CrimePolice

There has been a 7% reduction in Burglary, vehicle and robbery offences in Croydon during the past two weeks. A burglary hotspot in the BROAD GREEN area with one distraction burglary where three white males claimed to have called to read the meters. There were three suspects arrested in this area for a robbery offence. Robberies in the Town Centre with the victims mostly males aged between 13 and 20 years, the majority of the offences occurred between 3 pm and 5.30 pm on weekdays when school children were returning home.

CRIME NEWS 1.4.10

An increase in burglaries in the Broad Green area between London Road and Mitcham Road, motor vehicle offences have increased in the South Norwood area with theft of number plates and car stereos

There have also been a number of vehicle thefts where a male flags down a vehicle and warns the driver that there is a problem at the back of the vehicle with the tyres or exhaust. The driver then gets out too look and another male then jumps into the vehicle and drives it away. These offences are mostly in the North of the Borough but there has been one offence in Purley also. Mainly two 20+ year old white males but in some case two European males have been involved. The offence in Purley was reported as an Egyptian looking male. If there is a genuine problem with a tyre the driver would immediately be aware, this also applies to the exhaust system as there would be an increase in noise.

There has also been an increase in reports of front door keys being left in doors which is an open invitation to a thief, please take great care of your keys, they can be used to obtain vehicle keys kept inside the front door, many burglaries where a vehicle has also been stolen have been reported.

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD INTELLIGENCE DESK

Call 020 8649 1397 for the Safer Neighbourhood Intelligence desk during the office hours of 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday. Closed over Easter. Out of hours, please ring 0300 123 1212.

This is for any information or intelligence you may have regarding crime:

For example – Information on possible Rogue Traders / Distraction Burglary suspects: - vehicle number plates, especially vans, any writing on the side. Possible cannabis factories or any other non urgent information you may feel would help with solving a crime.

You can also call your local Safer Neighbourhood Police Team with any local issues or concerns you may have.

If you don’t know the number, call 0300 123 1212 and you will be given the correct number.

Please do not use any of the above numbers for Neighbourhood Watch matters, call Sarah Gardner on 020 8649 0318.

EMAIL NEWS

A very threatening email this week from a ‘Femie Lukman’ who claims to be from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York warning that the FBI has taken possession of two cases belonging to you at JFK airport. He threatens to prosecute you if you do not contact him and pay $845 immediately. The spelling and grammar are poor and this is no doubt an attempt to obtain your credit card details.

An old email which started in 2003 which we mentioned last November is now being re-circulated in a PDF document which claims to be from British Transport Police London South area Intelligence Bureau. At the bottom of the document it refers to a PC Mottram at Hailsham Police Station, East Sussex, this is puzzling as it is a Sussex Police address.

The document warns of a bogus call from the Security dept at Visa or MasterCard and asks for your 3 digit security number from the back of your card as their have been fraudulent purchases on your card. The scam mentioned is technically possible but it assumes that the caller has access to a merchant account with full details of credit card holders and all their personal details. There is a belief that this type of scam has been attempted in the USA but the Visa and Mastercard companies refuse to confirm or deny this. I have not yet been able to find any confirmed case of this happening in the UK but organized gangs are always trying to find new ways of using other people’s credit cards for their own gain. We have warned about this message several times and it proves that the standard security advice about not giving out your card details over the phone to unsolicited callers is sound advice. No bank or card issuer would ever call and ask for this information, they have it already.

HIGH PRESSURE SALESMEN

In our Important Information for the 18th February we put out the following information:

“A n/w member has sent in the following information regarding a recent caller: Apex Direct Promotions Ltd, Sunley House, 57-67 High Street, Edgware HA8 7DD (Free phone 0800 282 723), for the Andura Licensed Service Provider Programme.

“They sometimes say they're working for the council, and offer a "free condition assessment of the exterior wall surfaces of your home". They then want details of your property and phone number and say someone will call to arrange the survey. They give an official-looking receipt with their services and contact details, which I haven't verified. I refuse to divulge any info so don't get the survey. No doubt this would lead to either a scam or at least expensive and maybe unnecessary remedial work”.

There are various messages on the internet regarding high prices and pressurised sales techniques from this company”.

The Woodside Safer Neighbourhood Team has received another report this week saying that these people have been active in their area during the past few days.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH OFFICE Telephone: 020 8649 0318

The Office will be manned every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm. The answer phone will be available for messages outside these times. Please do not report any crimes on this number, as the office is not continuously manned. In an emergency always call 999. For non-urgent crime reports please call 0300 123 1212.

There will be no weekly messages on Friday 9th April as John Skinner will be on holiday. Sarah Gardner will be in the office on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday all day and Friday morning next week.

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TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE

The message is simple but so many people are not following advice.

The distraction burglary, or bogus entry, is here to stay and they keep getting away with it.

