Cookham Discussion Board

I now meet each week, with the Chairs of our two NHW Associations.  John Diack - Chair of the Maidenhead NHW Association and Valerie Pike, the Chair of the Windsor and Ascot NHW Association.  They are both making brilliant progress, creating new schemes across RBWM.  Often, they are setting up several new schemes a month, but they are both happy to help you re-vitalise existing schemes or help you find a new NHW Co-ordinator, if your scheme needs one.
 
We have just purchased some burglary prevention equipment and are about to purchase more, for our summer burglary campaign.
 
The two chairs have agreed that they will organise the fitting through NHW.  We cannot drill into doors to fit door chains / spyholes, or go up ladders to fit dummy CCTV cameras etc.  Is there anyone out there who would volunteer to help them do this, to protect their vulnerable or elderly neighbours ???
 
Ideally, we would like one person in each of our neighbourhoods, so that one person, doesn’t have to do a lot of travelling.
 
If you do have the necessary skills and are willing to donate some time, could you contact John Diack for Maidenhead at:
 
johndiack@hotmail.com
 
For Windsor can you contact Valerie Pike at:
sheikha_val@yahoo.com
 
John has asked me to circulate this message:
 
Hi
 
I am sometimes asked - what the benefits are to being a member of a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme ?  Why should I take that step ?
 
Prominent in the answer is - as you would expect - the increased security of being part of a safer and more aware section of the community.
 
Each Scheme NHW co-ordinator, works with his or her scheme members, to help prevent crime, in partnership with the local police and it generally, makes their neighbourhood, a more pleasant and safer place to live.
 
Additionally, we have access to a variety of benefits and goodies, not only street signs and door stickers, but also a whole range of other items including shed alarms, timers, fake tvs, door bars and chains, door spy holes, personal alarms, window shock alarms,  etc etc.
 
I can only properly distribute these, through our known network of NHW coordinators with registered schemes.  It is therefore important that anyone who is considering joining a scheme, or starting one, takes the initiative on this and contacts me, to get things moving forward.  Also, there are schemes in operation, which are not registered and these we need to know more about.  
If your scheme is not registered it is very easy to do so at WWW.Ourwatch.org.uk   or you can contact me for advice and assistance.
 
Thanks for publicising this as we would not wish anyone to miss out on these potential benefits.
 
John
 
Chair Maidenhead Police Area Neighbourhood Watch Association
MSA NHW Thames Valley
 
A CASE OF A BOGUS BUILDER:
 
While I was on annual leave, PCSO Oliver Hogg, visited and elderly resident - this was the story:
 
Good morning. I am a PCSO for the Maidenhead area and yesterday I visited an elderly resident who reported rogue traders trying to do work on their property. They said, the men were from a roofing company.  They had previously been round, dropping off cards to the houses on their road, after which, they approached the occupant. At least two people are involved.
 
The resident was told by one man that they needed their gutters cleaned and moss removed, charging.  They would charge £80 for this. The second man went up onto the roof without permission and started looking around.  He confirmed work also needed to be done on their chimney, as well as other roof work.  That would amount to £800.
 
The resident told them that they did not have that amount of cash at the time and they said that they would come back that afternoon for the money and to do the work.
 
Because of this, I thought it best to inform the RBWM Community wardens for ongoing support for this vulnerable resident.
 
Trading Standards then sent Clive Dent along, the RBWM Community Warden, who specialises in support for victims of frauds / scams / bogus builders.
 
Clive responded:
 
I went to visit the resident immediately and thankfully I did, as they had “agreed“ that the roofers would return that afternoon, to repair the chimney.
 
I have given the resident a scam prevention booklet and the advice that should they return, not to open the door and speak to them through the kitchen window which overlooks the front of the property.  Tell them that the police and trading standards, have been called. I have explained that the roofers were to leave the property immediately, or the police would be called on 999.
 
