inside, there's been big changes.

Something that we didn't actually expect.

They've decided they're going to stop selling the legal highs

and they're turning their business into a cafe.

And the success doesn't end there.

The police and Trading Standards

visited Weston's other legal high shop too

and the owner has given up his lease.

This is brilliant for us. Legal highs are not wanted in our town.

It's a brilliant outcome for us and the community.

Ask any police officer why they joined up

and it won't be long before they mention protecting vulnerable.

The weakest members of society are often seen as soft targets

and are preyed upon.

So officers need to keep a watchful eye over them.

-Right, mind your step, Bill.

-OK.

It's part of every police officer in every PCSO's role as well frankly

to make sure the vulnerable in our society are safe.

Because sometimes, they can't look after themselves.

So, that's what we do.

Hello?

PCSOs regularly check on the vulnerable people

in their neighbourhood.

Today, they're chatting to a man with learning difficulties.

J, I'm worried about you. You don't look too good at all.

The man tells them he's been plagued by an ex-convict.

Does your front and back door lock properly?

-On your front?

-Yeah.

-It does.

Despite the locks, the man's been staying whenever he feels like it.

-So there's no reason for

-BLEEP

-to be getting into your flat, is there?

No.

So you need to make sure when you're in the flat, your front door

and your back door is locked.

Lovely guy. Lovely guy, he really is nice but he's a victim as well.

Because of his vulnerability, people have robbed money from him,

breaking into his flat, damaged his flat,

stayed for a couple of days and then moved on.

-All right, mate.

-All right, J, we'll let you go.

-OK, take it easy, mate.

-You know where we are, don't you?

-All right, thanks.

PCSOs have limited powers.

So PC Adge Secker is called in to throw out the unwanted house guest.

Open the door, please. It's Secker here.

All right? I need to speak to you a minute. Where's J?

I don't know, he's left.

He's just told me, or he's just told my colleagues, all right?

He doesn't want you in here.

This guy has been bullying a vulnerable man

and he needs to be chucked out.

-Where are you going to go then,

-BLEEP?

-Don't know, mate. Town.

But Adge is worried that by putting the ex-convict

back on the streets, he might be causing more problems for his patch.

-Have you been taking stuff? Your eyes look terrible.

-No, I've been...

Looking around, Adge thinks that he may be on drugs.

If I'm honest with you, I'm quite worried about you.

Because you're not looking brilliant.

For neighbourhood officers,

a crime prevented is better than a crime solved.

Now, I'm prepared to help you but you've got to help yourself as well.

I will take him down to the housing office on Wednesday

and at least get that process started, get him on the list,

get him off the streets and into a flat. OK, now listen to me.

Next Wednesday, I want to meet you

-and we'll talk about how we can get you on the list.

-Hmm.

-OK?

-But you keep your nose clean. Don't let me down.

-All right.

It might seem like Adge is being soft on this lad

but he wants to avoid a crimewave

that a desperate ex-convict could cause.

-I've seen people like

-BLEEP

-throughout all of my service.

And these people are on a cycle.

And if they don't get help,

then it's going to get worse and worse and worse for them.

They will slip further into a life of criminality.

So, if I can give someone like that a step up

and a hand to get him off the streets,

that's going to be good for him, obviously,

but it's going to be good for the community as well.

Adge knows it's a long shot that he'll show up.

But as we'll see later, he has no idea just how bad things will get.

All right, it's the outstanding suspect we're looking for

that's supposed to have the knife.

There's a whole host of petty grievances

that irritate a neighbourhood.

And if left unchecked, will only cause more problems.

So, regular meetings between the police

and local people are vital for effective policing.

Howard Pothecary, community safety manager for North Somerset Council,

into my third year of chairing the Weston-super-Mare PACT.

PACT is a regular opportunity for locals to tell officers

what's bothering them.

It's not all bad news.

My son had one of his managers over from Poland.

They went for one drink, where the Polish guy said he was

absolutely amazed there were only two people on the door.

He said if you were in Poland, he said there would be at least six

with the amount of people in that premises.

Residents feel they can't do anything but you can do something.

I actually have a day of action planned tomorrow

and that will be the PCSOs for the town centre looking at enforcement

of cycling on pavements, um, dogs not on leads, all those issues.

Yes.

It is often crimes that are seen as petty

that have the biggest impact on people's daily lives.

So, today, PC Sam Walton and PCSO Charlotte Brady

are heading into Weston town centre

to crack down on minor problems, like cycling on the pavement.

We're going to plot up on the high street, issue words of advice,

try and re-educate people and if the words of advice

aren't being taken in,

then we're going to start issuing some fixed penalty notices,

so it's a £50 fine and that usually gets people thinking.

-Excuse me? Get off the bike, please.

-Sorry.

Can you get off your bike, please?

Thank you.