IF IN DOUBT KEEP THEM OUT is the new police slogan.

All across Croydon every day of the week some unfortunate person is being burgled in this way.

It is simple - a reasonably well dressed person will call at your door with a plausible reason. They attempt to get you to let them in and they are invariably accompanied by another person. They show you identity cards that look authentic, and they may say that they are from the water board, gas suppliers, council or even police. They are let in and, whilst one distracts the person, the other one steals something and then they are out of the door. It can be some time before the person realises that they have been robbed and in many cases they do not tell the police because they feel silly.

The advice is also simple. Do not let anyone into your property unless you are expecting a visit. If you are elderly and do not know the person, do not open your door without having a chain on it. If you have a side window, speak to them through that. If they are calling unannounced ask them to make an appointment whatever the reason they give. They may say that they have visited next door and a water problem or a gas problem may be in your house and difficulties will occur if they are not let in to rectify it. The answer is simple: tell them to come back after making an appointment by letter or telephone. If they are genuine they will not object. This will give you time to check up with whatever supplier they have said they represent. Simple isn't it? Now follow the advice and do not become one of the unfortunates.

Stolen identity is also a problem that appears to be growing. People are still throwing away their addresses with the rubbish. All addresses, including those from 'junk mail', should be taken off and ideally shredded, but certainly torn up so that they cannot be reconstructed. It has been known that some people throw away their old gas and water bills. They even throw away old bank statements. How silly can they be? It only needs someone to present these with a little change to the date and obtain credit in your name.

If an identity is stolen it can take years to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. The process is time consuming, costly and very frustrating. Why take the risk when all you have to do is buy a shredder (under £20 )?

You can also put the shedded paper on your compost heap and it improves the soil. Some big banks are also offering insurance to help keep track of anyone trying to obtain credit in your name and to offer help to get back your identity if you are one of the unfortunate ones that have been affected. Over 100,000 people were last year and this is set to rise over the next few years.

Some good news! Our local Safer Neighbourhood team is now set up and will be working from an office in Selsdon. They are really getting to know the area and the places where there are likely to be problems. They are very dedicated police and support staff and they will identify the rogue element that is causing trouble. Do talk to them when you see them out patrolling the streets.

The Residents’ Association will be represented on both the Purley and Sanderstead committees that will agree how policing will take place in the respective wards. This is a big new venture and we all hope it will show benefits in a short period of time.

Take Care And Stay Safe.

The RRA representative on the Police Consultative Committee

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REPORT FROM APRIL 2006 RIDDLESDOWN RECORDER

It is all good news coming from the Met Police. In the next few months, the safer neighbourhood scheme will be rolled out across the whole of Croydon.

In this new venture, Sanderstead will initially get a team of four police officers. Their roles will be to get to know our area and the people who live and work here. The team will consist of a sergeant, one PC and two community officers. By April 2007, the team will be increased by two extra PCs making a total of six people to cover Sanderstead. Our current cover is one PC, so things are looking up.

They will be based in in Selsdon. The plan is that they will liaise with all parts of the community to establish how our area is best policed. It will be the responsibility of the RRA to discuss with them, along with other organisations, what our residents want and what their concerns are. It will naturally take some time for them to become knowledgeable about our problems and concerns, and it will give all the residents an opportunity to get to know their local ‘bobby’. This follows the plan of the Met. police to increase and develop community policing, which is seen as the way forward. If you do see them patrolling our area, do talk to them as you will find them very approachable.

One big problem, across the whole of Croydon, will just not go away and is on the increase. The problem is BOGUS entry or distraction burglary. This means that someone comes to your door and tells you he is a water-official, policeman, gasman or anyone. They also have what can seem like identity cards that will pass inspection. They can say they are in the house next door and a problem is happening that could affect you or your property. They want to gain entry and when there are two of them, one separates and while the other searches the house to find easy articles to steal.

You might think that ‘this could not happen to me’, but so did all the others that it is happening to every day and every week across Croydon. Well, what are you going to do about it?

First and foremost be determined that you are not going to be the next VICTIM.

DO NOT let anyone into you house unless you know them. Just because they say they are from the waterboard, or whoever, does not mean they are. What should you do? If you are alone in the house, do not open the door to them but talk to them through a side window. If they want to come into the house, be on your guard even if they have plausible reasons.

Do not let them come into your property. Ask for identity and a telephone number that you can phone to check their credentials. No genuine authority will ask to come into you property without making an appointment with you. All of this can seem like a lot of hassle, but the people that have had their property stolen wished they had taken more time before they let the crooks in. Tell them to come back after they have written to you stating why they want to enter your property.