The roofers will probably say that they have spent hundreds of pounds on materials and will need paying for them. No money is to be handed to the roofers and if they refuse to leave or cause any harassment, alarm or distress, the police are to be called immediately, on 999.
 
The resident has spoken to a friend who will be in the house during the afternoon, in case the men turn up.
 
It is quite possible that the address could be passed on to other rogue traders, who might pose as gardeners or whatever, as another way in to scam. Thankfully the resident has a gardener.
 
I also explained that if suspicious or scam phone calls are received, just to put the phone down.
 
This resident is 91 years old and sadly had a bereavement just before Christmas.  the neighbours all look out for each other and it was a neighbour who advised that the police should be called.
 
Regards
 
Clive
 
Clive Dent
Communities, Enforcement & Partnerships
 
This is happening every day and obviously our message is not getting through to everyone that needs to know !
 
Our NHW motto should be passed to everyone:
 
I AM SORRY, I DO NOT BUY GOODS AND SERVICES AT THE DOOR !
 
 
NEXT:  Our Windsor Town Centre Sergeant, has just had a word with me.
 
She was sitting with her mother on Wednesday, having a cup of tea when the phone rang.  Her mother answered it and seemed to sound concerned.  She asked what the call was and her mother responded - ‘It’s the police in London, apparently 2 people have been arrested, using my credit card’ !  I am just giving them my bank and card details, to cancel my card.
 
The sergeant immediately recognised this, as the standard Courier Fraud and told her mother, to hand over the phone.  Her mother, being very independent , was shocked and said she would deal with it.  The sergeant said again, give me the phone !  Her mother then said to the person on the phone, ‘I am sorry, but my daughter who works for the police, says she would like to have a word’ !  By the time the phone had been handed over, the line was dead !
 
The courier Fraud scammers are obviously still out there.  The sergeant’s mother, is certainly not elderly and is very switched on.  She said she knew about the fraudsters saying they were her bank, BT or Microsoft, but this was a call from the police !
 
If the sergeant had not been there, her mother would willingly have handed over whatever details, she was asked for !  These fraudsters are really good at what they do and totally believable.
 
NEXT:  I have had a scam email directly into my police email.  It comes from the Vice Chairman of the Hang Seng Bank.  Apparently one of their very wealthy clients has died without any next of kin.  Can I email them back on my personal email, to help administer the estate !!
 
I TOOK MY OWN ADVICE - I DIDN’T DO IT !
 
PCSO Aaron Francis was working at the Old Windsor beat post, when a local resident brought in a letter, they believed was a scam.

It came from the SPD Bank, Beijing, China !  They had a customer - Alexander Burrell, who deposited $47,500,240.00 then died, leaving no next of kin.  Alexander was apparently killed, during the tsunami in 2004.  They were looking for people with a similar name, from English records, who might possibly be relatives, who could inherit this money.
 
It is obviously a scam, but the letter was addressed correctly, to someone with a similar name, to the person allegedly deceased.    Lovely headed paper.  They will keep 50% as a finders fee, 45% for the recipient, with 5% admin costs.
 
You know the advice:
 
DON’T DO IT ! - DON’T LET IT BE YOU !
 
JUST A WORD ABOUT CAR CRIME !!!
  
TWO POINTS
CARS LEFT UNLOCKED - ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS - NO DAMAGE

NO DAMAGE - MEANS NO INSURANCE !

We have a problem with theft from motor vehicles.  Often, cars are parked up and left unlocked.  When we talk to victims, they tell us they thought this was OK ,because the car was parked behind locked gates.  In a case reported today in Ascot - the owner has CCTV footage of two men climbing over the gates !  In my report for Ascot today - 3 cars were broken into and searched - all were ‘ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS’ - which means they had been left unlocked

