Security in Clifton

Maggie Shapland
For litter, rubbish, fly-tipping, graffiti, vandalism, street drinking, drug dealers etc- all anti-social behaviour, ring 0845 605 2222.
Please remember that you can report illegal activities such as drink driving, drug dealing and suspicious behaviour anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
If you have information about any crime, phone the police on 0845 456 7000 or you can call anonymously to CRIMESTOPPERS 0800 555 111 or wendy.hull@avonandsomerset.police.uk

Burglaries

Wednesday 31st October 2007. There have been a number of reports from residents in North Bristol who have had children around 8/10 years old call at their door, sometimes alone or other times accompanied by a friend or on occasions an adult. They knock on the door and use an excuse to get inside the house. When most people think of a bogus caller it tends to be of someone posing as a water board official or a builder but not normally a child, but children are also committing these offences. They are picking on vulnerable and elderly people, who are more likely to believe them and offer various excuses to gain entry to the property. Some say they need a drink of water or they need to use the toilet whereas others say they've kicked their ball in to the garden or lost a kitten. Once inside the house the children are stealing cash, jewellery and credit cards. The Police advice is to be more suspicious than usual if a child turns up on the door with a seemingly innocent request, and to to use the doorstep code - 'Stop, Chain, Check' - when answering the door to strangers. If you live next door to an elderly person or have elderly relatives, please warn them of these dangers as they are most at risk. Remind them they should always keep strangers out - even children.
Monday 22nd October: This has been confirmed by Royal Mail. The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam which has raise it's head at this time of year for the past couple of years: A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a premium rate number). You are advised NOT to call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize. If you call the number and listen to the recorded message you will be being charged at premium rates. If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator) at www.icstis.org.uk www.icstis.org.uk
27 March 2007: There have been several reported incidents of an Asian man calling on properties in the Redland and Clifton areas. The story almost word for word each time goes: He calls at a house, usually but not always at around 9.00pm. He says he is a neighbour and that he has no electricity. He asks if he can borrow a long extension lead so that he can get electricity from the house next door. He often mentions that he's spoken to a neighbour who he names, which adds weight to his claim that he is a legitimate neighbour. In previous incidents, when the householders have either found an extension lead or said they didn't have one, he asks for money to charge up his electricity key or card. He says he has no money on him because it's all in his electric safe that he can't open because there's no power! He asks if he can borrow a few pounds, then goes on to say he want more, saying that he will return the money when he has opened his safe, which of course never happens. The male is described as: Asian, in his late 30s/early 40s, approx 6ft tall, of slim build with thinning dark hair. He looks remarkably like Salman Rushdie. Sometimes he wears a beanie hat, and sometimes gold rimmed glasses. This is an exact copy of a series of incidents which took place precisely a year ago in and around the Wellington Hill area of Horfield, and the description of the offender is almost identical to last years incidents.
Wednesday 7th February 2007 by Wendy Hull, NW Administrator at Newfoundland Road.
Could all residents please be aware of an increase in residential burglaries in the Clifton area. The most common form of entry has been by forcing or slipping a single front door lock. The times that these thefts are occurring are predominantly overnight. I would urge all residents to use second locks or dead locks on front and back doors and where applicable set alarms and check that security lights are in full working order.

Fireworks

26th October 007: Current legislation regarding fireworks. It is against the law for:

Anyone under 18 to possess a firework
To let off fireworks between 2300 and 0700 ( except Nov 5 when fireworks can be let off until midnight)
To cast down or throw a firework in a public place.

Should any of these rules be broken please make a report to 0845 456 7000, as failure to comply is dealt with by a £80 fixed penalty. Please advise callers to try and give us the best location possible when reporting in, so that we have a better possibility of locating the offenders.

Wheel thefts

On Thursday 28th Sept 2006, a BMW M3 Sports Cabriolet had the frontwheel nuts removed from one wheel in a botched theft in Canynge Road. The driver did not notice until the wheel nearly came off the vehicle. The car had been targeted for the valuable alloy wheels and only the one remaining locking nut saved the driver from possible serious consequences as the wheel began to loosen.
Please advise anyone with a BMW, Mercedes, Porsche or other luxury vehicle with alloy wheels to fit two wheel-locking nuts, put on diagonally to each other rather than side by side and to check around their vehicles before driving them. A gang is working in the Clifton area, mostly after dark, so please be extra vigilant and report sighting of suspicious activity on 08454567000, remembering to ask for your call to be tagged Neighbourhood Watch.

Tree Felling scam

August 2006: There is a growing problem regarding people cold calling for tree felling across the Redland sector. The way the scam works is that someone knocks on the door stating that a tree on the property needs cutting. They offer a low price for that tree and then whilst doing the work they also cut another tree. The occupants are then asked for a sum going into hundreds of pounds. In some cases the callers become aggressive when asking for the additional money. I would advise anyone requiring work on trees to use a known company. Do not be lured into the prospect of a 'quick, cheap job'. Ask around if someone else has had work done and if the work was satisfactory and follow their guidance.

