Local Burglary

Its some time since I sent anything out, fortunately we live in an area where crime isn’t a major problem, and I would point out that point out that the Nantwich Neighbourhood Policing Unit, which includes both Nantwich town centre and the large rural area surrounding it has a very low number of Domestic/Commercial burglaries. On average less than 6 a month.

Burglary Information

Having said that I have been alerted that, unfortunately a burglary has occurred in the Whitehouse Lane area. This incident occurred between 12pm on 02/10/15 and 9.25am on 03/10/15.
Cheshire Police advise:

In an effort to ensure it is an isolated incident we would like to take this opportunity to ask you to help us avoid any further burglaries by supplying us with any information you may have. 
If you have seen any suspicious vehicles, persons or have any other information, please contact us on the Cheshire Police non emergency number 101 or call into Nantwich Police Station between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. Your call will be dealt with in complete confidence and the information you supply may help us to further reduce burglaries and other offences in your area.

Dated 06/10/15

The main point of my email this week is to reiterate the message about keeping your house secure and also looking out for neighbours and surrounding properties. We are still continuing to have burglaries mainly in the Congleton and Crewe Neighbourhood Policing Team areas.




The burglaries are occurring where unknown offenders are approaching the rear of houses and forcing the rear doors/windows to gain entry. Houses need to have good security all around the houses and also things like outdoor security lights can be a good deterrent as it attracts attention to the house when it goes off. Also please keep valuables and car keys out of sight.



Also as I know that you are already aware of this but please contact the Police with any suspicious incidents that you may see.



Also please see the below appeal that is currently on the Cheshire Police Website:









Police have release an efit of a man they would like to speak to in relation to a burglary in Congleton.



At 11.30am on 22nd October 2011 a man purporting to be a plain clothed police officer tricked his way into an 81 year old man's property in Charlesworth Place.



He conned the man into handing over cash saying it needed to be checked. He then took the cash to a woman who was waiting in a car close by and never returned.



The man is described as white, approximately 50-years-old, 6ft tall, going bald on top with hair on the sides and clean shaven. He was wearing a jacket and dark coloured trousers. He had a Macclesfield accent.



There is no description of the woman or the car at this time.



Anyone with information should contact DC Dave Newton on 0845 458 0000 quoting CC11301068. Alternatively information can be given anonymously by phoning Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Hallowen

Dear Members,

It is drawing closer to the time of your for to start receiving "trick or treaters" at your homes. Cheshire Police are dedicated to tackling calls on anti-social behaviour, we are receiving fewer calls in relation to these types of incidents.

Our assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick has said:

"Anti-social behaviour is unacceptable whatever the time of year however the Halloween period does historically produce an increase in the number of calls we take relating to anti-social behaviour. Therefore our message is clear - parents be aware of what your children are up to on Halloween. Accompany children trick or treating rather than letting them go on their own to make sure they are safe and not being a nuisance to others.

Additionally we want to remind shop owners about selling large quantities of eggs and flour to youngsters, as they may be used in appropriately to cause mischief.

We don’t want to stop people having a good time - enjoy yourself be responsible and remember not everyone wants to participate."


To help you deal with unwanted trick or treaters Cheshire police have produced flyers displaying on each side yes or no to trick or treaters. If someone has displayed no in their window we are asking that there wishes are respected. The flyers are available from the Cheshire Police website for you to download and print or they are being distributed across the Police Stations for you to collect from the helpdesks.

On this weeks posting I have enclosed some safety advice to pass on to your members.


Cheshire remains a safe place to live and a safe place to be out and about in, however there are some steps that could be taken to reduce the risk of becoming the victim of a crime whilst outdoors. Most of these steps are simply common sense and you probably do a lot of them already without thinking twice.
•At night try to avoid taking risky shortcuts through back alleys, parks or waste grounds. Where possible stick to pavements or well lit areas.
•Walk facing traffic so as you can see what's heading towards you and so a car cannot pull up behind you unnoticed.
•If you regularly walk home or go out jogging try to vary your routes (without taking risky shortcuts)
•Wearing earphones is common practice these days and can make walks or jogging more entertaining, however be aware the earphones may: appear attractive to potential attackers, damage your hearing and reduce your alertness to your surroundings.
•If you are carrying a bag make sure the clasp is facing inwars, all zips are closed correctly and all pockets closed. If your bag is snatched let it go, your safety is more important than your property.
•If you have expensive items on you such as jewellery, mobile phone or personal stereo keep it out of sight.
•If you are threatened by a person, scream and shout, set off a personal attack alarm to startle the attacker and give you vital seconds to escape. Try to make note of details such as registration plates, clothing, height etc. and then report the incident to the police.

In relation to the above advise there are bells available that attach onto purses or zips of handbags which prevent them being taken - these bells are available at the helpdesk at Crewe Police Station.
All the taxis and public transport of Cheshire are highly regulated making them a very safe way of getting from A to B. By taking small precautions though you can make them even safer.