It's not the crime of the century

but these sort of things are what are important to the public.

It's issues that they come across on a regular basis.

It's important we do make time not only to listen to the public

and what they want.

-Off your bike.

-Huh?

-Off your bike, please.

-MAN ON RADIO:

-Cheers, mate. That's all received. Thank you.

Thank you.

Very often, a visible presence is all it takes.

Just wearing bright jackets and standing outside of school

will stop parents parking on the double yellows

or standing at the top of the high street

will stop people entering on push-bikes.

This visible presence is useful to deter crime and reassure people.

But it's also invaluable when it comes to an emergency call.

Yes?

Control, 1429,

we need an ambulance to Regent Street outside of Peacocks.

I'm just running to the bus. Somebody's collapsed.

Hello, can you hear me? Hello, I'm a police officer. Are you all right?

I just... Well, I've just been sick.

OK, OK, you just lean forward for me. OK...

A pensioner with diabetes has been taken ill and collapsed on a bus.

The driver has called the police.

Conscious and breathing, conscious and breathing. But vomiting.

-OK?

-SHE WRETCHES

All right, the female I'm in company with is diabetic.

All right.

-I'm all right.

-I know, you just stay there for me, please.

-Sorry to be sick on the...

-Don't be daft! That's all right.

Police train long an hard to be a calm and reassuring presence

in a crisis.

-I'll be all right.

-Oh, no, I want to get you checked over first.

SHE GIGGLES

I'm reluctant to move you

until the ambulance get here but they shouldn't be too long.

They acted immediately. It was absolutely brilliant.

I had no idea what to do, we weren't trained in CPR or nothing.

So obviously I didn't want to do anything wrong, so therefore,

I found somebody that could do it right.

The ambulances attended

and they're just carrying out some checks on the lady

but it sounds like she is OK

and she'll be returned to her home address.

The lady went on to make a full recovery.

It just goes to show that your day is never planned.

It never goes to plan.

But it's part of the job, it's what makes it exciting.

He just told me, I was just told...

A week ago, Adge ejected a homeless ex-convict

from the home of a man with learning difficulties.

Get your stuff. J doesn't want you up here.

The man had been taking advantage by forcing his way into the flat

and staying whenever he wanted to.

Here we are again.

Now Adge is checking the lad hasn't returned.

-Has he been back since?

-I've seen him yesterday, yeah.

-What, here or just in town?

-No, here.

-In here?

-Yeah, he came around here.

-OK, did he kip down here last night or not?

-Yeah.

-Are you OK with him being here? That's the point, J, isn't it?

-I don't really want him here, no.

-OK.

The vulnerable occupant has again been bullied

into letting the man stay.

-Fine, cheers, J.

-Bye.

-Have a good day, bye.

Adge is now due to meet the man and help him find somewhere to stay.

He hopes getting him off the streets will prevent a local crimewave.

But the fact the lad's once again been harassing a vulnerable man

won't go down well.

I know it's only ten minutes late but...

I'm not so sure if he's going to turn up at all.

HE SIGHS

Irritating!

It was always a long shot that the lad would show.

-He doesn't.

-I just...knew it.

I knew he wouldn't turn up.

Adge is experienced enough to know when to use the carrot

and when you need to use the stick.

The lad won't be getting another chance.

The lad failed to show but he hasn't disappeared.

Over the next two months, his name is linked to a string of robberies

and other offences.

They've gone to ground somewhere, haven't they?

We're going to two address believed to be addresses

used by the suspects in the robbery case yesterday.

What we're doing now is going back in

and sort of regrouping, essentially.

SIREN WAILS

-MAN ON RADIO:

-'Yep, going off the back.'

-We've got clothing.

-Grey T-shit, red trainers.

'About 23 years old.

'He's in a grey T-shirt and red trainers.'

That's the outstanding suspect we're looking for

that's supposed to have the knife.

Today, a PCSO has spotted him in the town centre.

The man's bolted into a bar.

Officers Luke Keenan and Roger Parker are just streets away.

Roger that, we are just at the top of Milton Street now, 30 seconds.

-WOMAN ON RADIO:

-Where's he stolen from?

But when they arrive,

the ex-convict's already surrounded by officers.

Just keep it calm, all right?

-At the moment, you're under arrest for suspicion of theft.

-From where?

-That's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of.

-From where?

There's a suspicious amount of DVDs in his bag,

which he tried to hide in the toilets.

But there's been no reports of shoplifting in the last hour.

I chased you.

You've got a bag full of booty which you've now hidden in the toilets.

No, the bloke in here grabbed me and said the police are outside.

-So, I quickly grabbed my bags.

-But why leave it behind?

It looks like most of the city centre team are here now.

But nobody yet knows where all the DVDs have come from.

We found him, we'll have to try and work out where this is from.

