Crime: 23 January 2013

I am going to start with something sent in by one of our members as it is so clever !

Hi Jeff

I read with interest your most recent email.  My parents who live in London were burgled last year, while they were on holiday.  My sister checked on the house a day or two before the burglary and found a tube/train ticket in the gap between the door and the frame.  She thought nothing of it and unfortunately they were burgled a couple of days later.

The police said that thieves watch houses and do this, they then walk past the house later, to see if it moves. 

I just thought you may wish to share!

Milena

This is a very clever idea.  Please keep your eyes and ears open for this in your area.

Yesterday at about midday, we received calls from residents in Cox Green, Maidenhead, to say that a transit van was driving slowly around the area and the driver was looking up and down driveways.  It was such a pleasure to hear the calls coming in.  This is exactly what we need.  PCSOs and cars were immediately dispatched to carry out an ‘Area Search’ to find the transit and have a word with the driver !

NEXT:

I have received an email from Louise Tyson at ‘Repair With Care’.  They have produced a new set of two leaflets.  One outlines the services provided by Repair With Care for those who are elderly vulnerable and still live in their own home and a new leaflet dealing with the pendant ‘Lifeline Alarms’.  Lifeline Alarms are not just for those that are susceptible to a fall, but for anyone who lives alone, who may need that little bit of care and reassurance.  I will shortly have a stock of these leaflets if you need them to share amongst your neighbours / friends / relatives / work colleagues.  Even if you don’t need the service, please read the leaflets (attached at the bottom of this message), you may know someone that does !!!

NEXT A NEW INTIATIVE: - DOGWATCH.

DogWatch

Dogwatch is a really effective partnership between Thames Valley Police and the local community.  While the initial concerns were about theft of dogs in rural areas, the Scheme now deals with all kinds of rural crime and dog related crime, in other areas.  By joining Dogwatch, you will receive advice and information and pass on valuable intelligence to the police. In doing so you will play a part in protecting your community."  Simply follow this link.

www.dogwatchalert.com

MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:

maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

21/1 – 22/1  Monday 10.30 a.m. / Tuesday 8.30 a.m.  The Conifers.  Garage break  Bike stolen

RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:

maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

22/1  Tuesday 2.30 a.m. / 8 a.m.  Portlock Road.  Burglary.  The owner was at home, when someone may have used an implement through the letterbox to open the UVPC front door by pulling down the handle – IT HAD NOT BEEN DOUBLE LOCKED – ground floor searched.  Laptops x 2 and house & car keys stolen.  A neighbour did report a suspicious transit driving around slowly in the early hours.  Two points – 1 – All doors – wooden and UVPC, MUST BE DOUBLE LOCKED AT NIGHT.  Everyone should have a fire evacuation plan !!!!  particularly if you have children and a central staircase.  As part of that everyone should know where the keys are kept once the door is locked.  If you have stairs, then place the keys on the fifth step - so that they cannot be seen through the letterbox.  If there is a fire, they can be grabbed as you leave.  Make sure everyone knows where they will be, if you do not have stairs.  They need to be easily accessible should an emergency occur, but not on view if someone breaks in.

21/1 – 22/1  Monday midnight / Tuesday 4.30 a.m.  North Town Close.  Burglary using LETTERBOX METHOD / BY UNKNOWN MEANS. Handbag and contents including a mobile phone and key stolen.  During the house to house enquiries, a neighbour reported seeing a man acting suspiciously at 4.15 a.m.  He was tall, wearing a balaclava and dark clothing.  He knocked on her door and letterbox.  SHE DID NOT REPORT THIS TO THE POLICE.  I hope there isn’t a single one of the 11,000 of you out there, that would not have been on the phone to the police immediately in such circumstances !!!!

22/1 – 23/1  Tuesday 8.20 p.m. / Wednesday 7.50 a.m.  Windrush Way.  2 aluminium ramps taken from a car and dumped further up the road.

MAIDENHEAD WEST

BISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:

maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:

maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

22/1  Tuesday 10.20 p.m.  Lee Lane, Pinkneys Green.  Attempted shed break.  The owner was sitting at home WHEN THEY HEARD THEIR SHED ALARM SOUND !  They went to investigate and found footprints in the snow and evidence that the roof had been tampered with.  AS THE ALARM SOUNDED, THETHIEF IMMEDIATLEY MADE OFF !  YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE – I have attached Anne Chalmers’ handout re shed security again so that you know where to buy shed and padlock alarms !!!

21/3 – 22/1  Monday 5 p.m. / Tuesday 8.30 a.m.  Newlands Drive.  Burglary house being re-furbished.  Thieves climbed up a ladder onto scaffolding – window forced.  Drills X4, Jig saw, grinder and chop saw stolen.

22/1  Tuesday  midnight / 7.30 a.m.  Courthouse Road.  Shed break.  Lock to shed jemmied – THE THIEF IMMEDIATELY MADE OFF WHEN THE SHED ALARM SOUNDED – nothing stolen.

