Man seen ‘wielding machete in broad daylight’ in Northampton neighbourhood leads to calls for urgent action on crime in the area

West Northants Labour Group leader Councillor Sally Keeble (Dallington Spencer ward) has called for urgent action over drug-related crime in the St James area of Northampton.

She raised the issue at a meeting of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s panel on Thursday September 18.

Her call came after reports from residents of violent and drug-related crime in the area, including a video showing a man wielding a machete in daylight on a housing estate.

Cllr Keeble said: “What was appalling was the level of the violence, the fact it was in daylight and the level of impunity of the criminals who were walking around without fear of being identified or caught.

“This problem needs to be tackled for the safety and well-being of the majority of residents who want nothing to do with drugs or crime. This activity is a blot on Northampton.”

Cllr Keeble has called for figures on drug-related crimes to be provided at the next panel meeting and for action to combat the problem to be monitored in the forward plan. She highlighted that the monitoring reports presented to the panel did not include information about drug-related crimes, and there were no proposals for future action. The panel agreed to request monitoring data at its next meeting.

Councillor Eddie McDonald (Reform UK) also voiced his opinion at the panel meeting, saying: “People do what they want because they have no fear of being arrested, prosecuted, or convicted. That’s why the behaviour continues. We want to see police officers take action immediately when the public report incidents. Everybody else can do their bit, but unless the police do their part, the problem won’t stop. This needs a serious conversation now, not several years from now.”

Responding, a Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the community concerns in the St James area of Northampton and have been in direct correspondence with Cllr Keeble this week to address the important issues she has raised.

“In regards to the incident in Victoria Park a number of weeks ago, an arrest has been made and reassurance patrols were put in place at the time to ensure that visible police officers were easily accessible to local residents.

“We understand how much of an impact an incident of this nature can have on the local community and although it happened a number of weeks ago, we would encourage anyone with further concerns to contact us, whether directly via 101 or online at www.northants.police.uk/ro, or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

“In regards to the general issues in the St James area, we have commenced a programme of work to respond to people’s concerns including police surgeries at the Dodderidge Centre and with our Force Beat Bus, working alongside our Community Safety Partnership to work on improving the security within the flats in this area, and engaging with our Crime Prevention Team to get some bespoke recommendations for their requirements.

“We would also encourage residents to report incidents of concern or suspicious behaviour to us, so that we can build up an intelligence picture and take action. The team here are very proactive and will always act on information given.”