Beat the burglar

 CRIME REPORTING IN EAST CAMBS

If you haven't already done so make a note of the telephone numbers for reporting crime to the police.

Crime or emergency happening NOW - dial 999

Reporting a crime that has happened, or a suspicious incident 0845 456 456 4

The 0845 number is charged at local call rates and goes to the Police call centre at Peterborough where they evaluate it and take action as necessary. You should not telephone Ely or Cambridge police stations to report crimes as this can result in unnecessarily long delays.

                                        Beware of imposters! The person calling at your house may not be who he pretends to be
                                           Click on the picture to enlarge and spot the wolf  in sheep's clothing

 

July 8th - from Ely Police
One to be aware of... as the price of scrap metal keeps going up and up the
trend at the moment seems to be theft of metal drain covers. We have had
some stolen from Prickwillow so if you see anyone that you do not belive is
related to the Highways Agency tampering with these please let us know on
0845 456 456 4

June 2008. - Diesel Thefts.

POLICE are warning businesses to be extra vigilant following an increase in
diesel thefts.

Crime Reduction Officer Kate Kent said: "Lorry drivers and companies who
store fuel on their premises need to be aware that these offences are
taking place and we would advise them to be extra vigilant.

"There are a number of anti theft/siphoning devices available on the market
which may be worth considering.  Always lock your vehicle fuel caps and, if
possible, park vehicles 'fuel tank to fuel tank', which should limit access
to the tank.   Where possible try to limit the amount of diesel that is
left in a vehicle overnight.

"If vehicles are left unattended they should be secured and in an area
covered by lighting and CCTV. Firms should regularly check perimeter
fencing is secure and robust and that exterior lighting is positioned so
that it aids CCTV use. This ensures that any suspicious activity around
diesel yards and HGVs can be recorded and potentially used by police.

"The offenders are not opportunist thieves; they know where to look and
they have the right equipment.

"An HGV holds in the region of 1000 litres of diesel so theft of this kind
can be very costly to victims."

 For more crime prevention advice, contact the Community Safety Unit at
Parkside Police Station on 0845 456 456 4.

March 19th from PC Chris Herring

As you will all be well aware the fuel prices in the UK have risen hugely,
especially in the last six months. Fuel theft has accounted for only a
small amount of our recorded crime in the area. However with the rise in
prices the less law abiding amoung us will not take long to take advantage
of this. The usual method emplyed is to take Diesel from lorries parked in
laybys while the driver is asleep or from private tanks on farms. However a
new method seems to be coming out around the country. Thieves are now
taking to drilling a hole in a car's fuel tank, taking what they want and
leaving the rest to pour out on the road. A specific car that appears to
have been targeted more than other is the Renault Megane possibly due to
having a plastic tank that is easy to get at. So far touch wood they
criminal element in this county don't seem to have caught on  with the new
method yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Therefore please be
aware of the following things and report them to us.
1. Any vehicles which have lots of 5 gallon drums or pumping equipment in
the boot.
2. Any vehicles parked very close to lorries during hours of darkness in a
layby.
3. Anyone acting suspiciously and being in possesion of a drill and fuel
container.
4. A popular place to tout for business is in local pubs to sell their ill
gotten gains.

Regards
PC 1642 HERRING.

March 6th. We have received this advice from the Domestic Security Officer of Cambridgeshire Police.

 
Spring is the peak period for thefts from gardens and garden sheds.
 
Most thefts occur from the rear of houses, consider how you can make this less accessible, thorn hedges or fences with trellis work tops are a deterrent.
 
Automatic security lights are also good, thieves hate to be lit up.
 
Favourite items for thieves are lawn mowers, garden tools and equipment and valuable garden ornaments. Garden spades are commonly taken and used to jemmy door or windows to houses.
 
Secure sheds by locking. Bolts or lock staples fixed with ordinary wood screws can easily be ripped off, use special security screws or bolt through the door or frame. 
 
Regarding your house itself, you should have good mortice locks on doors, thieves do not like breaking glass to gain entry owing to the likehood of their Dna being left behind from cuts. However, windows with access from outside should be locked.
 
A visible alarm system is a big deterrent, most thieves will give your house a miss if so protected.
 
When away do make it look as though someone is at home, by using timer switches and making sure postal items etc cannot be seen sticking out of letter boxes. Good neighbours can help here. 
 
Onece inside the house favourite items for thieves to steal are portable electrical appliances, laptops, cameras and jewelry. Do not leave the latter on dressing tables but hide it where it is not easy to find. They will be in a hurry and will be after items that are easily sold to raise cash, usually to fuel drug habits. They are unlikely to go for antique furniture which is too much trouble to deal with.
 
