Crime: 22 March 2013

First, I have received a message from Sgt Tiny Welford, who manages the Maidenhead Town Centre Neighbourhood Team:

Hi Jeff,

On Saturday 23^rd March, I am holding an event in the Nicholson Centre, between 10 a.m.- 4 p.m..

Attending, will be a number of partner agencies, including; the RBWM Community Wardens (with the Burglary Road Show), the Drugs and Alcohol Team (DAAT), Thames Valley Police (including PCSOs with ‘PCSO PROUD and RESPECT’ - the life size PCSO mascots – from noon).

I am hoping that we may have YOT (Youth Offending Team)  and YISP representation, along with other partners.

One of the main thrusts of the event, is in fact to publicise the work of our NAGS (Neighbourhood Action Groups). To get them some exposure, encourage more support and attract new members.

Can you please put it out on your ALERT

Regards,

Tiny

Kids will love to meet PCSOs Proud and Respect !  It will also be an opportunity to speak to the police or any of our partner agencies in complete confidence !

NEXT:

Can I welcome a new scheme to the fold !  I set up Holmanleaze on Wednesday evening.  Many people think, when I organise a ‘NHW Start Up Meeting’ that is going to be dull and boring – a bunch of nosey neighbours / curtain twitchers getting together - as it is always portrayed in TV comedy shows.  Our meetings are never that !  We spend most of the evening laughing, as we go though people’s experiences.  Everyone learns a lot, as we deal with each person’s concerns and I meet some really nice caring people, which always re-affirms your confidence and faith in human nature.  These people want to make a difference and help their neighbours !  Most of those that attend, have no idea how criminals work & think and it can be an eye opener for some.  Some had real concerns re ASB and other issues, which I took away and have been busy this morning, passing those issues through to the correct person who can help.  The basic principle, is that once you have heard how they operate, you may forget most of it, but when something happens to you, the message floods back.  If not – you know where to find the information you need to deal with an issue.

I had a lovely time – as I always do – welcome aboard Holmanleaze and thankyou John, for a lovely evening.

Mrs. Chalmers has been to see me this morning, she is preparing a handout re going away / holidays and what you should do about it.  I should have another – ‘Mrs.  Chalmers Top Tip’ on Monday that I will circulate.

She feels my marketing of her as a Miss Marple figure – ‘you can sleep soundly in your bed....and here is a recipe for banana Tea Bread – does not suit her persona !  She would prefer to be seen as Lara Croft !  Who would you prefer to give you crime prevention advice ?  Miss Marple or Lara Croft ?  The decision is yours !!

MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:

maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tv

p-pol-area-berkse-winds/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n391.htm

NO CRIME TO REPORT.

RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:

maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

NO CRIME TO REPORT.

MAIDENHEAD WEST

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

maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area

-berkse-winds/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n393.htm

20/3  Wednesday midnight / 9.35 p.m.  Pub, The Pound, Cookham.  Car rear windscreen smashed – Mobiles X 2, LAPTOPS X 3 and documents, jewellery stolen.  The documents have been recovered discarded nearby.

PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:

maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

NO CRIME TO REPORT.

MAIDENHEAD SOUTH

BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:

maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Neighbourhood Page:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-are

a-berkse-winds/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n392.htm

NO CRIME TO REPORT.

OLDFIELD & BRAY:

maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

20/3 – 21/3  Wednesday 4 p.m. / Thursday 12.30 p.m.  Rushington Avenue X 3.  1.  Shed break – searched but nothing stolen.  2.  Car drivers door lock forced – SAT NAV and radio frontage stolen.  There has been damage to the Ignition system – Blue Vauxhall Astra.  3.  Car drivers and passenger door locks damaged.  The steering lock housing was also damaged – Blue Vauxhall Corsa.

21/3  Thursday 5 a.m. / 6 a.m.  Braywick Road, Braywick.  Car broken into by unknown means – the steering column and ignition system were damaged – Blue Ford Ka.

20/3  Wednesday 7.50 p.m. / 8.35 p.m.  Brayfield Road, Bray.  Car rear windscreen smashed – suitcase stolen.  This has been recovered discarded nearby.

MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:

Another two of Mrs. Chalmers’ top tips

HI Jeff

CCTV supporting small businesses

This Home office leaflet offers guidance to current or potential users of CCTV, on how to get the most from this technology.

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science/cast/crime-prev-community-safety/c

ctv-small-business-guidance?view=Binary

AND – my new Handout re ‘Mrs. Chalmers’ Top Tip’ - ‘Property marking’.  You will then be able to sleep at night !

I have also attached the documents.

I HAD THIS IN YESTERDAY AFTERNOON – THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT – COMMUNITIES / NEIGHBOURS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT EACHOTHER – THIS IS WHAT MAKES MY DAY – EACH DAY:

Hi, Folks.

Hopefully, you will have read in today's Neighbourhood Alert, the report of an attempted burglary yesterday.