ITEMS LEFT ON DISPLAY
The opportunist thieves are not going to pay to have a window replaced, or take valuable time off work, to have this done - it can be very inconvenient as it always happens, when you need your car urgently.  Opportunist thieves walk around 24 / 7, trying car door handles, or just looking into cars.  If it is dark, they use a small torch.  SO NOTHING - NOTHING - MUST BE LEFT ON DISPLAY.  A pair of sunglasses / loose change for parking, left in the centre console - even if covered with something, will get a window smashed.  In Ascot, it is often valuable sets of golf clubs left in the back, for a quick getaway, the next day.  A supermarket bag, or a jacket left on the seat, may contain something valuable, or a wallet.  Think about it from the perspective of an opportunist thief - anything you own, has a value to them and can be sold.  As you see from my reports backpacks, often contain laptops / electronic equipment - such easy pickings.

TOURISTS - As a major tourist area, we attract thousands each year.  They have nowhere to store luggage / backpacks, so they park up and leave it - often on display - in the back of their cars and get their rear windscreens smashed.  There is little we can do to prevent this as we do not want to deter them from coming, but as local residents there is something we can do - BE OBSERVANT.  REPORT ANYONE ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY AROUND PARKED CARS ON THE ROAD AND IN OUR MANY CAR PARKS.

CRIME ATTRACTOR: Easy targets will attract opportunist thieves.  If opportunists can walk about trying car door handles and find cars left unlocked - they will also look for other opportunities while they are there !!!  YOU DO NOT WANT THESE PEOPLE IN YOUR ROADS !
 
 
CRIME
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
10/1  Friday midnight / 8.10 a.m.  Norfolk Road.  2 cars vandalised.  Wing mirrors on the pavement side damaged.
9/1  Thursday 11.45 a.m. / 12.15 p.m.  High Street.  Front wheel stolen from a bike.  Repeat victim.
9/1  Thursday 11.30 a.m. / 11.35 a.m.  High Street X2.  1.  A witness saw a bike being stolen.  They came out of a shop and saw an offender yank a bike out of the bike rack breaking the combination lock. He shouted, but the offender got on the bike and rode off at speed towards the church.  2.  The owner returned to find their chained up front wheel still in situ but the rest of the bike had been stolen.
 
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
 NO CRIME TO REPORT.

MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
BISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
7/1 - 9/1  Tuesday 4 p.m. / Thursday 9 a.m.  High Street, Hurley.  Garage break.  Side door removed.  New electric bike worth £2,000 stolen.
 
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
9/1  Thursday 6.30 p.m.  Edinburgh Road.  Brick thrown at a window and front door kicked.
9/1  Thursday  1.13 a.m.  Cannon Lane Silver Ford Transit van, index RK ** SXR stolen from outside a house.  The owner still has the keys.  This was captured on CCTV.  2 men came from the direction of The Dell, unfortunately, they saw the CCTV and covered their faces.  CCTV is brilliant, as are video doorbells - but - at night the images turn into a murky dark grey.  If you can afford it and have security lights on the front of your property, we recommend you change one of them for a Guard Cam.  These are security lights that contains a hidden HDD camera.  The camera films every time the beam is broken.  The benefit is that at night, thieves do not know there is a camera inside and are less cautious about covering their faces and they often look directly at  the camera, when the beam comes on.  The benefit is of course at night, the video records in full floodlight in full HDD colour !  They come in several price ranges.  The cheaper models around £90, have an SD RAM memory card, so you have to be able to access the Guard cam, to remove the card if anything occurs.  The more expensive models, use your Wi Fi to send all activations, directly to your mobile phone !  This is a question for you - is it a worthwhile expense.  If from these reports you live in an area, where burglaries are taking place, then consider it.  If you know none have been in your area, put the information away, in case burglaries or car crime is displaced to your area.
 
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
7/1 - 8/1  Tuesday 7 p.m. / Wednesday 11 a.m.  Wessex Way.  Shed break.  A black Carrera Vengeance, bike stolen - We have the frame number !
8/1  Wednesday 2.30 p.m.  Cleveland Close.  CAR ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS - car searched and loyalty card stolen.
 
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
 NO CRIME TO REPORT.