Monthly Archives: March 2016

Police, Safer Neighbourhoods

Weekly Crime Update: Cavendish Ward

From the Cavendish SNT is this very local update.  Look forward to one for the South Ruislip ward;

Dear Readers,

Welcome to your weekly update.  Within these updates I will focus on local crime and the issues effecting you and the local community.  My last crime update has been very well received with some excellent feedback.  If you feel you have prevented a crime, seen some suspicious activity, and you believe other readers would benefit from knowing, please reply and it will considered for entry in to the next crime update.

I aim to send these updates on the Monday of the following week.  However, this will be dependant on shift patterns and availability of data.

Crime

Burglaries

17-03-2016 to 20-03-2016 – Field End Road, Ruislip – Suspects have kicked the rear door off the hinges and entered the property. No items stolen. Ref 0905611/16.

21-03-2016 – PM – Bideford Road, Ruislip – Suspects have entered property via a rear door.  Jewellery and cash stolen.  Ref 0905739/16.

21-03-2016 – PM – Oak Grove, Ruislip – Suspects have forced entry via a rear door.  No items stolen.  Ref 0905740/16.

21-03-2016 – PM – Seaton Gardens, Ruislip – Suspects have gained entry by smashing a rear patio door and forcing a kitchen window.  Witness has seen four IC1 males leave the venue and drive away in a black saloon vehicle.

Motor vehicle crime

22-03-2016 – Overnight – Ashburton Road, Ruislip – Suspects have entered vehicle by an unknown method and damaged ignition barrel. (See crime prevention below) Vehicle not stolen.  Ref 0905818/16.

24-03-2016 – Overnight – Windmill Way, Ruislip – Suspects have stolen a Silver Honda CBF-4 motorcycle with registration FX05YXN.  Ref 0905995/16.

25-03-2016 – PM – Denbigh Close, Ruislip – Number plates stolen from vehicle. Ref 0906058/16.

Theft – Person

No incidents reported.

Robberies

No incidents reported.

Assaults

No incidents reported.

If you were a witness to any of the above crimes or have any information, please call 101 or make contact by either of the means below.

Crime Prevention

Motor vehicle crime

Over the last few months there has been an increase in the number of ‘theft from’ and ‘theft of’ motor vehicles.  Many of these crimes have been reported where there has been no sign of forced entry to the vehicle or the vehicle has been stolen with the lawful owner still in possession of the keys.  I have made contact with PC Pick of Thames Valley Police who has been in contact with an expert at the vehicle testing centre in Thatcham.  He has offered the following information;

There are currently two main locking systems for vehicles.  These are key fob and keyless entry.  Both can leave your vehicle vulnerable to crime if certain precautions are not taken.

Key Fob entry

The system works by sending random combinations of code to the vehicle each time the fob is pressed.  Therefore, thieves copying the code is useless so they have come up with another way to prevent you from locking your vehicle.

Thieves are overcoming this by jamming the signal from your key fob to your vehicle by using a number of different devices.  These devices can be purchased from as little as £2 from the internet and come in many forms such as garage door openers and house light controllers/dimmers.  Many of these devices act to block your key fobs when you attempt to lock your vehicle.

Thieves are able to block signals in whole areas such as car parks or streets by hiding these devices in bushes with a clothes peg activating the device for long periods of time and without the need for them to be in the vicinity.

There is a solution.  Once you have activated your key fob, YOU MUST ensure the lights have flashed indicating the car has received the signal, and then check the vehicle is locked by lifting a door handle.

Keyless Car entry

The signal for a vehicle with keyless entry cannot be jammed so thieves will simply smash a window to steal your property.

The signal used for vehicles with this form of security system is unchanging and broadcasts continuously between the fob and the vehicle.  IT CAN BE COPIED. 

Fobs made by different manufacturers use different ranges and the signal can vary in terms of strength and useable distance.  This is the distance between the vehicle and the range in which the vehicle will be unlocked.  This can be up to 30 feet from the vehicle.  For many people this could be less than the distance between your vehicle and where you leave your keys once inside your home.  YOUR VEHICLE MIGHT NOT BE LOCKED.  Alternatively, if your fob is transmitting continuously, the distance between where the device is in your home and the pavement, driveway etc. may be sufficient for a potential thief to copy the signal.  Once copied the thief can not only enter your car but also steal it or any property within it.