Following on from that, I have been told by a neighbour, that a 'scruffy looking' older man in jeans (I'm relieved to hear it wasn't me), was doing the rounds of the road at about lunchtime yesterday.  He was knocking on doors and, when answered, said he was from Anglian Windows enquiring about door replacements.  Since many of us were not around at that time, he also appeared to be looking in windows, whilst waiting for the door to be answered.  

Consequently, the neighbour did what all of us should do, they phoned the police on the 101 number.

The police were round within 15 minutes.  They carried out a search of the area, but did not find the individual concerned.

Anyhow, it is a lesson to us all - keep your downstairs doors and windows shut, even if you are in, your side gates and sheds locked, tell all cold-callers ‘you don't buy or sell at the front door’, and do dial 101 to report any suspicious activity immediately.

Regards,

David

Thanks David - perfection,

Can I re-iterate this message.  Everyone must report anything they see which is 'suspicious'.

What is suspicious ?  Anything that draws your attention.  We all know the speed a car goes up our roads, even if looking for an address / parking space and we completely ignore it - our brains recognise any behaviour that fits within our experience.  Anyone doing anything differently, will draw our attention.  We may not know why, but we will notice it.  It is the same, with people leafleting in a road.  They are intent on getting their letters in the right order / looking for letterboxes.  Our brains recognise this instantly from subtle queues.  If they start looking up side accesses / through windows - our attention may be drawn - even though, they have not done anything wrong.

Keep the calls coming - especially if you get the Nottingham Knockers.  As you can see - we will respond !

THE IRS SCAM EMAILS:

Hi Jeff

Re the tax rebate scam.....maybe a good idea to mention that if the message uses GBP instead of the £ sign, then it's obviously a scam, coz they don't have a UK keyboard.

Also, the tax office would mention tax code ID and probably a NHI number.

Peter

I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT !!!

THE WINDOWS SCAM IS STILL WITH US !

Jeff,

We are now getting calls from someone calliing themselves "Windows Technical Department", that follow much the same pattern as before, namely they claim they are getting messages from our PC that indicate problems with our WINDOWS set-up.  A notable difference, however, is that the callers are much more aggressive and even if you put the phone down on them, you may get another call a short time later, starting up all over again.

We have tried many of the suggestions you have reported by others, also bothered with these calls and they do have some effect, although, as noted above, tactics are changed frequently by these callers.

A couple of things we have tried are, if we have time, is to just put the phone down without speaking to them and do something else. After a suitable interval, we go back and ask them if they are still there. So far, they have rung off. A second is that we let them carry on with their pitch and then say that "this call has been recorded and will be reported to our police". They ring off instantly. Another suggested to us is to put the phone down near a hi-fi, put some music on and leave it for a while. I'm told this does work, too. Any other bright ideas will be welcome!

Best regards

Mark

This sounds like a good idea !

I have been asked to clarify the release put out by the Borough re disposal of dog poo !!!

Hi Jeff,

I have received notification from one of your members that people are walking their dogs in their road, bagging up the poo and dumping it in their domestic wheelie bins.

I would just like to clarify that in our release, we are not asking dog owners to dispose of dog waste in their domestic wheelie bins, or their recycling containers.

We are suggesting that they may dispose of bagged dog waste, into any street litter bin.

Therefore, if people are out walking their dog and it fouls in a public area and the owner picks it up and bags it, they may deposit it into a street litter bin, rather than take it home with them.

We feel this is responsible way of disposing of dog waste and saves dog owners, from having to carry it home and dispose of it, in another way. I hope this clarifies the situation for everyone.

Kind Regards

ANDY ALDRIDGE

Senior Community Warden

RBWM

andy.aldridge@rbwm.gov.uk

NEXT IS THE SCAM MESSAGE GOING AROUND AT THE MOMENT THAT IF YOU ARE FORCED TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF AN ATM, BY PUTTING YOUR PIN BACKWARDS, THE BANK WILL BE ALLERTED.  Sorry this is not true.  The PCSOs have been into every major bank to ask and they all said no !  I wouldn’t worry – we have never had such a case here !

In connection with this, I have had an email in from Liz:

Hi Jeff

Out of interest a guy called Joseph Zingher invented the idea of the ‘backward panic pin’ in 1994 in the US and patented it in 1998.  No one was interested!!  Various US States have discussed the idea over the years, but none of the banks seem to want the technology.

Perhaps Zingher is asking too much for his patent!!!

Regards

Liz

There is a Safe company that operates this system, but the Safes are connected to the manufacturer down a phone line and monitored, in a similar way as a monitored burglar alarm.  Perhaps Zingher did make some money after all  ???

LAST 2:

John has phoned me from Maidenhead to say he has had a call from Lloyds Bank, to say they have a credit they would like to put into his account – could he confirm his bank details !!!  he happened to have an account with Lloyd’s, but as a member of NHW didn’t fall for it !  Others might !

LASTLY – BIKES.

As I keep saying – we have hundreds of ‘recovered’ bikes in the back yard which are never claimed - more each week.  Every police station is inundated with them.  None of them match any descriptions of lost / stolen bikes in the police computers, so they are simply not reported !  If you do lose / have a bike stolen please report it !  What you will need is a description of the bike !  Sometimes people can hardly recall the colour, let alone the make and model.