22/1  Tuesday midnight / 0.15 a.m.  Pinkney’s Road.  Summerhouse break.  Thieves went along the side of the property and climbed over a garden fence into a neighbouring property and then into this one.  They then entered the summerhouse and stole – Camcorders, DVDs, remote controls, glasses and a TV.  As they ran away they were disturbed and dropped the TV – which broke it !  Many questions here – Everyone needs to protect their fences either by increasing the height with rickety trellis – thieves don’t like it as it will not take their weight and if it breaks is noisy and retains forensic evidence.  If you cannot put up trellis, think about ‘Prikka Strip’, which you buy in meter strips.  It is spiky but plastic so that it won’t actually harm anyone, but will prevent them climbing over a fence.

21/1  Monday 0.05  a.m.  Shop, Furze Platt Road.  Glass front door smashed.  Cash register & cash, keys, credit card machine and charity boxes stolen.  The charity boxes were later found discarded in Oaken Grove Park.

MAIDENHEAD SOUTH

BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK :

maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

21/1 – 22/1  Monday 9 p.m. / Tuesday 9 a.m.  Clare Road, Boyn Hill.  Exhaust system stolen from under a white Sprinter Van – which will of course include the Catalytic Converter.  Sprinter vans are particularly targeted for this offence which only takes 2 minutes.  If you know of anyone with one, please advise them to take extra precautions at this time.  Another was stolen in Bracknell the same night.  Please remember – ‘JUST IN CASE’.  If you see a van on the highway with someone working underneath and you have a smart phone, take a photo and send it to me.  Same for any car with its rear end up on the highway, particularly, if there is a recovery van nearby which is not AA / RAC.  A photo of the van including index and any writing along the side.  They either use a wireless angle grinder or a wrench.  Both operations only take seconds.

22/1  Tuesday 3 a.m.  Food Outlet, Wootton Way.  Glass panel in front door smashed and forced.  Tidy search behind the counter – till cash tray and charity boxes stolen.

OLDFIELD & BRAY:

maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

21/1 – 22/1  Monday 5 p.m. / Tuesday 11 a.m.  Farm, Ascot Road.  Car left INSECURE – brown boots, SAT NAV, passport and cash stolen.

21/1 / 22/1  Monday 1.15 p.m. / Tuesday 9 a.m.  Holyport War Memorial, Moneyrow Green.  Glass door smashed to access main hall.  Cupboard door forced open and searched.  Fire extinguisher removed and left outside.

MEMBERS COMMENTS:

I have had several emails in from members to say that they had received the Fedex scam email.  It says they had tried to deliver a parcel, but failed.  It then goes on to ask recipients to open the attachment and print off the form, which will show the nearest depot.

You know what to do – BIN IT !

NEXT:

Cloning of credit / charge cards is still happening:

Dear Jeff

On Tuesday 15th January, I went to pay for my new glasses when my Mastercard was refused.

When I investigated, I found out it had been used by a fraudster who attempted to buy EasiJet Tickets, a large order from Tesco at Chesham, Phone Top Ups and a host of other items all on Monday 14th January.

I had only used the card at a couple of times on the Sunday.  Most were absolutely reliable, but one was a restaurant, where they brought the card machine to the table.

My husband did pay for petrol in the week with this card, is this the most likely place where the fraudster got the card details ?

I am baffled, can you urge people to be extra vigilant.

Best regards

Pamela

Please be aware that cloning of credit cards is still happening.  Who knows where it could have been cloned, it may have been from a skimming device put on a cash machine, anywhere.  Everyone needs to check their accounts as soon as they arrive – particularly as they arrive after Christmas.  If you have online accounts, perhaps keep an eye on them once a week ?

NEXT:

Had to share this. Not seen this one before 

They do keep trying don't they?  The awful thing is, it only takes a couple of people to fall for these things, to make it all worth while! 

Cheers and happy new year.

It is an email offering the recipient 10,000,000 euros etc. etc.  You can have a percentage, all they need, are details of your bank accounts etc.  Everyone now knows to bin these emails ????

Sherry

NEXT:

Just a reminder about the phone scams, where they don’t hang up !

Hi jeff

I just got this from a friend and thought people may wish to know this:

Regards

John

I recently I received one of those pesky phone calls.  I hung up.  On trying to find the caller's number using "1471" I could not, as the caller was still on the line --- this was despite my hanging up !  I then called my own number using my mobile phone --- it was engaged !!!

It stayed engaged for 20 minutes, which was very annoying.

This demonstrates that it is the ‘caller’ that terminates the call --- not the ‘callee’ (new word). This was new to me, as I had always thought that if either party hung up, the call was terminated.

This may explain why when you get one of these calls 1471 doesn’t work.

NEXT: SCAM SCARRY EMAILS

If you get any emails circulating from friends and family passing on bad incidents  - They usually say, send this to everyone you know – one recently that has been round the world several times over the last 5 years is about a baby car seat beside the road.  Though they may well have police logos, just bin them.  They are a form of Cyber Terrorism.  Their function, is to keep us all in a heightened form of anxiety.  After receiving one after another, people may decide not to go out, or their fear levels are raised – and we do it to our friends and family, by passing them on.  Their main advantage to someone trying to raise our fear levels is that they are very effective and cost nothing.

  JUST BIN THEM.