May 08

June 2008

Royston Rural

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team at Royston Police Station includes:

Inspector Jason THORNE

Sergeant Pete FROST

PC Paul MARINA

PC Julie-Ann CUNDELL PC Nic MUSTO PC Neil LASENBY

PCSO Chris BRABROOK PCSO Tracy KENNEDY

PCSO Penny TOMSETT PCSO Allan KELLY

PCSO Sarah LAMB PCSO Alanna ROBINSON

The 24 hour telephone number for Hertfordshire Constabulary is 0845 33 00 222

Crime Stoppers number is 0800 555 111

In an Emergency dial 999

Police patrols operate from Royston Police Station 24 hours a day, every day of the year!

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

Cold calling for selling property repairs and garden maintenance is one of the main 'fronts' used by rogue traders who target older people in particular across Britain charging outrageous prices for shoddy work or no work at all. This approach has an additional motive - to gather intelligence, which can be used to target the householders at a later date, most usually via distraction burglary.

‘Prop men’ are the single most significant criminal element of the bogus caller network, playing on the fact that they are carrying out at least some work, however shoddy, thus enforcing the authorities to dismiss the complaint as civil rather than criminal.

“I am in the area today only and can tarmac your drive for £3 / metre

/ Replace that missing tile on your roof that I have just spotted.”

Relying on pressure tactics and bullying, the rogues often will get on and do a shoddy amount of work without the householder even agreeing to the work being done. The price goes up to an exorbitant amount and they then force the victim to pay there and then, often taking them to the bank to withdraw the ‘payment’.

I know this is a subject I go on about but sadly it still goes on, so please help to look out for the elderly and less able in our communities.

Be careful when throwing away old documents, bank statements and credit card receipts. Criminals search dustbins for these.

Shred old documents to prevent bin raiders from acquiring information about you and your identity.

If you suspect anything odd, call the relevant body as soon as possible, e.g. the Passport Office, Vehicle licensing, your credit card company, bank etc.

Check with a credit reference agency such as Experian or Equifax to make sure no fraudulent applications for credit have been made in your name.

Keep your passport, credit cards, cheque books, driving licence, pay slips and other personal information in a safe place.

Check bank and credit card statements carefully, and query anything that looks out of place.

On Tuesday 27^th May we held a Police Surgery at the Methodist Church in Queens Road. This was attended by me, PC MUSTO, PCSO KELLY and a Crime Prevention Officer and Robert ADAMS from NHDC. The local streets, Queens Road, Mill Road and Clark Road, were leafleted and this was an opportunity for residents to be able to approach the Police and discuss Neighbourhood Watch, “No Cold Calling Zones”, get crime prevention advice and to have an opportunity to raise any concerns with the Police. A number of residents attended and were given advice relating to securing their home and personal property and bought matters of nuisance to our attention. This was a well received event and we are currently planning for more of these events in your local area.

Ashwell At Home on Sunday 11^th May was well attended by all and PCSO’s KENNEDY and BRABROOK also attended offering support to the organisers and providing a visible presence during the day. I am please to report that the day went off without incident or report.

PCSO’s KENNEDY and BRABROOK have recently completed an instructor’s course in order that they can provide cycling lessons. It is hoped that they will be able to provide inputs to children at schools and other youth organisations and will be happy to discuss this opportunity with anyone who may have an interest.

Hopefully over the next few weeks you will begin to see my officers on bicycles throughout Royston. We have recently purchased mountain bikes and will use these to more effectively patrol the area and provide an old fashioned visible presence across the town.

Royston remains a low crime area and by working together we can ensure that it remains that way.

If any of you want to contact me, please do so on 01438 757926 or via e-mail at: peter.frost@herts.pnn.police.uk

Ashwell	West end / Newham way	29/05/08, 1135 - 1200	31 veh / 33 mph / 25.8 mph
Ashwell	Station rd (40 limit)	29/05/08, 1205 - 1230	12 veh / 45 mph / 34.2 mph
Bygrave	Upper Bygrave	29/05/08, 1000 - 1030	15 veh / 34 mph / 27.7 mph
Barley	High Street	30/05/08, 1300 - 1330	54 veh / 35 mph / 28.6 mph
Barkway	Royston Road	30/05/08, 1355 - 1420	23 veh / 28 mph / 26.7 mph
Therfield	Police Row	30/05/08, 1145 - 1210	16 veh / 39 mph / 25.3 mph
Newham	Ashwell road	29/05/08, 1035 - 1100	18 veh / 32 mph / 26.2 mph
Weston	Damask Green Road	30/05/08, 1100 - 1125	14 veh / 27 mph / 24.3 mph
Rushden	Moon and Stars	30/05/08, 1010 - 1040	19 veh / 30 mph / 25.8 mph
Hinxworth	High Street	29/05/08, 1105 - 1130	10 veh / 32 mph / 27.6 mph

G4E; - Ashwell, Hinxworth, Bygrave, Newnham & Caldecote

A wire fence surrounding a property in Station Road, Ashwell was damaged by vandals overnight of Sunday 18^th May. (Crime no. G4/08/511).

