Hundreds on city danger register (From York Press)

Hundreds on City of York Council danger register

9:00am Wednesday 9th May 2012 in News By Kate Liptrot , kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk

MORE than 300 people and 65 properties in York now feature on a council danger register, The Press can reveal.

The City of York Council Staff Warning Register warns staff to take care around the individuals and properties, and to consider taking someone with them when arranging a meeting.

The majority of the 314 people on the register are known to be violent and are sometimes living under conditions imposed as part of an official public protection plan because they pose a risk to the public or because they have been aggressive or violent to council staff or other public officers.

Most of the properties are those where there are dangerous dogs or there may be a risk of discarded syringes.

The number of people on the register has risen significantly since its early days in 2005, when 58 people and 53 buildings were listed.

At that time, incidents involving council staff included a member of staff being threatened by a man with a replica gun and another by a man carrying a bow and arrow. However, City of York Council has refused to give any details of recent incidents.

A spokesperson for Veritau, which compiles the staff warning register, said: “The safety of council employees is paramount. The register was set up in 2005, so over the last seven years awareness has grown along with the number of users. Although each record is reviewed periodically, as it would be unfair to leave a name on if someone has learned to manage their behaviour, they are likely to remain ‘live’ for a period of time.” Of the 314 people on the staff warning register, 282 are known to be male. Five are children under 18.

The biggest single group of entrants includes those considered to pose a risk of violence by the probation service, usually before leaving prison on licence.

Nineteen of the people listed are known to live in the centre of York in the Guildhall ward, 18 in Heworth, 16 in the Westfield and Holgate wards, 15 in Clifton and 13 in Fishergate. The council was unable to confirm where 171 of those on the list live.

Of the properties listed, 12 are in the Westfield ward, eight in Heworth, six in Clifton, five in Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without, four in Dringhouses and Woodthorpe and four in Huntington and New Earswick.