30 July 2010Local reporters can find out how volunteering is helping to make Swanley a safer place at a volunteer open morning in the town.
Taking place on Thursday 29 November 2007 between 10am and 12pm in the Tower Room, Swanley Library, there will be displays from several volunteer organisations that operate in the town including Swanley Volunteer Centre, the Scouts, Police Special Constables and Neighbourhood Watch.
There will also be an opportunity to find out the results of the Op General II, which ran from October 2006 to February 2007.
Swanley residents who want to find out more about volunteering and how to make a difference to their local community through volunteering have been invited to the event.
Not only is volunteering recognised as helping the local community, is has been shown in many cases to improve the skills and knowledge of those taking part which can lead to new or better employment opportunities.
Cllr Felicity Broomby, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for volunteering, says: "Volunteers make a real difference to the lives of countless residents though their unpaid work. Throughout the Swanley area residents are taking the lead in voluntary work to help people feel safer, improve the environment or assist vulnerable people. Thanks in part to their help we now live in the safest District in Kent. I would urge those with an interest in volunteering to come along to the open day to find out more."
Chief Inspector Gill Ellis, District Commander for West Kent Police adds: "There will be an opportunity to see the fantastic results following Operation General, the high profile operation we commenced about a year ago. There has been a good deal of follow up activity since this initial operation, including environmental audits in Swanley which involved local people, partner agencies such as police, fire & rescue service town and district council representatives visually assessing particular areas and identifying problems which they could tackle together to improve the environment for everyone. As part of the volunteer morning we also hope to enlist the help of people from the local community in working together to make Swanley a safer place to live."
The Community Safety Partnership is highlighting the many projects that through funding from the Partnership has made a difference to residents across the District. This event is one in a series of opportunities for the media to find out more about the work taking place in the District to reduce crime and the fear of crime and strengthen communities.
The Partnership brings together all of the agencies in the District who can have an affect on crime and includes Kent Police, Sevenoaks District Council, Kent County Council, Kent Fire & Rescue Service, West Kent Primary Care Trust, Voluntary Sector, Kent Drug & Alcohol Action Team, West Kent Housing, Moat Housing, Kent Youth Offending Team and the Probation Service.
More information about Operation General II
Operation General II ran from October 2006 to February 2007 and was intended to reduce levels of crime, anti social behaviour and the fear of crime in the Swanley wards of St Mary’s and White Oak.
The Operation, which began at the time West Kent Police took responsibility for Swanley, was made up of four phases, some of which involved Community Safety Partners and voluntary agencies.
The first two phases were based on increased uniformed patrols on foot and in marked Police vehicles. Phase two also included a Multi-Agency Road Show and a wide-spread survey completed by more than 600 people. Phase thee centred around police activity including arrests and executing warrants based on intelligence gathered from the previous phases. Phase four was intended as a consolidation phase with a gradual return to normal levels of policing.
