Kenilworth Update March 2013

WELCOME! to the second edition of Kenilworth Update in 2013. We have taken sometime to rearrange the way we set things out so you can find things easier as you read your monthly digest of what is taking place in the town in relation to crime prevention, police performance

Live Update

Safer Neighbourhood Team Update

We have created five sections for Kenilworth Update so you can find the information/advice easily. These will appear each month and in each section we will provide the most up to date information we can to help you.

The Sections that will appear in Kenilworth Update

Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) Update This section will provide information on the objectives you want the police to be concentrating on within the Kenilworth area. These objectives are discussed, agreed and set at the Kenilworth Community Forum, which is a public meeting all residents are encouraged to attend. The section will also provide news and updates on other activities that Kenilworth SNT are involved in together with elements on police performance. Crime Update This section will provide the latest news related to crime affecting Kenilworth, what it might mean to you and what your can do to lower the risk of being a victim of crime Advice Update Each month we will concentrate in more detail on specific issues and give advice to residents as to how they can protect themselves and their property. General Update Information about things that are considered to be useful or important for residents to be aware of. Live Update Information about how you can contact your Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and the options you have to keep up to date with what is going on in and around Kenilworth with Neighbourhood Watch and your SNT

Advice Update

General Update

Crime Update

Safer Neighbourhood Team Update Kenilworth - March 2013

 

Alloy Wheel Thefts If you are offered alloy wheels for sale inform us on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Effective Policing Read about some good results in detecting crime and apprehending suspects and offenders. See Crime Update on the next page.

Warwickshire Police Performance 2012/13 As at 1st March 2013

• Recorded Crime was down by 14.% • Vehicle Crime reduced by 26% • Criminal Damage reduced by 32%

In the first 6 months of the 2012/13-year Warwickshire

Police recorded an average of 84 crimes a day compared

with 126 a day in the previous year.

 Dear Reader,

We realise that it can be easy to think you have locked the back door or even the front door when perhaps, because of thinking or doing lots of other things at the same time, in fact you may have forgot. So, please check your back and front doors and make sure that they are secure. And... one other appeal – try and avoid storing garden tools outside. We are finding that burglars are increasingly using these to force entry where they can readily access them. The Safer Neighbourhood Team, Neighbourhood Watch and the Crime & Safety Partnership can and will continue to do all they can to prevent crime but we must stress we are reliant upon each householder each taking responsibility and heeding our advice. If you need advice or support on how to protect your home and property then please contact us at

We want to stress one point this month. Its a simple one, how each person can help themselves to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Whilst we are pleased that burglaries remain at low levels this does not diminish the distress such events can cause when a person’s home is entered with items and personal belongings taken. What is of concern to us is that several of the burglaries in the area have taken place due to premises being

PC Pete King PCSO Craig Ricardo PCSO Carl Whitehouse

Your Safer Neighbourhood Team

Car Key Burglary Suspects Arrested

A Subaru Imprezza was stolen from the driveway of a home in Ilam Park between 3pm and 5.30pm on 1st March 2013. It was later recovered in Stretton on Dunsmore.Within hours two men, aged 19 and 17, were arrested and taken into custody for questioning. Later two males were remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates charged with offences relating to a car key burglary in Kenilworth.

One suspect from Woodside Caravan Park, Ryton on Dunsmore was charged with burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and making off without payment. He was remanded to appear at Warwick Crown Court on June 10. The 17 year old was due to appear at Leamington Youth Court on 6th March 2013.

Crime Update Kenilworth - March 2013

Going Equipped Excellent work by Kenilworth SNT and Specials led to the arrest of 3 males for “Going Equipped”. The offence is designed to deal with potential offenders who are believed to be enroute to commit a crime such as a burglary.

Drugs Arrest An operation by Kenilworth SNT led to the arrest of a male who was arrested and prosecuted for possession of illegal drugs with intent to supply. This success came from local intelligence and action and more of this approach is planned in and around Kenilworth.

LK00 OUT L00K OUT Vehicle Crime seems to be re-emerging in nearby Leamington Spa

This includes; Theft from unattended motor vehicles

Theft of motor vehicles Theft of number plates

We are advising all vehicle owners to take sensible precautions to protect their

vehicles and if, in the unfortunate event of a crime, to report it immediately. Please see the Advice Update page for the steps we advise vehicle owners to take.

