Can I once again thank those of you phoning through suspicious people and cars out and about in the early hours. This is really helping us to plan our resourcing and tasking. It helps us tie crime patterns together and enables us to respond to areas being targeted. Thank you – keep the intelligence coming.
NEXT: Thames Valley Police intensifies action to target and prevent catalytic converter theft.
From Monday 19 April, Thames Valley Police took part in a national effort to combat catalytic converter theft
Local officers across the force co-ordinated activity with force intelligence teams, roads policing officers along with partner agencies to prevent these thefts from taking place and to disrupt those conducting this criminal activity.
During the week, officers worked with local garages to advise on options available to protect catalytic converters on vehicles, such as installing protective cages or applying a property marking solution such as Smartwater to the catalytic converters, making them less appealing to thieves and easier to trace if they are recovered after being stolen.
Officers also joined some of our partner agencies in visiting 92 scrap metal merchants and other businesses that collect and buy metal to share advice on how to spot thieves who may be looking to dispose of stolen catalytic converters.
Patrols in areas that have repeatedly been targeted were also carried out and advice shared with residents and businesses in these areas.
Detective Superintendent Jim Weems, leading the operation for Thames Valley Police, said: “Catalytic converter theft is on the rise nationally as well as in the Thames Valley due to the increase in price for the precious metals contained within them. Offenders are organised in their execution of the crime and often steal a catalytic converter in minutes.
“This crime has a significant impact on victims who find themselves without their vehicle to get around and often have to join a waiting list to obtain a replacement.
“There are three steps to reducing your risk of falling victim to this type of crime, protect, mark and park: Protect your car by asking your dealer if they can give you any advice on locks or guards that are approved by the vehicle manufacturer and tested to Sold Secure Gold standard.
“Mark your catalytic converter with a forensic marker and register your converter to make it harder for thieves to dispose of.
“Park your car somewhere well-lit and overlooked, amongst as many cars as possible. Try to park so the converter can't be easily reached, such as close to a wall or fence. Try not to park at the end of the row if there are free spaces.
“This week of action intensified our work along with other forces nationally but this activity is by no means a one-off for us. We regularly carry out operations to disrupt offenders based on the intelligence that we are constantly developing and work that has been conducted this week to prevent these crimes will continue and help us to identify more offenders in the long run.
NEXT: We were heavily involved in the week of action locally, dealing with theft of Catalytic Converters:
During the week of April 19th, Officers from Windsor and Maidenhead Local Police Area, supported the ‘National Week of Intensification’.
This included 10 visits to local scrap metal dealers, to combat the rise in the thefts of catalytic convertors. The team of officers was led by Police Sergeant Sarah Noah. They conducted crime prevention site visits to ten scrap metal dealers across the LPA to carry out legislative records checks and discuss crime prevention.
Hundreds of residential engagement visits were carried out with members of the public, in those areas, most heavily targeted by the thieves. The team were successful in reaching a vast number of people and were keen to share crime prevention advice, as well as listening to any concerns they had.
We included numerous public venues in the patrols and received extremely positive feedback, from all those to whom we spoke.
Sergeant Sarah Noah said ‘I am extremely proud of the efforts and commitment of all those involved in this operation. Catalytic converter thefts can cause a huge amount of distress and inconvenience for those targeted.
As a local area, we are committed to continuing our fight to target those responsible and are working hard with the public, to make it more difficult for the thieves through prevention work’.
If you see anyone acting suspiciously, especially under a vehicle please report it. Obtain as much detail as possible, including descriptions and vehicle makes, colour and registration.
In the event that your catalytic convertor is stolen, please report via our website:
www.thamesvalley.police.ukSgt. Sarah Noah
Elections next week
Elections for a new Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, for Eton Town and Cookham Parish Council, as well as a referendum on the Windsor Neighbourhood Plan, are taking place on Thursday 6 May.
