Desperate need of help to fight Council

[Tuesday_Swimmer]

Hi All,
Can anyone help me with wording a letter to the council, newspapers and MPs. I do not really know how to word them and due to many thefts at our local leisure / swimming centre and also trouble with vandalism outside lately. we need to raise the councils awareness and get them to put CCTV up in the reception area and outside at the enterence. Any advice would be more that welcome and gratefully received.
(please read below

In the last few years there has many thefts at our local leisure / swimming centre and also trouble with vandalism outside, windows smashed and cans and bottles thrown round and drunks/alcoholics sitting round in groups day and night in corners some hurling abuse as people pass by and drug users buying and using. Just a few months ago there was a big clean up around the front of the swimming / leisure centre grounds on the underage drinkers and alcoholics leaving bags and boxes of empty cans and bottles and the local community police (specials i think they call them) came past for a few weeks to make sure they moved away but it is slowly getting back to the same state.The manager at the swimmin centre says they have asked in the past but the council do nothing - but if we can get letters going and send them to the council, newspapers and our local MPs then they have to sort it out.
last month a lady had her glasses taken and before that another lady had her purse taken both these ladies were over 55 and it causes great distress, only two weeks ago today I myself had my coat with my mobile phone in it pinched out of my locker whilst I was only no more than 2 feet away from it in the cubical which has only a nylon curtain accross it I had only been in the cubical for a few mins getting dressed after swimming. Plus the same day another younger lady had her towel taken, it is horrid and you feel violated, The managerl at the centre was very helpful and got the girls to check the area but nothing ever turned up. All this could have been prevented if there had been CCTV camera's in the reception area and outside - plus the police may have been able to have caught and procecuted whoever did this if they had had a view of who was comming and going at the time.
Also, if there was CCTV camera's outside the building then the vandalism (most windows on both sides of the swimming pool area smashed) of approximatly 10 windows on each side of the pool approx four/six months ago would most probably been prevented. ( It has took the council up until today to replace them after being boarded up for so long).
This swimming/Leisure Centre is run by the Council and since the new rules in April giving pensioners and children free swimming at any time This pool has gained a lot of users especially the elders. It would be a shame if all because of a few security measures that people stopped using it.
The Pool sessions are from 7am until 9pm on most days a week but on thursdays it is from 7am to 10pm, ( the staff are fantastic and even they have asked about the chance of CCTV but have got nowhere.) Although there is only a small number of staff on at different times the reception area is often left unattended with only an audiable alert on the door if someone comes or goes through it, the cashdesk and computor are only about 6 foot away from the doors along with other valuable items like radio walky-talkys and keys phones etc., under a reception desk and there is also a snax machine and a drinks machine in the reception area. All of which would be easy pickings for a criminal to come in whilst the reception is unnattended and I must say that sometimes you can wait 5 or 6 minutes for someone to come to reception after you have come through the door as the door alert buzzer thing can only be heard in the reception area as it is not very loud. Most days the doors are left open so then there is NO alert at all !. In my view it is a crime waiting to happen. CCTV would be not only cost effective to the Council but would in this day and age be beneficial to the safety of not only the customers but also to the staff -especially in the latter months of the year when it gets dark early.
Thanking you for all your help and advise, I do hope you can help us.

[old_andrew2007]

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