Valuables are still being left in vehicles on drives. The problem of drivers leaving valuable items in cars is still with us in Kenilworth. It is really difficult for the police to do more about this type of crime if people continue to ignore advice about removing valuable items from vehicles when parking them at home, either on the street or even on private drives. Members of our Safer Neighbourhood Team have, whilst visiting people in connection with other matters, have noticed vehicles with laptops and sat nav devices left in the boot or even on the seat! This is an open invitation to a thief to smash and grab. It takes them no more than 5 seconds and they are gone.

If something happens – report it immediately If something does happen then report it immediately. Number plates being stolen is particularly important as they are often used to commit crime in another vehicle. Don’t wait for the police to visit you because your plate details were taken or spotted at the scene of a crime. The sooner you report the theft the better.

Advice Update Kenilworth - March 2013

Put car keys away – Don’t leave them on show The temptation is to put your keys down once you get inside your home somewhere you can easily pick them up when you need them next. Often this means a table or shelf near the entrance to your home. Unfortunately, it’s very easy and convenient for ‘fishing thieves’ who can easily hook the keys up through the letterbox and be away in your cherished motor before you even know your car is no longer outside. If you own a high performance car some thieves are prepared to break in to your home to get keys so don’t make it easy for them.

LK00 OUT L00K OUT Vehicle Crime seems to be re-emerging in nearby Leamington Spa

This includes; Theft from unattended motor vehicles

Theft of motor vehicles Theft of number plates

We are advising all vehicle owners to take sensible precautions to protect their

vehicles and if, in the unfortunate event of a crime, to report it immediately. Please see the Advice Update page for the steps we advise vehicle owners to take.

General Update Kenilworth - March 2013

Identity Fraud - How to protect yourself and foil the criminals

• regularly obtain a copy of your personal credit file from one of the three credit reference agencies to see which financial organisations have accessed your details. It is particularly helpful to check your personal credit file 2-3 months after you have moved house.

• be extra careful if you live in a property where other people could have access to your mail. In some cases a bank or credit card company could arrange for you to collect valuable items such as new plastic cards or cheque books from a local branch.

• contact the Royal Mail Customer Enquiry Line on 08457 740 740 if you suspect your mail is being stolen. Check whether a mail redirection order has been made in your name without your knowledge.

• tell your bank, card issuer and all other organisations that you deal with immediately if you move house. Ask the Royal Mail to redirect any mail from your old address to your new one for at least a year.

• considering using the Mailing Preference Service to limit the amount of unwanted mail you receive.

•• visiting Get Safe Online for advice on how to stay safe

online when shopping, banking or doing business over the internet, and how to protect your computer and the personal information it contains. This includes advice about how to dispose of unwanted computers. This website has been developed by the Government, police and industry.

Keep your details secure Keep your documents safe

• Keep your personal documents in a safe place, preferably in a lockable drawer or cabinet at home. Consider storing valuable financial documents such as share certificates with your bank.

• If your passport or driving licence has been lost or stolen contact the issuing organisation immediately.

• Don't throw away entire bills, receipts, credit-or debit-card slips, bank statements or even unwanted post in your name. Destroy unwanted documents, preferably by using a shredder.

• Check statements as soon as they arrive. If any unfamiliar transactions are listed, contact the company concerned immediately.

Protecting the Identity of the DeceasedCriminals sometimes use the identities of deceased persons to commit fraud, which can be very distressing for those close to the deceased. One way of reducing the chances of this happening is to register with services that remove the deceased's details from mailing lists.

The following websites offer deceased person mail preference services and provide further information on this issue:

• The Bereavement Registerwww.the-bereavement-register.org.uk

• Deceased Preference Servicewww.deceasedpreferenceservice.co.uk

• Mailing Preference Servicewww.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

Identity Fraud - It’s on the increase, could you be it’s next victim? The frauds identified by CIFAS – the UK's Fraud Prevention Service during the first quarter of 2012, confirm that the age of data-enabled fraud has truly arrived. Of particular note during the first quarter are the following:

▪ Fraud was 30% higher in the first three months of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011, and 13% higher than the last quarter of 2011

▪ This was driven by a 40% increase in identity fraud, and an 86% eruption in the takeover of accounts

▪ Misuse of accounts by the genuine account holder rose by 13% compared with the same period in 2011 and is now the second most commonly kind of fraud committed.