If you weren't giving it legs,

I wouldn't have given you the time of day. You were the one that...

Yeah, I know because you always try and chase me, like.

-You haven't always got to run, have you?

-You know what I mean?

-All right?

-Get in the van, all right?

-BLEEP

-sake, man!

At the moment, you're under arrest for suspicion of theft.

Convinced that the DVDs will turn out to be stolen, the lad's arrested.

I'm going to be sat here for ages, man.

And sure enough, it's not long before they get a call.

BLEEP.

Um, that property we've established from CCTV and everything,

it's from WH Smith, right?

So obviously you're under arrest for theft

but it's theft from WH Smith, OK?

Adge was right about the slippery slope of crime and drugs.

The lad has caused a mini crimewave

since he was thrown out of the vulnerable man's home.

I can only help people so far.

For me personally, I'm frustrated about it.

Um, part of my role as the local community police officer

is to deal with crime but it's also there to prevent it.

With the man now off the streets,

life should be a lot easier for everyone.

J, hang on a minute, I need to talk to you for a minute, all right?

Adge can reassure J that he won't have his home invaded

in the near future.

All right?

-BLEEP

-inside.

-Is he banged up?

-Yeah, all right?

-Good, yeah.

-Do you feel a bit better about that?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, OK.

-Um, my priority is to stop people taking advantage of you.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-OK, all right, J.

-Right, thanks.

-Nice to see you, take care.

In total, the man was arrested for three separate thefts

from high-street shops and possession of drugs.

He later pleaded guilty to one of the thefts

and for possession of cannabis.

The other cases are still being investigated.

Hello!

PCSOs spend a lot of time out on the beat,

engaging with their neighbourhoods and making long-term connections

with the residents.

-Good morning!

-Good morning, Katie!

If you want to capture people's hearts and minds,

it's best to get your message over when they're young.

In Bridgwater, the neighbourhood team's always pleased to show

local school kids around their new station.

Today, Mrs Rainey's reception class from Willowdown Primary School

have come to see it for themselves.

-Good morning, Willowdown.

-KIDS:

-Good morning.

You all right?

It's up to PCSO Dan Weller and Julie Currie to give these four

and five-year-olds a taste of what it's like to be in the police.

Somebody put their hand up and tell me what the police do.

-Keep people safe.

-Oh! Amazing, well done. Good answer.

-Help.

-Help people.

-Well done.

There we go, that's what we're there to do, isn't it?

We're there to help people. What am I dressed in?

-Police clothes.

-Police clothes!

It's a uniform, what you're wearing is a uniform.

And we have to wear a uniform as well.

-So what else do we have then?

-Police hats.

-Police hats!

Policemen, some tell their dogs

to find them nasty people.

Doggies get them and fight them.

I'll arrest you!

Then it's time to get a taste of basic detective skills.

Who's going to have their fingerprints done?

Obviously, you've all been very good today.

-So, but we're just going to do it for fun today. Is that OK?

-Yeah.

Look. There we go, that's your special fingerprint there.

Nobody else has got one like you. Lovely.

You've got tiny little fingers, haven't you?

SHE LAUGHS

Outside, dog handler Mandy Gornicki

introduces the kids to Buddy, her drugs dog.

In this jar is a little plastic bag

and it's got something inside it

that basically people shouldn't have, so it's illegal, all right?

And we teach our dogs to search for these things and find them

so that we can take them off people.

It's time for Buddy to show off his powerful nose.

It's not easy to focus

when you have to search around a group of excitable children.

Bud!

Right, he's going to smell everywhere to try

and find what we're looking for.

-KIDS GIGGLE

-Bud!

Think he might find something.

Nearly got it.

Yeah, Buddy! Well done!

Yay! You're very clever!

Very clever boy!

The reason Buddy searches so hard

and tries to find things is because he wants the tennis ball.

All right?

Then Mandy has just got enough time to introduce the kids

to her public order dog.

And she needs a volunteer.

Lucky Dan gets to show the dog in action.

Yeah, good boy!

If he barks, you give him his toy.

And that's how we teach the dog to bark at people.

-KIDS:

-Bye!

Dan is pleased with how the day's gone.

It's a really good thing for the local community to have

the opportunity, local schools to come in and speak to us.

Because it just gets to see the other side of who we are, really.

Instead of just seeing a car or somebody out on the street

and just being able to talk to them or going to a job,

it's nice to be able to engage with certainly young people

to make sure that they know that we're there to look after them.

-KIDS:

-Thank you!

Now we were going to say, how many people want to be police officers

when they grow up?

-Me!

-Great.

-Oh, brilliant.

I hope to see you then in the future.

We've seen today how the neighbourhood policing teams

tackle every type of crime and social problem.

It's all part of their tireless mission to make the streets

a safer place.

See you next time for more Neighbourhood Blues.