The police have warehouses full of recovered stolen property with no identification as to where it came from. Marking your property with your post code using an UV pen means that you have a good chance of recovery. We also have access to an etching tool for garden appliances - apply to our association to borrow (addresses on opening page).

 

 February 27th 2008
Operation Saruman Information Document.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary are running operation Saruman in response to
the national problem of theft of metal. This problem has grown fairly
steadily over the last 18 months as a result of the dramatic rise in the
cost of scrap metal, in particular in markets in China.

There is a great deal the local community can do to assist in these crimes.

Metal Theft
Please report any activity that you believe is suspicious.  We would rather
have these reports and then send staff to investigate than miss the
opportunity.  If you think a crime is in progress please dial 999.  Do not
feel that you are wasting our time, we need to catch the people committing
these crimes.

Some offenders will try to use cover stories to explain their presence for
being somewhere and committing crime.  Do not be deterred by this if it is
still suspicious.

For example If it's the school holidays or you know a building has been
targeted before and you see people upon the roof or around the property,
even if they may look the part, and the activity appears on this basis not
to be suspicious, then report this to the Police.

In one incident the Police were called to suspicious men on a roof in
Histon. Officers were deployed to the scene and three young people arrested
for attempting to steal lead from the roof. They will be charged.

This would not have been possible without a call to the police.

Cable Theft
If you see people driving around very slowly during the day in rural
locations and they appear to be paying attention to the side of the road
then please report this to the Police.  They may be looking for places to
steal from.

The Police suspect the use of 4 x 4 vehicles being used to assist in the
theft of cable.  If you see these near a roadside cabinet or manhole cover
report this as soon as possible.

Thefts of cabling occurs late evening into the early hours of the morning.
If you notice your phones have gone down and you live a village environment
then please use your mobile if you have one to report this to the Police.
We will then be able to react properly.

In Cambridge BT manhole covers were lifted between 3.30pm and 4.30pm one
afternoon by men in yellow jackets posing as workman. They were not
challenged, but fortunately only stole a small quantity of cable affecting
no local households.

BT will not routinely work on sites beyond 4pm, and only in real
emergencies during the hours of darkness. Challenge suspicious behaviour by
calling the police. We would rather have the information and check out an
authentic workman, than not have the knowledge and suffer the theft like
the one in Cambridge.

Vulnerable Locations.
The Police have identified a number of vulnerable locations. These include
Churches and Schools, some of which have been targeted more than once in
the past. Officers from the Neighbourhood Teams visit these locations,
crime prevention advice is given, increased patrolling undertaken and
overlooking properties visited to encourage suspicious activity to be
reported.

You may not receive one of these visits, but may well live close to a
vulnerable premises. Any Church or School with lead on the roof is a
potential target. If you see workman ask the question if they should really
be there and call the police if you are unsure.

Regards,

PCSO Emma Graves.

 January 16th. More warnings from the police.

Distraction/deception burglaries are still happening across the county. The perpetrators could be posing as police officers, public service officials or indeed using any disguise that might gain them entry. The message, especially to the old or vulnerable,  must be  - 'don't let anyone in you house except by appointment or unless you know them' and this advice applies however convincing the visitors may be. 

January 13th 2008 - from PC Chris Herring (Ely)

In my travels I am often being approached by people who are concerned or
who have issues with the crime taking place in the area they live. Often
they have been victims themselves. Usually my first question is "Have you
reported the crime to the police" Unfortunately more and more I am getting
the Reply "NO" There are many reasons why people don't report being a
victim but the most common replies I get are:

1. There's no point you can't do anything.
2. I don't want to bother the police you've got better things to do.
3. Last time it took the police 3 days to get here or I never saw an
officer so whats the point.
4. I reported it last time and the police didn't do anything so whats the
point.

Well dear E-COPPERS there is a point. Like everyone I don't work every hour
of every day so I have a limited time to fight crime. In order to do this
as effectively as I can I have to use crime trends to plan my work load. To
decide which area's are targeted the most is fairly easy. I look at how
many crimes or incidents of Anti Social behaviour etc have been reported in
Ely. If a particular street or area is suffering more than most, then along
with the help of the PCSO's and other agencies we then target that area to
try to stop the problem. If you and the people you know are not reporting
things you won't see us much in your area because I'll be elsewhere.

Therefore please encourage people you know to report incidents of Anti
Social Behaviour and report crimes it's what I'm here for.

Regards PC 1642 HERRING Ely Neighbourhood Policing Constable.

 

 Is you house vulnerable to burglars?
Ely police say that the majority of house burglaries were targeted at houses with a particular "lift the handle" lock, commonly used in the new estates - if they had this type of lock they were targeted, if not they were avoided.

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