Cookham Discussion Board

As more businesses will be opening tomorrow for the first time in months, the police would like to thank the public for behaving responsibly.  There will be additional police on the streets, to ensure everything goes smoothly and they thank you for your support.
 
Further to my reference to Video Doorbells, I have received a number of requests for more information and particularly, if there was any help from NHW, if someone purchased one, but was not very confident, when it came to fitting and connecting to their WiFi.
These gadgets are brilliant and we would like to promote them as much as possible, but it seems there are a lot of our members, who may be of a certain age, that they need help and advice when it comes to installation.
Is there anyone out there, willing to become one of our volunteer Gurus, to assist and advise, those less IT literate, with installation.
 
We already have Peter Webster, who is our volunteer CCTV Guru, willing to advise anyone thinking about installing CCTV and is confused by the multitude of systems on offer and Paul Hay, our volunteer IT / Internet Safety Guru, who will help members with their IT security problems.
Our NHW Chair for Maidenhead - John Diack, will help with fitting various security devices - spyholes and door chains, on the recommendation of PCSOs, after they carry out a Holme Security Survey, which we hope will resume soon - free of charge.
 
Would you like to join these wonderful people, doing their bit, to help and protect the community ?  Thinking about a video doorbell, may well challenge the IT capabilities of many of us !  If we do have any volunteers, they will be police checked and work alongside and closely with John and his team, with their NHW burglary prevention campaign
 
Re Theft of Bikes - I have received this from Malcolm:
 
I noticed your report about more stolen cycles in Windsor.
 
As it happens, I have been discussing this on the Nextdoor website, as it is a subject which is brought up quite often.  This was one of the entries:
 
I have to wonder why cycle owners, do not fit a ‘motion alarm’ to their bikes, in addition to the usual padlocks etc.
These can be purchased for about £13 and there is one - on the largest online shopping outlet - which has over 2000 positive reviews.
If someone is going to steal your bike and a 110decibal alarm goes off, I can't see the thief hanging around, to prize the padlock off  !!
 
Wouldn't it be nice to hear a cacophony of sound coming from Peascod Street equivalent to the London Philharmonic !!
 
Many thanks Malcolm, I could not agree more.  I imagine they are referring movement sensor alarms, but there are also ‘Padlock Alarms’.  These are readily available and mainly used to protect tools, in sheds and garages.  They look like a normal padlock, but have a much larger ring, capable of fitting around larger items, such as the cross bar on a bike.  They are simple to operate.  You unlock the padlock and the ring does not swivel, but can be removed.  To set it, you simply turn the ring around, when you re-slot it into place.  To disarm it, you unlock it, remove the ring and turn it back the other way, when re-slotting it into place.  It is a once only use product.  If armed and activated, the alarm sounds until the battery is depleted.  You cannot turn it off and the lock, will need to be replaced.  So - for bikes, tools in sheds / garages and garden equipment, such as expensive mowers and tools - it is brilliant.
 
I have also been asked by our Priority Crime Team, to put out a reminder, re leaving doors and windows open for ventilation during the hot weather.
 
We have had several cases of ‘walk in thefts’.  Offenders walk down the side of houses and try the handles on rear / side doors.  If you are working outside / in your garden - you must ensure proper security, by locking all access points to you home.

An opportunist thief may walk down your road and see you working in your garage, or hear you working in your garden.  They will simply walk down any side access and try the door.  If it is unlocked, they will step in and very quickly search you kitchen and take anything of value they find - usually handbags, containing bank cards and keys.
 
YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE - DON’T LET IT BE YOU !
 
CRIME
 
I have attached reference numbers to each crime report. If you live in the vicinity of any of the crimes mentioned and have CCTV or a video doorbell, can you please check the footage. If you have any that might be of interest to the police, can you please make contact with us, quoting reference number given.
 
 
I have added a new email address below.  The first email address is directly to your local Neighbourhood Team.  The second is to our investigation team.  Please use it to send any intelligence / video doorbell / CCTV footage you may have, which is relevant to any of the crimes lists below - quoting the reference number.
 
Alternatively you can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or email - www.crimestoppers-uk.org
 
