Crime: 30 October 2013  

JUST A REMINDER ABOUT HALLOWEEN TOMORROW NIGHT.  IF YOU SEE GROUPS OF YOUTHS GATHERING IN A SUSPICIOUS MANNER, THROWING FIREWORKS IN THE STREET, PLEASE LET US KNOW ON THE 101 NUMBER.  We have arranged additional police patrols in areas which have traditionally been a problem.  Calls from you, will fine tune that intelligence.
 
Further to the recent brilliant talk at the Open Meeting by our Economic Crime Unit, they have produced a new poster for Courier Fraud.  I have attached it, in case you want to print a copy out, to place on local notice boards, where it could be useful and act as a reminder.
 
Mrs. Chalmers, the force Crime Reduction Advisor, is organising a Winter Burglary campaign now that the clocks have gone back and it is now dark shortly after 5 p.m. - when most of us are still at work and our houses will be in darkness – unless we have left sidelights on timers ??.
One of the items she is recommending, is a ‘Fake TV’ !  This is a small box containing 3 LEDs, which light up and flicker.  It looks as if a TV is on in a room.  She wanted to know how it works and if it was effective, so she put it in an upstairs room and turned it on – it has to go in an upstairs front room – so that an offender cannot look through the window and see that the huge flat screen TV on the wall, is not on !  Her husband came home and immediately asked, who was upstairs watching TV  ?  A result !  These can easily be purchased online from companies such as Amazon and cost between £9.99 - £25.  Used in conjunction with a timer are brilliant and a huge deterrent !!!  The more expensive ones, have a built in dusk sensor and will come on automatically and can be set to turn off after 4 – 7 hours.
 
Sgt Rob Dalton from the Dedworth Neighbourhood Team has also come up with another GOOD IDEA !  When purchasing Christmas presents for grandparents or friends and you cannot think of an appropriate gift – think about a security product !  Do they have a nice bike ?  What about a toolbox of tools in the garage ?  Think about the alarmed padlock !  What about a garage alarm ?  These are not the sort of things you buy yourself, but would be happy to use if you received them as a gift !  The shed product leaflet is attached.
 
EXTERIOR HEATING OIL TANKS:
 
It is the time of year people think about filling up their central heating oil tanks.  Some advice is attached – think about a non invasive ‘Tank Commander’ !  Google it if you have an external tank !
 
 
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
30/10  Wednesday 9.15 a.m.  Shop, Queen’s Street.  Bike stolen from outside the back door.  A lad was seen riding it away.  He is described as black / mixed race, about 16, dark hair, wearing a blue hoody with dark trousers.  He cycled to Brock Lane and onto Queen Street.  A ladies, Dutch style old fashioned red ladies bike, with wicker basket on the front.
29/10  Tuesday 1.30 p.m. / 2.30 p.m.  Supermarket, Moorbridge Road.  Bike locked in a bike rack stolen.  A bright green gents TBC bike.
 
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
30/10  Wednesday 2.35 a.m.  Pub, Gringer Hill.  Pub entered via forced rear door – untidy search and tills damaged.  Nothing stolen.
28/10  Monday 11 p.m.  Gringer Hill.  The owner heard a loud bang, but thought nothing it.  In the morning they found the house had been egged and 2 windows broken.
28/10 – 30/10  Monday / Wednesday Cordwallis Road.  Graffiti sprayed on a garden wall.  This is apparently happeneing frequently.  Please report any graffiti immediately.  The RBWM Community Wardens and ourselves photograph the graffiti and keep a graffiti database, so that if anyone is caught – all their crimes will be put to them.  Graffiti is a crime – it is Criminal Damage, so must be reported to the PEC on the 101 number.
 
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
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
 
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
29/10 – 30/10  Tuesday 11.45 p.m. / Wednesday 7.30 a.m.  St Margaret’s Road.  Van ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS – Cordless drill, Electric saw, Husqvana vacuum cleaner and a angle grinder stolen.
 
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
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
 
OLDFIELD & BRAY:
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
28/10  Midnight / 2.30 p.m.  Harvest Hill Road.  Shed break.  Door removed.  Unknown if anything taken.
 
MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:
 
Hi Jeff,
Nuisance calls are now averaging four a day !  Purporting to be from London based solicitors, county courts, car accident claims, PPI - mostly, and all with very poor spoken English.
 
My caller display shows that they are virtually all, from "international numbers”.

I have been given to understand that TPS can do nothing and that B.T. say, they are not allowed to block telephone calls from outside the UK.

No doubt that is why these scam calls are routed outside Britain.
 
Bob
 
Thanks Bob, anyone got any suggestions re blocking these international calls ??
 
NEXT – POST LEFT STICKING OUT OF LETTERBOXES !
 
Hi Jeff
Further to your report re items of post going missing.....I live in, Sunningdale and on three recent occasions a relief post person, has left mail for several residents poking out of their letterboxes, so they could easily be taken by anyone passing by.
 
I complained to the local sorting office in Sunninghill a few weeks ago about this, but on 25/10 and 26/10 they again, did not deliver the mail correctly.
 
I actually spoke to the relief post person, on 26/10, to ask them to push the mail fully through the letterboxes.  I feel your input, may result in some action being taken.
 
I went to my neighbour’s house and pushed their mail through their letterbox, as they are on holiday.  Mail sticking out of a letterbox is an advert to any burglars, particularly, if someone is away and doesn’t remove it quickly.  If it was still there at the end of the day, the house is obviously unoccupied !
 
Amongst the items left sticking out of my letterbox, was my electoral registration form and a gas bill, items with which someone could have stolen my identify.  My regular postman Martin is brilliant, so if you do contact Sunninghill Sorting Office please make it clear that it isn't him.
 
Jo.
 
I have passed this onto the RBWM Community Wardens and the local Policing team to make contact with the sorting office.  This is – as Jo points out – a serious matter and freebie newspapers have the same problem.  If this happens in your road, it may be an imposition and time consuming, but by pushing mail / newspapers through letterboxes, you are protecting them – and – yourself, as it will act as a crime attractor !