Keep yourself safe.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Reports from our representative on the Police Consultative Committee

Following taken from the April 2005 Recorder

Safety and security

Well, summer is nearly over and we have all been carefully locking up our garden sheds with all those costly machines and tools in them. We have been checking to see that all the window locks are working well for the time when autumn starts. We have trimmed all those overhanging bushes that could hide anyone wanting to break into our house. We have done all those things that we have been told about to make ourselves more safe and secure.

Hang on for a moment! Have we really done all these things or are we just lazing in the sun thinking about doing them?

Now is the time to remind yourself that these things are essential and are well worth doing. The suggestion is ‘make yourself a list and tick off one job at a time as you do them’. In no time you have completed the list and you are safe and secure for another year.

One BIG subject that is hitting the headlines is IDENTITY FRAUD. You really know you are in trouble when it has been done to you, and to try and get the fraudster off your back can take a long time, in some cases up to two years, with plenty of trouble over that period.

Well, you can help yourselves to keep your identity as safe as possible. First, do not let your credit card out of you sight. It only takes a second to copy your card and then you are in trouble. With the new pin numbers, do not let the people around you know it when you are entering the number at the cash point. It only takes a little more effort and it is your security that you are protecting.

The next thing to do is to see that you never throw away bills with your name and address on them. Also, tear off your name from anything that you are throwing away. You all should have one of those little shredding machines by now, so get shredding and safeguard your security. These little shredding machines are so cheap and so easy to use, so if you have not got one, get straight out and buy one as soon as possible.

Never give your details to people who phone and ask for them. Ask for the name and telephone number of the organisation they work for and check with them. If it is important they will write to you.

On the Internet, make sure you have the full security package that will keep out the viruses. If you are banking on the Internet then you must really have the full security package recommended by the various organisations.

If you want to check your credit rating to see if someone has applied for credit in your name, you can go to the agencies themselves; they will charge you a small fee but it is worth it for the amount of information you can get:

EXPERIAN 0870 241 6212 (experian.co.uk)

EQUIFAX 08700 100 583 (Equifax.co.uk)

CALL CREDIT 0870 060 1414 (callcredit.co.uk)

To find out more on how to protect your identity, it is worth going to two good Internet websites run by the Home Office:

identity-theft.org.uk

identityfraud.org.uk

Keep up the good work and keep safe and secure.

The RRA representative on the

Police Consultative Committee

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Following taken from the April 2005 Recorder

Good News – Coulsdon East (including the High Street) has been made a ‘Safer Neighbourhood Area’ ward. This means that they will have one Sergeant, two PCs and three PCSOs to patrol the area instead of, as previously, one PC. This will lead to a greater control of the people causing trouble and a constant system of gathering information, hopefully leading to more arrests.

Where Safer Neighbourhood Areas have been created, they have had a very good effect. The crime rate has reduced and the anti-social behaviour has improved. We are now surrounded by New Addington, Waddon and East Coulsdon all with high numbers of police maintaining good control and this will show in the lower crime rates in those areas.

In Sanderstead, Purley and Selsdon we have one PC per ward because our crime rates are not high enough to put us at the head of the queue for consideration as a Safer Neighbourhood Ward. The plan in due time is to increase all the wards in Croydon to a strength of six police on each ward, but this will be based on need and where they will be most effective. The money is coming from the Mayor of London and will be available in allocations each year for the next four years.

We are a big area and cover both Sanderstead and Riddlesdown. This area is looked after very well by PC Linda Cain, sometimes supported by a PCSO.

What can you do to make sure that we remain a low crime area? Well, the first thing is to review your home security. Good locks and good lights are the simple things to check. Call in the local Crime Prevention Officers. They are always very helpful and you only have to contact Croydon Police Station or Kenley and they will arrange for someone to come along.

Have you thought about a home security system (burglar alarm)? They are now quite reasonable to have installed and do give some peace of mind. Do go around your property and see what needs to be upgraded. Things like a bolt and lock on the side gate are initial deterrents to the casual burglar. Also make sure that your house is not surrounded by overgrown bushes and that fences are in good order. These things are easy to do and they really do help to make you safer.

With lighter evenings and warmer weather around the corner, do remember not to leave windows open on the ground floor as it is just inviting the casual criminal to pop in and help himself to your goodies. With all the garden equipment starting to be used and the garden furniture being put out, do take care that wherever possible these are kept in a secure shed or you may find they have gone walkies.

Well, there are a few things to be going on with until next time. How about starting tomorrow and see how safe you can make yourself?

TAKE CARE –STAY SAFE

Our Police Consultative Group Representative

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(Following taken from the April 2004 Riddlesdown Recorder)

Information from the Police and Neighbourhood Watch.

Fighting anti-social behaviour

Our Police are working hard in our area. A big effort is being made on anti-social issues. They have had good success in obtaining anti-social behavioural orders against some known problem youngsters. It is early days but the magistrates have been supportive and this has given the Police some hope of having a positive effect over the next year.

