Colin and I were up bright and early on Thursday morning to take part in an Impact Day organised by the Suffolk Fire Service. The idea of an Impact Day is that representatives of the public services such as the Police, the Fire Service, the DVLA, Babergh Environmental Health, the Education Service, Babergh Anti Social Behaviour team, Litter pickers etc. descend en masse on a locality to try to sort out problems on the ground, and do some clearing up along the way.
We mustered at 7 a.m. at the Big Apple Bowling Alley. All four Babergh District Councillors for the area participated. After a briefing we set off through the gloom to the Springlands Estate where a happy five hours were spent in the pouring rain generally sorting out the area. We manfully strode about revealing endless piles of rubbish in alleyways and hedgerows and a goodly number of untaxed motor vehicles under the bemused gaze of local residents, who had probably not seen so many police officers gathered together in one place at one time since the last Royal Wedding. Colin, Peter and I managed to unearth a Dyson cleaner and a pool table (pictured above). Unfortunately neither was salvageable.
The police made one arrest (a disqualified driver on the Eastern bypass) and also managed to run a potential villain to earth who had secreted himself in a garage and was making suspicious banging noises. We all were told to keep clear as the officers prepared to storm the premises, but at the eleventh hour the suspect was reprieved when it came to light that he was simply mending the garage door on behalf of the home owner.
There was much that was slightly comical about the proceedings, but it would be wrong to be critical. These operations have done a great deal to improve some of the more difficult areas of Ipswich and
So what were the results of the operation? The list was very long, but included: 14 paper delivery children who were discovered not to have the right papers, and thus were uninsured. One truant was apprehended and one missing child found. Trading standards investigated six roadside vehicles for sale and reported two building firms to Scambusters. Enquiries about 24 vehicles with out of date tax discs were sent to the DVLA and 40 homes were checked for safety by the Fire Service. 22 items of graffiti were reported or removed, 46 incidents of fly tipping were found, along with 7 Tesco shopping trolleys. The police stopped two drivers with no insurance and two overweight lorries and representatives from the Environment Agency stopped 12 lorries carrying waste and found one to be without a licence.
On the whole the day was felt to be a success despite the dreadful weather, with a good time having been had by all, except, probably, the man in the garage.
