Royston Community Team

Rural Watch

September 2008

Covering Arbury, Ermine, Weston & Sandon Wards.

Neighbourhood Watch is a method of developing close liaison between households in a Neighbourhood, the local Police, and the local authority. The aim is to help people protect themselves and their properties, to reduce the fear of crime and improve their local environment by:

· Improved home security;

· Greater Vigilance;

· Fostering a community spirit;

· Improving their environment

Why is Neighbourhood Watch Necessary?

While Police statistics sometimes show a fall in certain categories of recorded crime, it is important that the Police and the Community work in co-operation and partnerships to prevent and detect crime.

What does Neighbourhood Watch involve?

Individual schemes all have different characteristics, depending on the area in which they are situated and their objectives. However, most schemes have some things in common.

· Each Police Division has at least one member of staff who is designated to work with Neighbourhood Watch.

· Schemes are run by their members through a co-ordinator and supported by the Police and in many areas by a local Neighbourhood Watch association.

· Schemes vary in size from a few properties in sparsely populated areas, to many properties on a road or estate.

· The volunteer co-ordinator, who is a resident of the area, co-ordinates the scheme and liases with the Police. The co-ordinator acts as the voice for that Community.

· All Neighbourhood Watch members take steps to prevent crime, improve safety, and reduce the fear of crime.

· Scheme members receive information and messages from the Police, their local association, or local authority. This vital communication link helps to motivate members and keep schemes active.

How are schemes set up?

If you wish to join please get in touch with us.

Ashwell	West end / Newham way	22/08/08 1600 - 1625	28 veh / 34 mph / 25.1 mph
Ashwell	Station rd (40 limit)	31/07/08 1715 - 1755	38 veh / 45 mph / 35 mph
Bygrave	Upper Bygrave	30/07/08 1630 - 1700	19 veh / 36 mph / 28.2 mph
Barley	High Street	21/08/08 1105 - 1145	56 veh / 38 mph / 27.3 mph
Barkway	Royston Road	20/08/06 1530 - 1555	28 mph / 32 mph / 24.9 mph
Therfield	Police Row	21/08/08 1205 - 1230	17 veh / 29 mph / 24.8 mph
Newham	Ashwell road	28/08/08 1530 - 1600	24 veh / 31 mph / 26.7 mph
Weston	Damask Green Road	26/08/08 1030 - 1055	17 veh / 37 mph / 24.1 mph
Rushden	Moon and Stars	26/08/08 1110 - 1135	15 veh / 34 mph / 26.4 mph
Hinxworth	High Street	30/07/08 1725 - 1755	22 veh / 35 mph / 28 mph

We have had a very busy summer – despite the rain! A big thank you should go to PCSO Alanna ROBINSON for all the hard work that she, the Youth Council, North Hertfordshire Homes, NHDC, Extended Schools and everyone else who helped with organising events for the youth of Royston and the surrounding villages during the summer months. These events culminated with Event Horizon a music event where various bands played to an audience in a marquee on the heath and a Play Day for the 5 to 14 year old in the Memorial Gardens.

I hope that everyone will agree that these events running from June to the end of August provided many activities for people to be involved in over the summer period.

I would like to remind the residents of The Twigdens that our third Police Surgery will be held on Wednesday 10^th September at the Leisure Centre between 6pm and 8pm. This is an opportunity for the residents (or anyone from across the town) to come to speak to Police about any issue that concerns them. Please come ands speak to your local PCSO and Police Officer.

I would also like to ask everyone to remain vigilant in our rural communities and report any sightings of vehicles that are suspicious or seen to be driving on land where they should not be. At this time of year hare coursers are often seen, reported and caught. It is with your help that we combat this and if you see people hare coursing please contact Police immediately, reporting the location and vehicle details. If you can obtain the registration number then this greatly assist Police with our investigation and intelligence gathering.

Royston Town and the Rural area remain 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

POLICE seized two vehicles for various criminal offences on Sunday (August 10) after reports of hare coursing in North Herts.

After numerous reports relating to a white van illegally hunting hares in the North Herts, a vehicle matching the description was located and stopped. The vehicle was seized for no insurance.

The police helicopter also identified a second vehicle, a 4x4, believed to be travelling in convoy with the white van. The 4x4 was found later unoccupied and on examination of the fuel PC Marina discovered it had been running on red diesel, which is illegal, and subsequently seized.

A group of males was found nearby who denied being the occupants of the 4x4. Further enquiries found one of the men was wanted by the Metropolitan Police for theft of two cans of fuel and had failed to answer bail. He was then arrested.

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

Thieves who broke into a Vauxhall van parked in Hinxworth overnight of Thursday 21st August, stole a quantity of CD’s and a torch. (Crime no. G4/08/851).

Thieves stole a Honda whacker plate from a building site between 1pm and 4pm on Wednesday 27^th August. Reports have been received from members of the public seeing a suspicious white transit van in the area displaying a partial registration of YE51V??. Please report anything you see in the area that you deem to be out of the ordinary. (Crime no. G4/08/886).

An unsuccessful attempt was made to steal diesel from a yard in Ashwell overnight of Thursday 28^th August. The would-be-thieves caused damage to pipe work to the diesel tank however appear to have been disturbed as they left empty-handed.

(Crime no. G4/08/889).

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

Overnight of Tuesday 5^th August thieves broke into a Ford Sierra which had been parked on a driveway in Greenbury Close, Barley and stole two petrol cans from within. (Crime no. G4/08/797).

Thieves stole two sidelights from a Land Rover parked in the High Street, Barkway overnight of Thursday 7^th August. (Crime no. G4/08/822).

Thieves stole a quantity of fuel from a Morris Mini which had been parked in Church End, Barley between Friday 15^th and Monday 18^th August. (Crime no. G4/08/840).

Police Officers patrolling Therfield Heath at approximately 11pm on Friday 22^nd August came across two males sat in a car. The Officers found them to be in possession of a Class A drug, namely cocaine and the two males aged 25 years were arrested for the offence and later released with a caution. (Crime no. G4/08/860).

During the course of Tuesday 26^th August, a stable block situated in Reed was broken into. A number of horse troughs were stolen along with a brush cutter tool.

(Crime no. G4/08/881).

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

None for Publication

Reported Hare coursing Incidents in our area.

	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	April	Total
03-04	3	13	28	3	8	13	9	3	80
04-05	4	13	4	0	4	0	1	0	26
05-06	0	3	0	0	1	1	1	0	6
06-07	0	4	4	6	1	0	2	0	17
07-08	3	10	4	6	9	2	4	3	43

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	2	2	1

Last time we attended

RUSHDEN	02/07/08	SANDON	26/03/08
THERFIELD	26/03/08	REED	05/03/08
BARKWAY	15/07/08	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	02/07/08
HINXWORT	14/02/08	CLOTHALL	02/07/08

Area	Last Meeting	Next Meeting	Location and Time
G4E	8^th May 2008	19th November 08	8pm Parish Rooms Ashwell
G4D	12^th February	9^th October 08	8pm Reed Village hall.
G3C	20^th May 2008	23rd October 08	8pm Rusden Village hall

Locality

Members

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

Meeting

12/08/08

Tasks set

1. High visibility patrols in daylight hours in a bid to Reduce Incidents of hare coursing, Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use. Three Sunday Hare coursing Nusience Motor cycling and Nusience 4 X 4 use patrols per months, early start preferred, 7pm or 8pm. Log to be published each month.

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

Rural Watch

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.