Our Association is on the panel, news from the latest meeting below.

Crime figures for the Copers Cope ward continue to fall overall, although there have been a number of thefts from garages recently and domestic burglaries with entry through the rear of the property. The main problem, however, remains anti-social behaviour, but the police are concentrating on tackling this.

Our ward police team have had their shifts changed so they now finish at 4am, with frequent personal calls to check licensed premises and a special ‘rowdy patrol bus’ of up to seven officers maintaining a presence out every weekend.

Also, Operation Equinox is an ongoing Met-wide tactic with teams devoted to targeting ‘violence with injury’ crime.

In Beckenham town centre and surrounding area the emphasis over the next few months will be on preventing shop lifting and theft from persons – crimes that tend to increase over the winter/Christmas season. Police officers will be giving maximum support and advice to local businesses, but everyone can help prevent crime by taking greater care with wallets, bags and possessions.

Our Association attended the last Bromley Community Engagement Forum (BCEF) on 17^th March. The BCEF has been amalgamated into the Safer Neighbourhood Board (SNB). Much praise was given for the organisation that has regularly brought key people of the community together and instigated initiatives such as the Crime Summit, Youth and Specialist Schools Conferences, and Community Outreach Days.

The new Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Hafford, attended to introduce himself and take questions despite it being his first day in post, and described some of his previous experience in Bexley, Southwark and Greenwich within the community context.

Moving to the changeover, Cllr Tim Stevens (BCEF Exec & Portfolio Holder for Community Safety) explained the format and constitution of the new Safer Neighbourhood Board are still being worked on. Four members of the outgoing BCEF Executive Committee will be joining the SNB when it officially starts in April 2014, with BCEF Chairman Terry Belcher becoming SNB Vice-Chair, and BCEF Operations Manager Amanda Evans transferring her role to the SNB.

The intention is to continue with established events, such as the Crime Summit, Awards Evening and Public Meetings, but to be more localised. Six meetings per year are to be held in different venues around the Borough to hold the Safer Neighbourhood Partnership to account and to discuss local issues, with relevant people providing information. Bromley Officers will be present only if invited to provide information. Cllr Stevens said, ‘the Board will have to listen to and represent residents’.

The Copers Cope Residents’ Association has offered to host one of these meetings for Beckenham. We will let you know when and where in due course.

The SNP has been renamed to the Community Advisory Panel (CAP), although, the term Safer Neighbourhoods will also remain in use. Under the new system, for local policing Wards are unchanged but are now in clusters. The Copers Cope area comes within the north west borough cluster together with Shortlands, Crystal Palace, Kelsey, Eden Park, Clockhouse and Penge.

The aim is to be flexible in policing so that officers may be deployed where needed.

There is a move to employing predictive crime mapping, maintaining crime prevention/reduction as a high priority using a proactive and high visibility approach.

Copers Cope has two dedicated officers, with a current team of seven additional officers plus special constables, and new officers currently being recruited. This Ward’s team still operates out of the Albemarle Road office.

A second name change is from Ward Priorities to Ward Promises – as before, up to three areas of crime will be set for our local police to focus on over the weeks between the Panel meetings.

On 16^th January the Promises were set as (a) Serious acquisitive crime (SAC) and (b) driving offences. Just two were set this time because SAC includes all types of burglary and robbery, and driving offences covers a range of issues, from using mobile phone while driving, not wearing seatbelts, through to speeding and  bad practice at zebra crossings, etc.

A local resident had asked for traffic issues around the entrance to Ella Close (off Rectory Road) to be raised by the CCARA representative. This was duly discussed, and the local Sergeant agreed to make observations, including speed testing the stretch of road.

Our residents are welcome to ask us to bring crime issues to the attention of the CAP and to suggest Promises for the next meeting on 27^th March by emailing chairman@coperscope.org.uk

The good news from our local police at the latest Safer Neighbourhoods meeting is that crime generally is down. However, whilst burglary is down robbery from commercial premises and delivery/workmen’s vehicles is up.

It’s been said before – but some of this type of crime is preventable. Shoppers are asked to take care not to be distracted by a stranger stopping them to ask a question, or someone bumping into them – It’s classic distraction tactics, and chances are an unseen accomplice will be stealing something from a bag or pocket.

Delivery people and workmen are still leaving their vehicles unlocked. It may well be difficult and delaying to keep locking the vehicle, but it’s less disruptive than losing your tools and materials or even the vehicle itself!

Good news was delivered to the latest Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting, with all types of crime falling in this quarter, and burglary down by 6.5%. The highest crime type in the Ward is currently Theft from Motor Vehicles – loose change left in view, sat navs left on show. Our local police advise that these crimes are easily avoidable simply by checking when leaving a vehicle that nothing is left on display to tempt an opportunist. Just take a moment to save yourself a lot of trouble.

Beckenham continues to have a low crime rate, but it’s always worth taking extra care. For instance, a number of garages, especially those tucked out of sight at the back of blocks, have recently been broken into. As a preventative measure there are several makes of ‘Garage Defenders’ you could install, or at least do get your garage contents security marked using UV pens, SmartWater or Selector DNA. The warning ‘property marked’ signs that come with these products act as good deterrents.

When you’re shopping make sure your wallet is out of sight and your bag is held securely. Don’t hang it on the trolley – you may think you’re only looking away for a moment to reach for something or peer at a price, but you’re distracted for longer than you think and your handbag could be gone when you turn back.

Over the coming weeks, your local police team has been asked to prioritise burglaries, both residential and non-residential, making extra patrols of the alleyways and accesses to garages, and robberies from individuals, especially in the High Street area.