Fraud problem grows The increase in levels of fraud is alarming news, revealing the scale of the fraud problem currently blighting the UK economy. While improved detection techniques used by organisations will undoubtedly help to uncover more fraud, the levels and types of fraud being attempted and committed are a sobering reality check to businesses, public sector and individuals.

How to contact Kenilworth Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) You can call us on: 01926 684404 You can email us at: kenilworth.snt@warwickshire.police.uk You can see us at Abbey End Market every Thursday between 10.30am and 11.30am

Live Update Kenilworth - March 2013

101

For general enquiries to the police and for non-emergency calls please dial

999

Where there is a danger to life or property or a crime is being committed please dial

You can keep up to date on the Internet. We have a website that is updated 24 hours a day with the latest crime alerts. You can click on the subscribe button at the website to get immediate alerts via email. There is no catch and it’s free! We are at: www.kenilworthnwatch.wordpress.com

We are now also on Twitter. Follow us to get the latest news via tweets that will link you to our website. We also retweet any messages from Kenilworth Safer Neighbourhood Team or other organisations where we think it appropriate or useful Follow us (Kenilworth Update) on Twitter at: @kenilworthwatch Follow Kenilworth SNT at: @SNT_Kenilworth

Essential Services Smell Gas

0800 111 999

No Electric 0800 056 8090

Water/Sewer 0800 783 4444

Let us know what you think

Tell us what you think about Update, how could we improve, what would you like to see, what

are we getting and what might we could do better. Unless you tell us we don’t know.

You can email Kenilworth Update at:

crownwatch@me.com

Next Kenilworth Community Forum is on Monday 18 March 2013 at Kenilworth School,

Leyes Lane Starts at 7pm and all residents are very welcome.

 

Kenilworth Update is produced by Crown Watch, one of the longest running Neighbourhood Watch schemes in Kenilworth and Warwickshire. Crown Watch serves the northern end of Windy Arbour, eastern end of Whitemoor Road and Tulip Tree Avenue. It publishes Newsletters and Crime Alerts to its Co-ordinators who circulate these to residents. Since mid 2011 Crown Watch has been working closely with Kenilworth’s Safer Neighbourhood Team to produce Kenilworth Update. The purpose of this is to encourage more people to set up and run their own Neighbourhood Watch schemes but also to inform people through an increasing range of channels what is going on in and around the town in terms of keeping our town safe. All of the work is done voluntarily. Kenilworth Update is compiled by Fraser Pithie on behalf of Crown Watch.

The 3 Current priorities for Kenilworth’s Safer Neighbourhood Team agreed by the Community Forum on 3 December 2012

1. Ten Patrols to deter and check on Anti Social Behaviour at the recreational area between Ashdene Gardens, Elmdene Road and the alley between Lime Grove and Brooke Road, this is known by many as “Black Pad”.

2. Ten Patrols in Burton Green, namely Red Lane, Cromwell Lane, Hodgetts Lane, and Hob Lane, in support of the force burglary initiative. Also as a response to a couple of recent burglaries thus providing reassurance.

3. Five speed/enforcement/monitoring sessions in Leyes Lane at school start and end times to prevent road traffic/pedestrian injury.

With the announcement by the Government that a £20 million fund is being made available to fund up to 75% of building new railway stations or resurrecting old ones that were closed Kenilworth is acknowledged as being near the top of the list. With a single line currently used by Cross Country Trains for some of their North West to/from South East services and as well as several freight workings a day the line is already earmarked for electrification under plans announced by the government several months ago. The builders yard on the right of this picture is situated on the site of the old Kenilworth Railway Station that was closed under Beeching in the 1960's. Current plans by Warwickshire County Council, which have been on hold due to funding issues, propose a station be rebuilt on the original site and the builders yard relocated. Consequently, whilst still operating as a going concern the builders yard was purchased by the County Council a couple of years ago. Here a Cross Country Trains Bournemouth to Manchester service passes the proposed location of a rebuilt station on 26 January 2013.