Due to the pandemic, we've made some small changes to the locations of some polling stations. So check your poll card carefully as it'll tell you with the name and address of your designated polling station.
If you're voting in-person, remember to wear a mask and bring your own pen or pencil. This will help to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.
Get involved in Town Forum meetings
If you’d like to have your say on issues affecting Maidenhead and Windsor town centres, we want to hear from you.
You can suggest discussion topics for the Maidenhead Town Forum
https://rbwm.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=157or Windsor Town Forum
https://rbwm.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=158as well as attend and contribute to the meetings.
Agendas are published a week in advance, so you can see what councillors will be discussing, and get involved if there is a topic you’re interested in.
Your discussion suggestions will be added to a future agenda if appropriate.
The next Maidenhead Town Forum meeting is on Wednesday 18 May, and Windsor Town Forum is on Wednesday 26 May.
To learn about how to get involved, email
mark.beeley@rbwm.gov.uk (for Maidenhead Town Forum) or
fatima.rehman@rbwm.gov.uk (for Windsor Town Forum). You can watch the meetings live on our YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZNp1KmF3YnabN6enzlyelQYouth matters
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, and Achieving for Children, are looking for young people to join our Youth Council.
The Youth Council supports young people to help them get involved in their communities, and ensure they have a say in decisions affecting them.
To join the Youth Council, you must be aged between 14 and 19, and either live, or go to school, in the Royal Borough.
For more details visit the Achieving for Children website
https://rbwm.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/young-people/information-and-advice/rbwm-youth-voice/youth-council or email Elaine Keating -
elaine.keating@acheivingforchildren.org.uk youth engagement officer, before Monday 31 May.
Are you green-fingered and proud?
If your garden is something to boast about, and it’s visible from a public footpath or road, you can enter it into our annual Garden in Bloom competition.
Submit your entry on our website
https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/community-and-living/garden-bloomemail
gib@rbwm.gov.uk, or post it to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead SL6 1RF. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 30 June.
Councillors will judge entries on a ward-by-ward basis, with rosettes awarded to the winner and runners up in each.
If you have a friend, family member, or neighbour with an enviable green-fingered garden, you can also nominate them on their behalf.
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.orgMAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk29/4 Thursday 1 a.m. / 7 a.m. Court Road. Owner has had the hasp and staple forced from a rear garden gate and a padlock removed. Ref. No: 43210182176
29/4 Thursday 3.15 a.m. Craufurd Rise. The owners were at home and heard a loud bang followed by their car alarm sounding. The looked out and shouted as a man ran off towards a nearby car park. The police were called and attended immediately carrying out an area search. The officers received a call from the control room that a resident had reported two men nearby acting in a suspicious manner. The police moved to that location and found two men hiding. One made off and was not located, the other resisted, but was arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle. Ref: No. 43210181476 While carrying out the area search they found another car with its driver’s window smashed. This has now been reported to us. The owner had a mobile warning that the car alarm had been activated, but the missed it until he woke up. On checking the car, the owner found their wallet had been stolen from the centre console and the bank cards had been used. Ref. No: 43210181558
29/4 Thursday midnight / 6.05 a.m. St. Luke’s Road. CAR ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS – passenger door left ajar – nothing stolen. Ref. 43210182625
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
29/4 Thursday 4.05 p.m. Walgrove Road, White Waltham. Metal shed used to store a mobility scooter stolen from a driveway. Ref. No: 43210182686
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
29/4 – 30/4 Thursday 8 p.m. / Friday 8 a.m. Westfield Road. Dark blue Mercedes GLC index HN ** YWF stolen from outside a house. Ref. No: 43210183511
29/4 - 30/4 Westfield Road. Grey BMX M2 Competition index OY ** NWV stolen from outside a house. Ref. No: 43210183567
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
28/4 – 29/4 Wednesday 5 p.m. / Thursday 3 p.m. Hibbert Road. Attempted garage break – lock damaged – no entry gained and nothing stolen. Ref. No: 43210183034