Crime

To report a crime rung Avon and Somerset Police Tel: 0845 456 7000.
If you have any information which may help officers dealing with these crimes please contact the police on 0845 456 7000, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU REMEMBER TO ASK FOR THE CALL TO BE TAGGED ‘NHW' (NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH) and quote Ringmaster message number BU 099 of 010705. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A presentation on ID theft is now be found on the force Avon and Somerset Police website - follow links through Community Safety to Neighbourhood Watch and the Scheme Members page where you will find the presentation. No password is needed. The most important facts to remember are to dispose of any personal documents with care and not to respond to any unsolicited requests for information about your passwords or account details.
Commonly referred to as phishing, emails are also sent by fraudsters in an attempt to collect sensitive personal or financial information from the recipients. Fraud prevention specialists are working 24/7 to help protect you and enable the community to stay safe.
Log in to your account only from the website. Do not use links provided in any email. Forward any suspicious email asking you to check your account to the appropriate address given on the official website eg spoof@paypal.com to help them catch the fraudster.
If your bag of rubbish left out over night is stolen, as mine was last Friday, do not bother ringing the police. You will just get a lecture about not using a dustbin, and be told that the police have no time to make a note. Fat chance of getting any help if someone subsequently tries to steal my identity, or perhaps someone was trying to find the latest letters written to the Council! Do shred your utility bills and bank stuff.

Security

Inspector Tarrant looks after the policing of Clifton. Tel: 0117 9454403. She is based at Redland Police Station and has started to hold regular clinics in Clifton Library.

Nick Shaw is our community policeman with phone number 9454453.
Neighbourhood Watch for North Bristol Area Administrator - Wendy Hull, Southmead Police Station, Southmead, Bristol BS10 5DW.
Tel: 0117 945 4545

Mark your property with a security pen. Write your postcode followed by your house number. This will not damage your property and once dry is invisible to the naked eye.
Keep a note of all of your serial numbers (a good idea is to keep a list / photos with your house insurance documents)
Take photos of unusual items
Mark anything that is worth stealing including individual CD's / DVD's / computer games.
Last summer, residents were amazed to see dog vans and other vehicles in Princess Buildings, when Millwall football supporters decided to have a drink at the White Lion. We are glad the police averted social disorder, but I have never seen such a heavy police presence in Clifton before
Peak times for offences are wide, but evening through to the early hours have been highlighted. Entry methods vary, but slipping the latch is often used. This can be done by using a piece of plastic, sometimes cut from a plastic bottle to form a loop, reaching in through the letterbox, placing the loop around the door latch and pulling it down to open the door. In some cases, plastic can also be forced between the door frame and the door, in the area of a Yale type lock, to push the latch open.
residents must ensure that their house security is adequate, to deadlock doors where possible or use a mortice lock. Leave lights on when out and a radio on, preferably tuned to a talk channel. Please help yourself to keep your property safe.
Peak times for vehicle theft are 9pm - 6am. Where possible, do try to park your car off of the street, and do remember to remove all items from the vehicle. Remember, residents leaving items in their vehicles are attracting criminals to your area.
A third of all burglaries happen because a door or window has been left open. If you're in a private home or flat, lock up whenever you go out - with deadbolts if you have them.
Make sure everyone in the flat/house knows when the property is going to be empty and ensure that the house is well secured during this period. Perhaps speak to a neighbour and ask them to keep an eye on the property whilst you are away. Ensure the last person who leaves for Christmas double-checks all the locks and windows.
Ask your landlord to fit deadlocks to all outside doors - burglars hate them because you need a key to open them from the inside as well as the outside. And ask them to put key operated locks on all downstairs or accessible windows - burglars don't like having to smash windows because of the noise and the danger of cutting themselves.
Lock up goods in your garden - including ladders, tools and bikes - not only are these are at risk from being stolen, but burglars can also use them to break in.
If you live in a flat, be careful who you let in - or who follows you into the building. Lock your bedroom door even if you are only going down the corridor.
Be careful about putting your name against each bell on a multi-occupancy flat. A recent scam has been for a burglar to note the names, and tailgate by saying they were visiting one of those names.

Useful links

BBC web page on Anti-Social behaviour
Network of Residents' Association (includes section on anti-social behaviour)
Bristol City Council My Neighbourhood information Community safety; Begging campaign; Cleaning our streets; Pest control; Dog wardens services; Pollution control; Gypsies and travellers; Abandoned Vehicle on-line reporting; Street Light Faults on-line reporting
Avon and Somerset Police website Neighbourhood Watch for North Bristol Area Administrator - Wendy Hull, Southmead Police Station, Southmead, Bristol BS10 5DW. Tel: 0117 945 4545

Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society (CHIS)