Carrier bags full of drug paraphernalia, including dozens of nitrous oxide – known as laughing gas – canisters were dumped on a table in front of police and council staff during a neighbourhood meeting in Ramsgate last night (July 8).
The items were collected in Royal Esplanade and, said the man who had picked them up, are a daily site in the West Cliff road.
He was one of some 60 residents who turned out for the meeting at the Glo community centre by Brunswick Court.
Drug deals
Residents raised issues of youths on cycles and mopeds opening carrying out drug deals in the street; vandalism, particularly on the sea front shelters; speeding vehicles in areas including Grange Road and anti-social behaviour, including “town centre Tarzans” climbing on buildings and throwing objects down onto the street.
A member of the Ramsgate Society revealed the group has spent more than £10,000 in the last two years replacing smashed panes and getting rid of graffiti on the shelters.
Police Sgt James Ross appealed for people to note down registration numbers of nuisance bikers and drivers and reassured residents that officers were carrying out covert operations to crack down on criminal behaviour in the town.
Resources
But he said the resources often fall short of what is needed. He said: “The sheer quantity of reports is overwhelming. Each crime has to have a proportionate response to it, We have to focus on ‘threat, risk and harm’
“It is not that we do not want to catch people but we have to target our resources in a more strategic way.”
Among those present were county councillor Karen Constantine, Project MotorHouse trustee Janet Fielding, Councillor Peter Campbell, Thanet council deputy leader Lin Fairbrass and Ramsgate mayor Trevor Shonk,
Cllr Shonk raised issued of dumped rubbish and the barriers to using council tips, lorries parked on pavements and antisocial behaviour.
‘Lawless’
He said: “Ramsgate is lawless, vandalism goes unpunished, I can smell pot being smoked every day and there are mopeds and push bikes delivering drugs, we have lost.”
During the meeting it was revealed that from May to July this year 1,138 parking penalty notices were dished out in Ramsgate and Kingdom litter cops hand handed out 177 fixed penalty notices in the town.
- Victim Support drop-in sessions are now being held every Wednesday between 1.30pm and 3.30pm at Ramsgate Library.
- Rape crisis drop-ins are being held every Thursday at the registry office in Ellington Road. Both are funded by Ramsgate Town Council.
Ramsgate crime reports May 2017, according to Kent Police data
Central Harbour
198 crimes
69 violence and sexual offences
53 antisocial behaviour
6 burglary
19 criminal damage and arson
2 drugs
4 ‘other crime’
15 theft
1 possession of a weapon
6 public order
3 robbery
13 shoplifting
4 theft from person
3 vehicle crime
Eastcliff
165 crimes
61 violence and sexual offences
32 antisocial behaviour
3 burglary
21 criminal damage and arson
2 drugs
3 ‘other crime’
7 theft
1 possession of weapon
6 public order
1 robbery
24 shoplifting
1 theft from person
3 vehicle crime
Nethercourt
41 crimes
13 asb
5 criminal damage and arson
3 ‘other crimes’
1 robbery
7 vehicle crime
12 violence and sexual offences
Newington
93 crimes
38 violence and sexual offences
18 asb
5 burglary
5 criminal damage and arson
1 drugs
1 ‘other crime’
7 theft
1 possession of weapons
6 public order
2 robbery
3 shoplifting
6 vehicle crime
Northwood
109 crimes
37 violence and sexual offences
28 asb
16 criminal damage and arson
1 drugs
4 ‘other crime’
5 theft
1 possession of weapons
5 public order
5 shoplifting
7 vehicle crime
Sir Moses Montefiore
29 crimes
9 violence/sexual offences
5 asb
1 burglary
2 criminal damage/arson
1 drugs
7 theft
1 public order
3 vehicle crime