A neighbour in Owen Grove reported their locked garage was broken into through the main garage door, possibly by picking the lock so no damage was done to the door but the contents were messed up a bit, and a bike and some camping gear was stolen.
A neighbour reported that the petrol was siphoned out of his car during the early hours of Thursday 11 September 2014. He was woken shortly after 4am hearing a noise, so thinks it was happening at that time. The incident has been reported to local police, but if you have any information you think may be relevant please do let me know, or you can call 101 and report it directly to Avon & Somerset police yourself, Crime Reference No. 94302/14.
A week later, another neighbour reported it seemed that someone had tried to siphon some of their petrol too (car also parked on their drive) as the petrol flap was open and cap loose, though it did not appear that any had been taken. If you hear any noises late at night, do please look out of your window and see what's happening. Urgent response can be requested by calling 999, non-urgent matters can be reported on 101. We had a great turn out on 7 Feb, so thanks to all those that could make it.
Paula ran through the problem of rogue traders in the area. She didn’t seem too bothered about the smaller issues like whether or not a doorstep trader might have a license (if you want and like the duster, it’s up to you whether or not you want to buy it), but warned that there is a man that has been working in NW Bristol who has been reported as being very aggressive and insistent, making vulnerable people buy things they didn’t want and forcing his way into their homes. He is a smartly dressed white guy with ginger hair. She also warned us of getting quotes for work from people who come to your door or put a leaflet through your letterbox. Rogue traders have been known to send one man to provide a quote upfront, and then others to do the work who demand a much higher price, claiming the first guy was wrong with his quote. Or they get money in advance and then not turn up. Or steal things while they are there. Or claim problems which pushes the price up. Also, if they are not bona fide tradesmen with proper premises, then you will not be able to reach them in the event of any problems. If you have any problems with doorstep traders or anything else that is a problem you want to report, but not an emergency such as a crime in progress, call 101 or email: [email protected] Also raised was the Community Speedwatch scheme which trains volunteers in the use of a high-vis jacket and speed gun, and provides a reporting procedure so that people in the local community can help to deter speeding on problematic roads in their area. Monitoring is done by 3 volunteers at a time (so you are never alone!) over one hour and those caught speeding are sent a warning letter. You can’t just do it on any road, it has to be one that has been risk assessed and deemed an issue, but you can ask for a road to be assessed. Mike and/or Angela Blott (Mike volunteered but I think Angela said she’s doing it!) and Stephanie Perry bravely volunteered to go along to one of their training sessions so you can look out for them along a road near you soon! If anyone else is interested in doing this, let me know and I’ll pass on your details. More info here. Paula recommended the use of a segment timer for having lights going on and off when you are away so that your house doesn’t look empty, and of course the ideal solution is to ask a neighbour to pop round and draw the curtains for you. She also brought along some alarms to show us: a shed/garage alarm that you can hang on a nail inside and it will go off when it senses motion caused by someone breaking in; a padlock alarm that screams if attacked, and an alarm to hang on the inside of patio doors which will go off if someone’s breaking in. Obviously these don’t replace a proper burglar alarm, but are a useful addition particularly for external areas not covered by your alarm. There are lots of different types of motion sensing alarms that you can find with an internet search. For loads more information, have a look at the Avon & Somerset Constabulary website: http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/ They’ve currently got a great article about how they were able to ‘steal’ 28 phones on one night from people in pubs, bars and clubs in the city centre, and information about the new national fraud reporting centre, Action Fraud, for any fraud or financially motivated internet crime. And finally, Paula reminded us about the local Forum meetings for Henleaze which are run by the Neighbourhood Partnership (Neighbourhood Partnerships bring public sector decision making to a local level where local residents can influence how they would like to see their neighbourhood improve. They meet regularly, and bring together: local councillors, neighbourhood police teams, community groups and local residents to shape services such as street cleaning, park maintenance, local recycling schemes, minor traffic schemes, highway maintenance and community safety.) Our Partnership area covers Henleaze, Stoke Bishop and W-o-T. I don’t know when the next Partnership meeting is because it’s still listing the last one, but the next Forum meeting in Henleaze is 16 May, 7-9pm at Henleaze Library. A reminder that we have our meeting with Paula Perry from Southmead police station on 7 February 2013 @ 37 Lawrence Grove - 7:30pm.
