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Property Marking :- It is good practice to mark property, and ideally keep photographic and detailed records of valuables (i.e. the make, model and serial number) and keep these in a safe place. Any works of art, antiques and silverware should always be photographed. Smartwater is a Forensic Coding System more details about this can be found on www.smartwater.com Don’t leave empty boxes (of high-value goods such as a plasma TV or laptop) outside your home as this may attract burglars. Remember to keep documents containing personal details such as bank statements, passport, and utility bills out of sight. If no longer needed carefully dispose or shred these documents.
We're glad to report that a record number of motorists were stopped during the Christmas drink drive campaign. Officers stopped more than 15,000 motorists, 5,000 more than last year and arrested 123 people, compared to 102 arrests the previous year. The Christmas campaign ran from December 1 until December 31, with 1,500 motorists being stopped on New Year’s Eve alone. It is disappointing to see that there are still a number of motorists who think it is acceptable to drive while under the influence of drink or drugs. But this year we carried out more stop checks than ever before, using intelligence to target known offenders or areas with a problem. As a result 5,000 more motorists were stopped this year and we have seen a slight increase in the number of arrests. This work was not just about enforcement but reminding motorists that officers are on the roads 24/7 as a deterrent to those contemplating driving under the influence. Although the campaign is over our work will continue as we strive to make the roads safer. Each time someone gets behind the wheel and drives under the influence they are not only risking their own life but also the lives of others.
Every month we hold a Police Surgery in your area, this is a chance for you to come and speak to us about the issues that are affecting you and also to get regular updates from us about what we have been doing to tackle these issues. Below are the surgery dates, times and locations for the next three months Hope to see you there.
24th FEBRUARY 2010 and 17th MARCH 2010
3.00pm, Isleham Co-op
3.30pm, Fordham Primary School
4.00pm, Chippenham Village Hall
4.30pm, Kennett School
5.00pm, Snailwell Church
We always like to give you crime prevention advice against burglary and car crime so it is only fair we then give you an update on what we have done ourselves. We will try and make this a once-a-month sort of thing.
We arrested a man suspected of committing burglaries across the Cambridge area to feed his drug habit. He has now been remanded in custody and has said he may want to confess to additional crimes - excellent news for those victims to know that their offender is caught and behind bars. Another man was spoken to in prison by officers and he has admitted two additional burglaries committed in Ickleton and Shelford. He was a burglar who travelled from London and picked on properties to burgle with the aim of stealing jewellery and he was rather clever about his
tactics. He too was driven by a drug habit. A ‘regular visitor’ in our custody block, also with a drug addiction, has been spoken to by officers in his prison cell and he's admitted additional burglaries. We're still in talks with him to admit more so those victims will know their offender has been caught. A car crime criminal has recently been arrested and charged with four vehicle crimes. However he has subsequently admitted many, many more and will appear before the courts soon. We use all sorts of methods to catch our criminals. After a recent burglary we found
blood at the scene. Within six hours we had a match on our DNA database and were able to arrest someone. He's now been charged and remanded in custody and has so far admitted to nine burglaries. His case is now going through the courts. Thanks to our crime scene investigators finding footprints at a number of burglary scenes and matching them to someone we had arrested for handling stolen goods, we were able to further arrest our suspect for 11 burglaries, and that led us to recover yet more stolen property. Yet another drug addict has been charged with burglaries in the South Cambs area. He travelled on the trains from London to commit his crimes. He's been charged with a burglary in Great Shelford. We're still working on the case but since his first appearance at court, the offending has stopped. In East Cambs a burglar was caught by the local policing team. Again, we are doing further forensic work to see if this offender has committed more burglaries than we're aware of. We worked with our colleagues in Bedfordshire to stop a burglary series which was happening near to the A428 around the villages West of Cambridge - Hardwick, Croxton, Bourn, Caldecote and others. Since the main suspect was arrested, the series has significantly slowed although we know there are still problems in this area. We ask for people to be vigilant and have upped patrols.
Remember, if you see anything suspicious, or see a crime in progress, report it to police. In an emergency call 999 and for all other occasions call 0345 456 456 4. Alternatively, to report something anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
This week the force has opened the county’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in partnership with the NHS and Rape Crisis. The centre, which will offer support and medical facilities for victims of rape and sexual assault, was officially opened by MP Barbara Follett. It’s based at The Oasis, in Rivergate, Peterborough, and available 24/7 to victims be calling 0845 089 6262. Ensuring rape and sexual assault victims get the best possible service and all of the support they need is an issue close to the force’s heart. The force set up the partnership project as part of its commitment to ensure victims of rape and sexual assaults get the best service possible and have all the support facilities possible to assist them. Those who use the facilities are under no obligation to report their incident to police but any forensic samples taken at the centre will be kept on record in case they change their minds or to be used anonymously by officers as intelligence on potential serial offenders. Victims will also be given the opportunity to report their offence to a specially trained officer (STO). If you would like more information about the centre visit the force website – www.cambs.police.uk or www.oasiscentre.org.
Some good news regarding a group of hare coursers who were caught in the Burwell area, just down the road from the Fordham/Isleham Villages...... All 3 defendants pleaded guilty to illegally harecoursing and received a penalty
of: £350 fine each / £15 victim surcharge / £85 costs / Disqualified from driving for 6 months / Vehicle to be destroyed This group were most likely operating on our area too (it's highly probable that some of you may have reported them!) so it's great to be able to share this news with you.
As always, if you need to report anything to us, please do so on 0345 456 456 4 or for emergencies, 999. It is your call that makes good news stories like this one possible!
Many Thanks and a happy new year to you all.
PCSOs Barb Neill and Ian Hawkins - South Neighbourhood Policing Team
(Published 08 February 2010)
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