The advice from Thatcham is as follows;

If you have a vehicle with a keyless entry system, keep the key in a ‘Faraday Cage’ where the signal cannot escape.  This is the same advice as given to us in relation to tap credit and debit cards.  You can now purchase small metal credit card cases at an affordable price.  You can then remove the plastic card holders and keep your key fob in there.  Search for RFID blocking case/wallet.

DO NOT leave anything on display that a thief may find attractive.  This includes any electronic/valuable items such as phones and sat navs, but also be aware of other items such as bags, child seats and clothing.

Have you been a witness to any suspicious behaviour that may be of interest to your local Police officers?  Please let us know.  All information is gratefully received.

Neighbourhood Watch

Are you interested in setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme for your road?  Get in touch and we will be pleased to help you.

  Ruislip Manor SNT       0208 721 2549            Email: manorward.snt@met.police.uk

 Cavendish SNT    0208 721 2550            Email:  cavendish.snt@met.police.uk

 Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon

Follow Insp Bryan on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth

 http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/  The UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre.

APS Tristan Brown | Team 3 North SNT  | Hillingdon Borough

MetPhone 741801 | Telephone 020 8246 1801

Address Ruislip Police Station, 5 The Oaks, Ruislip, HA4 7LE

NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Follow Insp Bryan on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth

Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon

Looking for crime prevention advice? Fill in this short survey to register: http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/45444OIIID/

Police

Unsolicited calls – Unwanted Pressure to Sell a Property Locally

I have been made aware that an elderly neighbour, who lives alone, received an unsolicited telephone call from a lady purporting to be from a well know local estate agent in Ruislip Manor.

 The caller tried to suggest that it was in my elderly neighbours best interests to sell her house. My neighbour stated that she had no intention of selling her house and the caller apparently did not take no for an answer and said that she would call back in a month and pop around to have a cup of tea and discuss the matter further.

 My neighbour was understandably upset by this episode and I have asked her to call 999 should the lady caller turn up at her home.

 I have reassured my neighbour that she did the right thing by refusing to be drawn into this situation. I have informed the estate agent that it appears that someone has used their name and have made the Police Safer neighbourhood team aware of this incident.

 Perhaps members of SRRA could make their neighbours aware of this please, just in case this is not a one off incident.

 Regards

 Steve Graham,  Committee Member SRRA

Police

North Hillingdon Safer Neighbourhoods Policing: MARCH update

Local Police Update:

MARCH
 
Dear Readers,
 
This month I would return to my most popular topic – good work by your local police.
Good Work (all undertaken by your local Safer Neighbourhood officers)
A detective in the making: Last month PC Stawiecki identified a pattern of shoplifting offences and established they were being committed by the same pair of thieves. He gathered all the necessary evidence from a number of stores then arranged an early morning visit for the pair. His excellent evidence meant both put their hands up and were charged with 11 offences.
Calling 999 unnecessarily affects our ability to deal with proper incidents: PC Foley and PC Moore dealt with a local resident who was calling police on a daily basis making a variety of accusations including that his neighbour had a gun. The officers identified that the person was in need of medical care and were successful in getting him to hospital for a mental health assessment. Since then the bogus calls have stopped, giving us more time to respond to real emergencies.
Villains – we know what you look like: Having local bobbies means the faces of criminals are well known. After parking meters in Eastcote were targeted by thieves, PC Brown trawled through CCTV footage and identified the main offenders. PC Brown set about locating the offenders and caught them in the act of counting the money they had just stolen from another parking meter! As a result of her hard work and perseverance PC Brown secured 6 charges of theft against these offenders.
Villains – we know what you look like part 2: Police received a call to a woman heard screaming in a local address. PC Foley recognised the address and realised it was likely to be a person subject to a non-molestation order returning to the address. He informed his colleagues of who he thought it was. PC Hamilton and PCSO Parihar were in the area and spotted that person going past them in the other direction on a bus. Their eagles eyes meant they were able to stop the bus and arrest the person for breaching the order.
Villains – we know what you look like part 3: I think you get the point – local officers with local knowledge mean local crooks are often captured. PC Foley again, this time investigating a theft of a wallet from a local store. PC Foley was able to identify the suspect on the CCTV and make an early arrest. The strength of evident against this person meant he fully admitted the offence when interviewed.
A police uniform can work magic: Whilst on patrol PC Christmas was approached by a man who said he had left his wallet in a local pub the night before. When he realised his loss he contacted the pub but they told him they didn’t have it. He was convinced that he had left it there. PC Christmas attended the pub and was insistent that they tried a bit harder to find this wallet. His persistence paid off, the wallet was found and returned to the owner with everything still inside it. The owner was really happy that police had managed to help him out where he felt that he was not able to do anything further himself.
Traffic signs apply to everyone: Sgt Fanton and her team have carried out a number of traffic operations in Northgate where there is a no right turn sign from Ducks Hill Road. This was in response to complaints from residents in Northgate that the route was used as a cut through and the restrictions flouted by drivers all the time. Approximately 40 cars were stopped and warned about their actions. Other offences were also identified and resulted in several cars being seized and drivers being reported.
Youth disorder: In recent weeks Ruislip High Street and the fast food outlets there have seen a rise in youth disorder. A range of tactics have been used to try and get this under control. At one end of the scale PC Murphy and PC Brown arrested two youths for public order offences – those kids are now subject to the judicial system because of their behaviour and because they were also found in possession of drugs. Sgt Charlston and I have also met with local fast food restaurant managers, agreeing on a number of tactics to make their restaurants less of a haven for bad behaviour – yes, that includes officers sitting in the restaurants drinking coffee. We are reclaiming the space, not putting our feet up! The names of those we deal with (the majority of whom are very local) are being shared with the local secondary schools who will also be educating these young people. This work is still ongoing.
Bad days have long lasting consequences: PC Groome investigated an incident where a man purposefully dragged his key down the side of a car parked at a local gym. There was no reason for him to do this and no previous relationship with the owner of the car. He seemingly was having a bad day and decided to take in out on an innocent person’s car. PC Groome arrested him and he has been charged and will be attending court.
Don’t be a bad neighbour: PC Low secured a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order against Celia Tan at her sentencing hearing at Harrow Crown Court this month. Celia Tan had subjected her neighbours to a campaign of malicious and escalating harassment which included her driving at the neighbour’s children. She was also given a 2-year suspended sentence in addition to the 5-months she spent on remand prior to the trial. There is no doubt this woman made her neighbour’s life a misery and PC Low’s excellent work has finally brought her to book.
Acting on information received: PC Christopher acted on intelligence received from local residents and execute a search warrant at an address in Eastcote. He arrested one person for drug offences and a police style acrylic baton was also recovered from the address. Ring 101 or Crimestoppers if you know of wrongdoing, or speak to your local officer.
Partnership working: Sgt Kerr and his team carried out another joint operation with Immigration Services targeting illegal workers and anti-social behaviour in Bradfield Road as a result of complaints by local residents. A police dispersal order was put in place whereby 17 persons were issued notices and 7 were arrested for immigration offences.
Disgusting: A family was being harassed over a period of time culminating in dog faeces being smeared over their front door and car. PC Moore worked hard to link the suspect to the crime, eventually getting sufficient evidence to secure a charge of criminal damage. The victim and his family were very grateful for PC Moore’s efforts in finally dealing with an individual who was affecting their lives.
Remember, this is a snapshot only of what your local officers are up to. They do so much more on top.
Rob
 
Inspector Rob Bryan
Hillingdon North Safer Neighbourhoods
Hillingdon Borough
Phone 020 8246 1816 | Mobile 07500097182 | E-mail robert.bryan@met.pnn.police.uk | Twitter @MPSHillingNorth
Address Ruislip Police Station, The Oaks, HA4 7LE
 
Follow me on Twitter @MPSHillingNorth
Follow Hillingdon Police on Twitter @MPSHillingdon
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