We can expect to see more Police and Police Community Support Officers patrolling the various wards in the future. Three wards in the Croydon area will see their police presence increased from one constable to one sergeant, two constables and three support staff. They will obviously be based in the wards that need them and that choice is now being made. Because our area is not a ‘high’ crime spot we will not be one of these wards. We must be careful as the criminals in the ‘hot’ spots may look to other areas; keep your house and garden as secure as possible. Do not become the easy target.

‘Fishing rod burglars’

It looks like these villains are at it again. They go through the letterbox and carefully lift the keys to the house and car; all nicely left on the table in the hall saying come and get me. They open the door, collect a few things and drive away in your car. Those with an outside porch should lock the door of the porch. You could consider a wire mesh cage on the back of your letterbox or even better do not leave the keys in view of the door.

Security advice is available

If you are worried about your security and are over 60, phone the Crime Prevention Office 020 8649 0170. They will visit the property and give you good advice on security matters.

For those of you who have email and want to receive crime messages direct from Croydon Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association, log on at:

Click here for their website.

They will email to you the latest crimes being committed in ours and the surrounding areas. It is better to know what is going on rather than finding out the hard way.

If you do not have email why not ask a friend or a member of the family to log on and let you know what is being sent out. You can now register at the library, so, as the old saying goes, ‘where there is a will there is a way’.

Keep safe.

From our committee member attending the Police Consultative Group

(Following taken from the October 2003 Riddlesdown Recorder)

HOW EASY IS IT TO BREAK INTO YOUR GARDEN SHED OR GARAGE?

Just stop and ask yourself that question. This type of crime is very high in the whole of Croydon and is on the increase.

You may not think that there is a big demand for second hand tools but you would be surprised. They can easily be sold, especially the power tools, with very few questions asked by those doing the buying.

What can you do? Always lock the shed and the garage. If you have valuable equipment, fit a strong door on the shed and a good quality lock. Many times when they have had good pickings the first time, they come back again for the new equipment. Over to you!

BOGUS CALLERS ARE STILL OUT THERE!!

This despicable crime is still on the increase and although their victims can be from all age groups they can tend to concentrate on the elderly. It seems quite easy to take people in when you are very experienced at this sort of crime. It happens most days across our region.

What can you do? Always let the police know if you have become suspicious about a person who has been at your door. It may help the police to catch them or save another person from becoming a victim.

What are the scams? They have lost their keys and their child needs to go to the toilet. Their child is not feeling well, could they have a glass of water. The stories go on and they keep finding new ones.

Always be on your guard when you do not know the person at your door.

GET YOURSELF A SHREDDER

Good advice from our crime prevention officers. The more sophisticated burglar will be looking for bank and credit card statements. They use the details to access your money without your knowledge. All letters with your address should go into the shredder along with all unwanted statements and accounts. Even gas and electricity bills can be used to create an identity for the criminal, and if that identity is yours they can cause you a lot of trouble. Take care with your private papers. The modern shredder is as little as £14 to purchase, so why not give one to your family as a Christmas present. You know it make sense!

Looking after you

Our Association has a seat on the local Police Consultative Committee that meets six times a year to hear views and comments of residents south of the borough.

We make sure that the local Police force and the local councillors of Purley, Sanderstead, Coulsdon and Kenley hear our views on the subject of law and order.

Our representative attends these meetings on your behalf to carry forward for discussion points that affect the safety to persons and property in the Riddlesdown and Sanderstead area. The subjects range from graffiti to local traffic and cover the full range of crime and disorder in our area and across the whole of the borough.

We ask for Police help wherever we believe their presence will bring benefits to our community. We have always received the help that we have requested and long may that continue.

Crime prevention measures

It is not easy to police the area with the constantly changing activities of those that are out to commit crime but we can make it a little harder for them with just a few simple suggestions:

* Make sure your house has good locks on doors and windows

* Have a chain fitted, and use it, or even better look through a window to see who is calling, particularly at night. If you do not know them, do not let them in.

* Try and ensure that the side and rear entrances to your garden are kept locked.

* Keep your hedges and fences in good repair. If in doubt, use trellis to make fences higher.

* Keep your garage locked.

* Don’t leave the car running and go indoors. You would be surprised if you knew how many cars are stolen this way, particularly in the winter months.

* Let a neighbour know when you are away and ask them to make sure that post or other pamphlets are not left sticking out of the letter box.

* Keep an eye on your neighbour’s property. You can sometimes see things they cannot.

* If you are in a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, display the signs and notices. If you are not in neighbourhood watch, why not join one or start one up for your road? It only makes for a safer place to live.

* Ask the Police for advice if you have any concerns about your safety.

Lots of suggestions are just commonsense; the facts are that we just forgetting to do the correct things to make our property and ourselves safe. Keep trying, good luck.