Category: Policing

Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel Oct 2014

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.

Bromley Safer Neighbourhood Board hosts first meeting in Beckenham – 7pm 9 July 2014

The new Bromley Safer Neighbourhood Board which replaces the Bromley Community Engagement Forum will be hosting a number of public meetings around the borough during the year to discuss community safety.  Our Association sits on the board and arranged for the first meeting to be held in Beckenham. All local people are encouraged to attend.

Venue: Citygate Church, 22 Rectory Road, Beckenham BR3 1AA

Date: Wednesday 9th July

Time: 6:30pm to peruse stands, 7:00pm Meeting starts

Bromley Community Engagement Forum amalgamated into the new Safer Neighbourhood Board

Our Association attended the last Bromley Community Engagement Forum (BCEF) on 17th 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.

Beware Catalytic Converter Thefts

Thieves in the Bromley Borough are stealing Catalytic Converters from parked vehicles. Often, the damage to the vehicle far outstrips the value of the platinum in the Converter and causes great inconvenience to the vehicle owner. If you can, park your car/van off the road, ideally in a garage (if you have one) or on a driveway with the rear backed up closely to a wall to limit access.

Safer Neighbourhood Panel (SNP) / Community Advisory panel update Jan 2014

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 16th 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 27th March by emailing chairman@coperscope.org.uk

Rise in garage burglaries in Beckenham

Local Police have advised of a rise in garage burglaries in Beckenham recently, mainly garages en bloc behind blocks of flats. Officers have been leafletting the area and talking to residents with the following advice:

How secure is your garage?

We have recently seen an increase in garage burglaries in your area recently. We are tackling this with uniformed patrols in and around your area. However there are steps you can take to prevent and deter the Burglars. Burglars will generally look for a garage that is insecure or in disrepair. Make sure you have a strong door on your garage capable of withstanding entry by brute force.

  • Consider fitting an alarm to your garage or shed
  • Mark your property with a UV marker pen
  • Use http://www.immobilise.co.uk to record the serial numbers of your electrical items
  • Keep a record of the property in the garage/shed including photographs. This will assist in recovery of your property.
  • Secure the property inside your garage to a wall or consider padlocking several items together
  • A garage defender can be used on up and over garage doors
  • A security bar can be installed externally providing a visible deterrent and will prevent the door opening and protect the hinges and the lock

If you would like a crime prevention visit please email us on coperscope.snt@met.police.uk

Please be vigilant and if you see something suspicious call police or 101 or in an emergency 999.

Catalytic Converter Thefts Plague Bromley Borough

Copers Cope Safer Neighbourhood advise that Bromley Borough has been hit with a large number of catalytic converter thefts. The main vehicles that have been identified are Ford Galaxys, VW Sharans and Seat Alhambra. This however doesn’t mean they wont target others.

Due to the high value of the precious metals contained in a vehicles exhaust system, thieves are stealing catalytic converters. A catalytic converter could cost over £1000 to replace. It is easier for a thief to slide underneath a vehicle with a high ground clearance. Other vehicles commonly targeted include Mercedes Sprinters/Ford Rangers/Mitsubishi vans/4x4s. It takes a thief less than 2 minutes to unscrew the securing bolts or cut the exhaust and remove a converter.

Crime Prevention advice

  • Where possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage. Engrave/etch the converter – having stickers on a vehicle warning that the converter is security marked deters thieves as they will not want to take something that is harder to sell on and easier for police to trace.
  • Invest in a lock – have a specially devised catalytic converter lock professionally fitted. Most garages can advise you on these locks.
  • Weld converter bolts – you could have your mechanic weld them on. The main drawback is that it will be more difficult for you to remove and will be more expensive.
  • Install motion sensor lighting – this comes on when it is dark if there is any movement around your vehicle/premises.
  • Park your vehicles defensively – if you own multiple vehicles use those with the lowest ground clearance to block those with a higher clearance. If all your vehicles have a high clearance park them very close together.

Please be vigilant in your neighbourhood and report any suspicious activity straight away to your local neighbourhood team on 101 or if you believe a crime is in progress call 999. If you would like to pass on information but wish to remain anonymous then call Crimestoppers on 0800-500-111

Police message – Warning of increase in doorstep crime over the last week

The Police have recorded an increase in doorstep crime over the last week. There have been incidents of residents being approached by cold callers offering to clean out guttering, repair/maintain roofing etc, resulting in inflated prices being charged, and occasionally the resident has felt intimidated into agreeing further work.

With the bad weather over the last couple of days, there may be opportunist cold callers offering to sweep up leaves, take away trees, etc and the official advice is not to accept offers of help from callers, unless they are known to you. Also be reminded that the council will always have ID, and drive liveried vehicles.

There have also been victims of telephone fraud in the borough, where the resident has been pursuaded to give over their pin numbers, and handed their credit/debit cards to persons impersonating Police officers.

The Police will NEVER ask for your credit/card details, either on the ‘phone or in person.

If you are unsure who the caller is, engage your security door chain before you open the door. If you see anyone suspicious, and it is happening now, please ring 999, if you have recently had suspicious activity in your road, then please report it to ring 101.

Safer Neighbourhood Panel Meeting Update Sept 2013

At the September Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting our Copers Cope Ward dedicated Police Officer confirmed that it’s all change for the policing system. However there was no clear explanation yet of how the merging of six Wards is going to affect the local panels apart from the reassurance that dedicated officers will be retained. We hope to bring you a clear explanation after the December meeting.

Meanwhile, whilst crime rates remain low level, there were a total of seventeen burglaries in the Ward between end of July and mid-September, nine of these from residences and garages. So do check windows and doors are secured, especially at the rear of property, and see if you can improve the security or lighting on your garage.

With more than twenty motor vehicle crimes reported over this period, this is still an issue. Some of these were theft of number plates, so if you don’t have them already, consider changing to tamper-proof nuts for your plates.

Two local policing priorities were set for the next period up to mid-December, namely burglaries, and drunk & disorderly behaviour, especially around the High Street, on The Green, and on Sainsbury’s forecourt.

Bromley Police Station Open Day, Sunday 22 Sept 2013

This event will give a rare and behind-the-scenes glimpse at what goes on inside a police station and see some of the vehicles, specialist units, equipment and resources that the MPS has at its disposal. Visitors and residents will also be able to talk to local Senior Police Officers about policing in their area and will be on hand to give out crime prevention advice and material.

Safer Transport Teams will be carrying out free cycle security marking of bicycles and registering the details on BikeRegister to help tackle and prevent cycle crime. Members of the public can attend the police station in Bromley High Street anytime between 10-4pm where they will be greeted by Borough Police Officers and given a talk and tour of the station and an opportunity to ask questions.

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has said:

“I want the Met to be an open organisation. We are accountable to the public. These open days symbolise that openness – and I hope people enjoy looking around their local station.”

“We are very clear that we are here to serve London and by inviting the public into our police stations we can give an insight to our daily work to keep them safe and tackle criminals.”

For more information check out the Police website.

Bromley Police