 
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
SR.windsor&maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
1/7  Wednesday 2.40 p.m.  College Rise.  Video footage shows a man walking onto a property, opening the car door, which had inadvertently been left unlocked - searched but nothing stolen as nothing is left inside the car.  Ref. No:  43200198198.  If he tried this house, he will also have walked around that area trying other cars.  If you have any relevant video footage, please email it to the SR email quoting this Ref. No.
1/7 - 2/7  Wednesday midday / Tuesday 7 a.m.  Burleigh Court, Kingsquarter. underground car park.  Van break.  The rear door had been forced and a lot of valuable tools stolen.  Ref. No:  43200198758.  The van was not alarmed.  You can easily purchase online and the many online shopping facilities a ‘shed alarm’.  These are wireless, battery operated, need no fixing - they can simply be placed anywhere inside on a flat surface.  They have a heat and movement sensor and sound at 110 dbls, which in a van at any time, would be deafening and in the early hours, would wake all the neighbours.  They are inexpensive, very simple to use - they fob on and off as you open / close the doors.  Everyone storing their livelihood tools should have at least one of these !  If you know someone with a van, please let them know how they can protect their property.
1/7 - 2/7  Wednesday 10 a.m. / Thursday 7 a.m.  Burleigh Court, Kingsquarter.  Bike front wheel stolen from underground car park.  Ref. No:  43200199641
2/7  Thursday 9.45 p.m.  Queen Street.  Red and white mountain bike stolen.  Ref. No:  43200199864
 
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
2/7  Thursday 3 a.m.  Evenlode.  Several garages broken into.  Scooter tyre stolen from one.  Ref. No:  43200199008
1/7  Wednesday 7 p.m.  Somerlea Court Road.  Boat stolen from mooring.  Later recovered at Boutlers Lock, completely stripped.  Ref. No:43200198336
1/7 - 2/7  Wednesday 8 a.m. / Thursday 9.10 p.m.  Ray Mill Road West.  Bike hidden and covered with a weighted tarpaulin, stolen from a rear garden.  A valuable, black, Giant XTC, mountain bike.  Ref. No:  43200198490
 
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
SR.windsor&maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
A message from the Detective Inspector of our Burglary Team / Priority Crime Team - for Maidenhead West & South:
We are currently experiencing a slight increase in daytime ‘walk in’ thefts.  In several cases the Opportunist Thief, has been challenged by the home owner, who has walked back in and surprised them.
We have a description, which we would like to circulate.  The man is white,
20s / early 30s, 5’10’’ to 6’ tall, medium to solid build.  He ‘may’ have blue eyes, is clean shaven with fair hair.  He carries some form of over shoulder man bag, the exact size of this, differs from report to report, but it is dark grey, or black.  He may wear a dark coloured beanie style hat and a black waterproof jacket.
If this happens to you and is ‘a crime in progress’, please phone it through to the police immediately on 999, so that we can attend and carry out an area search as soon as possible, to locate him.  If it has happened recently to you, but it does not require an immediate response, please phone it through on the 101 number, asking to be put through to the Maidenhead Priority Crime Team, for the attention of the Duty Sergeant.  In these cases, the Burglary Team is asking you to phone, to debrief you in person and take down as many details as possible, rather than have it reported online, in a web form
 
BISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
1/7  Wednesday 11.30 p.m. ./ 2.45 p.m.  Alleyn’s Lane, Cookham.  Burglary.  The owner returned to find their rear door had been forced.  The burglar alarm had sounded immediately and the offender had made off.  No entry gained and nothing stolen.  Ref. No:  43200198158
 
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
2/7  Thursday 9.45 p.m.  Queensway.  The owner returned to their home to find tool marks around the front door doorframe.  The house had been searched and a gold ring and mobile phone stolen.  Ref. No:  43200199824
1/7  Wednesday 10 p.m.  Courthouse Road.  Video footage shows a man walking onto the drive and looking into the car parked there.  He then smashed a car window and reached inside, which immediately set off the car alarm and he made off.  He is described as wearing a light coloured jacket with a shoulder bag.  Ref. No: 43200198701.  Again - this will not be the only car he tried.  Video footage if you have any, please.
 
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
SR.windsor&maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
2/7  Thursday 2.40 p.m.  Altwood Road.  Several people from the house went for a walk, leaving one person behind.  They walked into the hallway and found the front door wide open and a man standing there.  He was surprised and challenged him. The man immediately left and slammed the front door behind him.  A description of the man it set out above.  Ref. No: 432001299467.  Do you live in the area and have a video doorbell / CCTV ?  If so, can you check the footage to see if you have any images of a man matching that description.  If so can you forward it to the SR email above quoting the Ref. No.
 
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
2/7  Thursday 1.10 a.m.  New Road, Holyport.  The owner was awoken by the sound of their car starting up.  They looked out and could see the car was running, the internal lights on and a man sitting inside carryong out a search.  They shouted and ran outside, by which time he had disappeared.  A neighbour hearing the noise and looking out to see a man crouching down behind a wall and then running away towards Stompits Road.  He is described as wearing a Barbour style quilted jacket and dark trousers.  Ref. No: 43200198654.  Again, if you live in or around that area and have a video doorbell / CCTV, can you check the footage.  If he broke into this car, he will have tried others and you may not know, you were also targeted - on his way to, or way back from, wherever he came.  Please send any relevant footage to the SR email, quoting the Ref. No.