•On trains or buses try and sit amongst people and steer clear of empty carriages where possible. If you get on an empty bus sit near the driver or conductor.
•Try to stay away from isolated and dark bus stops.
•On trains check to see where the emergency chains, buttons and exits are.
•Do not get in a private hire vehicle unless you have pre-booked it through a registered company as you will not be insured should anything happen and it would be very difficult to track you whereabouts. You may however hail a taxi (usually a black cab) on the street.
•When in a taxi or black cab take note of the drivers details which should be displayed on his badge along with the taxi number. To be extra safe you could text a friend the details.
•When you arrive at your destination ask the driver to wait until you are inside.


Kind Regards

Since posting last week in relation to theft from vehicles we are still having quite a few reported to us so it is essential that you keep valuables out of view or even better out of the vehicle.

If you use a Sat Nav please don’t leave these in your vehicle and please don’t leave the attachment in the window as this just shows there could be a Sat Nav in your car.

We are also seeing a trend in burglaries in the Holmes Chapel, Cranage and Goostrey area. These are mainly close to the A50 corridor, Inspector Gammage has asked me to pass on the message that if you see any suspicious individuals and vehicles then report it to the Police immediately.

The above advise goes out to all areas, as you will know what is suspicious and what isn’t and we may be able to prevent something from happening.

As I have stated in a previous email one of the best things that you can do is to mark your property. There are many different ways in which you can do this for example SmartWater, Red Web, and Selecta DNA. Another option that is available is:




CRIMESTOPPERS PROPERTY PROTECTOR CODE VERIFIER SYSTEM




Details of the above can be found on their website or by typing the Crimestoppers property protector into a search engine on the internet.

Regards

Thefts from cars

Please be aware that there has been a recent increase in theft from vehicles. I believe it is beneficial to remind all members of the importance of removing valuables from vehicles. As well as the threat of having your vehicle window smashed at this time of year people can accidentally leave windows/sunroofs open when they vacate their cars or nip into a garage or a shop. As well as removing items from show make sure that you shut windows and sunroofs every time you leave you vehicle no matter how long you intend to be.

Did you know that in the UK a vehicle is broken into every 23 seconds? Try to follow this simple crime prevention advice to minimise your risk of becoming a victim.

A large proportion of vehicle crime is committed by opportunist thieves. Don't make it easy for them, remember that your vehicle can be like a shop window for thieves so don't advertise your goods to them. Would be thieves are not only interested in seemingly valuable items they will steal almost anything from a vehicle so make sure you consider removing some of the more obscure items that might be in your car.

If you leave any of the items in the following list on show in your car you are making your vehicle vulnerable:

Bank Cards
Briefcases
CD'S / Tapes
Cheque Books
Coats or Clothing (Old or New)
Credit Cards
Handbags
Loose Change
Mobile Phones
Purse/Wallet
Satellite Navigation Systems
Shopping Bags (Even if used to store an item of no value - remember it might be worth a passing thieves while to break in to see what is in the bag)
Sports Bags and Equipment
Stereo (Detachable Front Panels)
Sunglasses (Designer and non-branded)

If you can see any items left in your vehicle so can a thief!

Burglary Information

Since the 11th September we have had three burglaries reported in the Sandbach area, these have been on Mortimer Drive, Middlewich Road, and Manifold Close.

The burglaries have all happened in a similar manor – a panel on the door has been removed to gain entry.

There does not seem to be any specific trend to them and we have also had similar burglaries in the Crewe, Holmes Chapel and Middlewich areas. There is not a massive increase in burglaries that are occurring in Cheshire and infact burglary has fallen by nearly 60% nationally since 1995. In Cheshire, burglaries have dropped by 12.9% in the last five years, which means there are now 592 fewer victims of burglary a year than in 2005.


The county also has a crime rate which is below national average. While this is good reason for you to feel secure in your home, you should remain aware that criminals are opportunists who will take advantage of any chance to steal from you.


One of the best deterrents to burglary is somebody being in the house. Even if there isn’t anybody at home, there are lots of things you can do to give the impression that the house is occupied. Draw the curtains and leave a light on in the house when you go out in the evening.


If you are leaving the house unoccupied for longer, install timers which switch lights or radios on and off automatically. Make sure that milk bottles and parcels are not left on the doorstep, and that letters and newspapers are not left in the letterbox. Ask a neighbour or relative to regularly clear the doorstop and letterbox. You could also encourage someone to park on your drive while you are away.


Other points to take inconsideration is:

· Keep your valuables out of sight.

· Make your property unappealing – install security lights and burglar alarm.

· Mark all valuable property with UV marker pens.

· Keep photographs of any valuable items.

· Always lock doors and accessible windows.

· Do not leave ladders outside where they could be used to reach upstairs windows.

· Don’t label your house keys with your address.