G4D; - Barkway, Barley, Reed, Nuthampstead, Newsells, Kelshall & Therfield

Between 1pm and 3.20pm on Thursday 8^th May, thieves broke into a barn situated in Therfield and stole an orange ‘Husqvarna’ sit on lawnmower. (Crime no. G4/08/448).

An indicator light unit was stolen from a Landrover, which had been parked locked and unattended in Shaftenhoe End Road, Barley between 1.30pm and 2pm on Monday 19^th May. (Crime no. G4/08/486).

Overnight of Monday 19^th May an intruder broke into a house in Police Row, Therfield via a ground floor bathroom window. Once inside they helped themselves to the keys for silver Audi, which was parked on the driveway. On leaving the property, the intruder stole the Audi and made good their escape.

(Crime no. G4/08/487).

Police arrested a 16-year-old male and later released him with a fine after he caused damage to a bus shelter in Hay Green, Therfield by kicking it.

(Crime no. G4/08/509).

G3C; - Sandon, Wallington, Rushden, Clothal & Weston

During the early hours of Saturday 3^rd May, would be thieves attempted to steal the cash box from the public telephone kiosk situated in Rushden Road, Sandon. Those responsible attached one end of a length of chain to the cash box and the other end to the rear of their vehicle. They then accelerated forward but in doing so caused the kiosk to topple over; they then left the area empty-handed. (Crime no. G3/08/260).

Criminals in East Herts have been denied use of the roads in the Eastern Area following the biggest ever pro active operation using Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

Operation Spiggott saw over 60 officers conduct stops and searches on the main roads throughout the Eastern Area on Tuesday (May 20th).

As a result of the operation, which covered East Herts, North Herts, Stevenage and Broxbourne, over 25,000 vehicles were read resulting in 550 hits and 7 arrests for various offences.

Twelve vehicles were also seized during this operation.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ealham, from Stevenage Police Station, said: “This operation has denied criminals the use of the roads throughout the Eastern Area. It has sent out a clear message to would be criminals within Hertfordshire and bordering counties – we will catch you and will not permit you to use the roads of Hertfordshire to conduct criminality. We will, quite literally, stop you in your tracks.”

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is now widely used by the police service and, in Hertfordshire; we are determined to make maximum use of this technology in the fight against crime.

Total for 2003 – 2004 = 80

Total for 2004 – 2005 = 26

Total for 2005 – 2006 = 6

Total for 2006 – 2007 = 17

Reported Hare coursing Incidents in our area.

	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	April
03-04	3	13	28	3	8	13	9	3
04-05	4	13	4	0	4	0	1	0
05-06	0	3	0	0	1	1	1	0
06-07	0	4	4	6	1	0	2	0
07-08	3	10	4	6	9	2	4	3

Number of Hare Coursing and Nuisance Vehicle Patrols Carried Out.
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
07								3	3	3	0	3
08	9	5	6	8	8

Last time we attended

RUSHDEN	20/02/07	SANDON	26/03/08
THERFIELD	26/03/08	REED	05/03/08
BARKWAY	16/05/07	BARLEY	04/02/08
KELSHALL	21/04/08	NUTHAMP	01/05/07
ASHWELL	06/02/08	BYGRAVE	04/02/08
CALDECOTE	05/01/07	WESTON	13/03/08
RADWELL	29/04/08	WALLINGTON	20/02/07
HINXWORT	14/02/08	CLOTHALL	09/05/07

Area	Last Meeting	Next Meeting	Location and Time
G4E	8^th May 2008
G4D	12^th February	9^th October 2008	8pm Reed Village hall.
G3C	11^th October 2007	20^th May 2008	8pm Rushden Village Hall.

Locality

Members

Martin Dingemans, Eric Gurney, Howard Marshall, Simon Holtom, Robert Law, Teddy Faure-Walker, , Steve Jarvis, Andrew Young, Tony Hunter, Peter Shuttlewood, Keith Bone Christine Schwick, Janette Kingsley.

Meeting

22/12/07

Tasks set

1. High visibility patrols in daylight hours at weekend in a bid to Reduce Incidents of Hare coursing, Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use.

2. Continue with crime prevention and evidence gathering thus keeping crime as low as possible.

3. Continue with speed checks by PCSO’s to monitor vehicle speeds; enforcement was not considered a good use of resources.

Please click on the below link to meet some of the people we wish to becomes friends with.

http://www.herts.police.uk/CCTV/gallery.htm

Jan

RUSHDEN

SANDON

THERFIELD

ASHWELL

BYGRAVE

CALDECOTE

Please click on the below link to meet some of the people we wish to becomes friends with.