ONLY a dozen people turned out for a public meeting in Bury this week to help shape policing priorities for the next three years.

The meeting, one of two planned for the town, was staged by the Bury Community Safety Partnership at the Mosses Centre on Monday evening.

Similar meetings at Bury's Elton High School on Wednesday and at Whitefield Community Education Centre last week only attracted around 12 people in total.

The purpose was to highlight the findings of the Crime and Disorder Audit which will influence a strategy for the reduction of crime and disorder throughout the borough.

Information, embracing police crime figures together with details from other agencies, was used to compile the audit which has been published by the Bury Community Safety Partnership.

An important part of the exercise involves consultation with the public. A total of 30,000 audit leaflets/questionnaires have been distributed borough-wide to allow the public a say on the five key objectives identified in the document.

The Partnership has drawn up its key priorities for crime and disorder reduction. These are: -

Drugs (including alcohol)

House burglaries

Domestic violence

Racial harassment

Incidents involving youths. Monday's meeting was chaired by Mr Derek Burke of the Greater Manchester Police Authority, on behalf of the Partnership. He was joined by Inspector John Sargeson of Bury police and Mr Preston Hulse of the Probation Service.

Mr Burke emphasised the partnership approach to the strategy and stressed: "We are trying to get some feedback on the Crime and Disorder Act. The Act requires other agencies to co-operate and to come together to develop and implement a strategy for reducing crime and disorder."

Another major purpose of the public meetings, being held throughout the borough, is to determine whether the Partnership's five key objectives reflect the concerns of local people.

Mr Burke said: "These objectives are not simply the highest areas of crime. They are not the priorities for the police - they have their own priorities - but those of the Partnership".

Mrs Val McGrory, chairman of the Bury North Police and Community Consultative Committee, told the meeting: "It's a sad indictment that so few people are here. They're either not bothered or feel that whenever they complain about anything, it's going to fall on deaf ears."

Commenting on the fact racial harassment was one of the five key areas identified, she added: "I don't feel this is a priority in this town. I'd like to see school truancy on the list as more and more children are being taken to court."

Mr Jimmy Hill, chairman of the Pimhole Residents Association, accused police of not being interested. He said he'd written to the Chief Constable on February 4 - and was still waiting for that letter to be acknowledged.

Mr Harry Reed asked if more manpower and finance would come to Bury to help achieve the reduction in the five objectives. But Mr Burke replied: "There will be no extra resources. But at the end of the day, there will be a net gain."

Later, Mr Burke commented on the poor turn-out. He said: "What is important to remember is that public meetings are just one part of the whole consultation exercise."

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