Crime: 11 October 2013  

NO BURGLARIES TO REPORT IN THE LAST 48 HOURS
 
First a compliment to PCSO Liz Davidson who covers the rural beats in Cookham, Hurley, the Walthams and Littlewick Green (she did win PCSO of the year last year !).  The same would apply to all our PCSOs !
 
Hi Jeff -
 
I just wanted to let you know that I sent an email to request property marking, following your update last week.
 
I am happy to report PCSO Liz Davidson contacted me within 24 hours, to arrange an appointment and was able to visit my house yesterday.  She marked all our new power tools and also our bikes.
 
Whilst she was here, I took a note of all the frame numbers, so I could register them on the database and now, like the young man you talk about in today's update, will be in a position to recover them, if any were to get stolen.
 
It was a pleasure to meet Liz and she couldn't have been more helpful, also giving me a few extra bits of security advice whilst she was at the house. A real asset to the community.
 
So please take this 'thank you' to you for your weekly updates with quick and easy security suggestions we can all follow and a thank you to Liz, for being so responsive and helpful.
 
Best regards & carry on the good work,
 
Kate
 
NEXT:
Just to remind you, you can now report crime online, rather than having to ring us!
 
Hi Jeff.
 
Do you think it would be a good idea to remind our members that they can report crime online now as well as over the phone ?  Why not point people at:
http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/reptcr/reptcr-repform.htm
 
Best regards,
Mark
 
Thanks Mark, a timely reminder.
 
NEXT – NOTTINGHAM KNOCKERS.
 
These are back and have been right across the area.  I sometimes forget that amongst our many, many members, most of whom have been with us for donkey’s years and heard everything before, we have hundreds of new people joining each month, to whom a lot of this, is all new.  If you have joined recently – welcome aboard.  If ever you see a message and don’t fully understand what it is about, because I have used an acronym or shorthand, just email me and I will explain.
Nottingham Knockers, would be a case in point.  I have been circulating warnings about these people for over 10 years, but there are always new members, who don’t have the faintest clue, what we are talking about.  These are the young lads, who go door to door selling cheap household products.  Often they explain they are just out of prison / the army / deaf / dumb / blind / speak no English and trying to re-make their way in the world.  They are always plausible, or you wouldn’t buy from them.  The police advice is very simple – if it sounds a little harsh.  Please repeat the NHW Mantra – ‘I AM SORRY, I DO NOT BUY GOODS OR SERVICES, AT THE DOOR’ – Everyone across the entire Thames valley uses those exact words, so the minute they hear them, they realise it is a waste of time trying next door neighbours – they then give up and leave, looking for easier pickings elsewhere.  You then firmly, but politely, close the front door and phone the police !  Again – harsh you may think, but it is very necessary.  We will come out and ‘stop check’ every single one.  Very often, they have considerable criminal records and are not the type of people you want looking up your hallway, at your possessions.  THIS IS A SCAM.  They know – and you know, the items they are selling are rubbish and very low quality.  That is part of the scam.  They are employed, not to sell the stuff, but to locate the addresses of the elderly, vulnerable and....gullible.  If they do sell stuff, they are very happy.  Their aim is to extract a £10, or higher note, from you.  They can tell a lot about you, from the condition of the note.  What they are looking for, are crisp, flat, new, unused notes.  They will also measure the length of time it takes you to get them.  A slightly musty smelling, new crisp note, means you could have a stash of them in the house.  The longer you take to get it, the more likely it is, a large stash is hidden away.  If you pay with a crumpled up note from your purse, they are not interested.  They record these addresses and pass them onto their employer, who sells them.  You then go on a list for tarmaccers, roofers, tree loppers, guttering / double glazing – you name it – they will call on you – you are easily parted from your hard earned cash !!
 
This came in today:
‘Yesterday lunchtime, a very plausible young man knocked on my door, presented me with his ID and said he'd just got back from Afghanistan and was trying to earn some money doing door to door sales.  He went on and on and in the end, I found myself writing a cheque for £55 for some tea towels, a duster and 3 other bits of rubbish that you could buy in the pound shop!
I have no neighbours where I live and did feel slightly vulnerable, it was easier to pay out to get rid of him.  I've Googled the company and it comes up as a SCAM.
Any advice would be appreciated’.
My advice was to cancel the cheque immediately and inform the bank that the account may have been compromised -  they have her bank details and a signature.
 
Please do not let this happen to you.  Remember, by repeating the Mantra they will have heard a hundred times before, they will just walk away.
 
NB / POSTSCRIPT.  You must not enter into conversation with them.  We are inherently helpful and will answer the question – ‘I tried next door but there was no reply’ by saying – ‘Oh no, they spend the winter in the Bahamas, they won’t be back until February’!!! or – ‘Oh no, they are out, they work in London and never get back before 9 p.m.’!!!!
 
Please do not put yourselves.....and your neighbours, at risk
 
 
 
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@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-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
9/10  Wednesday 6.15 p.m. / 6.45 p.m.  Club, Odney Lane, Cookham.  Car rear windscreen smashed.  Laptop and iPad stolen.
2/10 – 9/10  Wednesday / Wednesday  Shop, Station Hill, Cookham Rise.  Shop windows smashed.
 
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
8/10 – 9/10  Tuesday 5.15 p.m. / Wednesday 8.15 a.m.  Garthlands, Furze Platt.  Car possibly left INSECURE – door opened and SAT NAV stolen from the dashboard.
8/10 – 10/10  Tuesday noon / Thursday noon.  Spring Close, Furze Platt.  Garage break – padlock cut off – toolbox, tools and car jack stolen.  There was aan attempt to break into the garage several weeks ago and several neighbour’s garages may have been broken into, but this is the only one reported so far.
 
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-area-berkse-winds

/yournh-tvp-pol-area-n392.htm
7/10 – 10/10  Monday / Thursday  Silvertrees Drive.  Index plate stolen.
 
OLDFIELD & BRAY:
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
 
 
MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:
 
At yesterday’s morning briefing, Insp. Stuart Bosley who heads up our local CID team wanted me to express his thanks to you.  We had a suspicious car reported to us, with descriptions of occupants, date, time, direction of travel, make, model, colour and index !  A brilliant piece of intel.  The car definitely was suspicious and from the information supplied, we were able to confirm has been widely involved in crime.  We immediately sent out a shift response car and it disappeared very quickly from this area.  With intel like that, if we know we have a suspicious car ‘on the manor’, we can immediately check our ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras to see exactly where it is now – and where it has been.  We can then tie it into any crimes occurring in those areas.  Keep that intel coming please !
 
This came in while I was on Annual Leave and deals with various road traffic issues – you may not be aware of:
 
Jeff
It may be an idea to let people know that a number of new traffic laws came into force on midnight of the 14th August 2013.  These could see motorists earning points on their licence and being fined, due to the fact that no one has informed them of these changes in the law.
The latest change in the law, is that Drivers of vehicles are not allowed to stop their vehicles in a ‘Green Area’ with a picture of a bicycle that is designated for Cyclists, at a junction.  If drivers do so, they can be fined £60 and have 3 points added to their licence.  Also, the fine for using a phone whilst driving, has gone up to £100.  There are a number of other new laws that are now in force which have not been well publicised.  I learned of these changes, not as a professional driver. But by listening to LBC radio on Wednesday night.