The consultation aims to understand the views of residents, community groups, business organisations, victims of crime and other stakeholders concerning the Police and Crime Plan priorities for 2013/14 – 2016/17.
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will then publish a plan and associated budget which addresses the policing and community safety needs of the area. Follow this link to have your say. Have a very happy Christmas period, hopefully free of all NHW related incidents!! I, for one, am very much looking forward to a 2013 with both leg and house free of scaffolding; I hope it is a great year for us all.
Thank you for your contributions to our NHW community this year – it is lovely to have so many good neighbours, making this such a pleasant street to live on. The Bristol Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network calendar for 2013 is now on sale, the cost - £2 each.
Funds raised from the sale of the Calendar will be used for future projects. If sufficient funds are raised The Bristol NHW Network would like to re-introduce the NHW membership card scheme. I am collecting orders for our NHW group, so if you want one, let me know. If members would prefer to order the calendar(s) independently, please send a cheque (£2 per calendar) payable to 'Bristol NHW Network', together with a self addressed and stamped A4 size envelope (2 first class stamps required for 1 calendar) to: Bristol NHW Network, c/o 52 Coombe Bridge Avenue, Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 2LS. In response to the overwhelming majority saying that Thursday evenings were better than Saturdays, and 31 Jan and 7 Feb were the better two, I have contacted Paul Perry and she has asked for 7 February.
7:30pm (prompt) on 7 February 2013 @ 37 Lawrence Grove. (I think there was one person who didn’t say they could come on that date, so my apologies to you if you can’t make it.) This is now booked, so please all mark it in your diaries and commit to coming. I know that sometimes it can seem a rather less inviting prospect when the date actually comes around, but it will be embarrassing if Paula makes the effort to come and there are only three of us here, so I would very much appreciate it if those who said they could come on that date do come! The Bristol NHW Network have notified NHW co-ordinators about the following two burglaries:
1. A Co-ordinator from the Coombe Lane vicinity of Stoke Bishop, reported on 29 November that when she and her husband were in the house watching television, someone broke into their house and stole both their house keys and the keys to their two cars. They entered through the garage, crept through the house and put the front door on the latch, obviously to allow for a quick getaway. The husband heard a noise, went to investigate and found someone in the kitchen who ran off down the garden. Their outside security light had been disabled, so this was planned in advance. The burglars drove off in the car which had been parked on the drive. Apparently this is very similar to another incident which took place nearby very recently. Please ensure that you have locked all doors and windows that are not in full view even if you are in the house and, importantly, do not leave car/house keys where they can be easily seen. They should be kept with you if possible, and taken upstairs when you go to bed. Remember also that if you have a house alarm which can be zoned out, this should be set at night. 2. At the beginning of December there was another burglary in a house very close to the above incident. The garage was again broken into and two very expensive high performance bikes were stolen. There were a number of other less expensive bikes in the garage, but it appears that the burglars knew exactly what they were looking for. Please look out for anyone acting in a suspicious manner and ring 999 if you believe a crime is taking place or is about to take place. Attacks on door cylinders – new guidance from the Door and Hardware Federation
During the past year or two you may have seen reports on TV about burglars using various techniques to attack door lock cylinders, enabling them to enter a house in just a few seconds. It has been recommended that you think seriously about replacing older lock cylinders for the new ‘kitemarked’ variants and if necessary fit better door furniture to bolster the existing lock still further. See more advice on the Crime Prevention website here. The Door and Hardware Federation has recently launched an excellent new micro-site providing clear advice about lock cylinder replacement and when we need to do it - click here to visit the site. |
Anything I come across that could be interesting or useful I'm going to post here for your delectation and delight...
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