Message from Inspector James Davies

Here is the latest neighbourhood update from your Aylesbury North Team (Elmhurst, Watermead, Buckingham Park, Berryfields and Weedon village).

The team consists of Insp James Davies, Acting Sgt Dave Kuttner, PC Russ McFarlane, PC Julie Price, PCSO Lisa Steward and PCSO Danny Fahy.

Message from Inspector James Davies

I do not normally provide an update for these newsletters but I thought it pertinent to do so due to the forthcoming changes to Thames Valley Police and your local police area.

On the 1st June Thames Valley Police will be introducing a new operating model to help us better meet the needs of the public we serve. Within the new structure Aylesbury Vale Local Police Area will be centred around three core areas of business: response, investigation and neighbourhood policing.

The new structure has been designed to give the flexibility to better prioritise the way we respond to crime, ensuring that we can effectively and efficiently target our resources at the areas of greatest need at any specific time.

Under the new structure, local neighbourhood officers will continue to focus on working within the community identifying issues, problem solving and preventing crime.

To aide consistency I will be taking over the management of the neighbourhood police teams across the whole of the Vale while Inspector Chris Young from the rural neighbourhood team will move to take over newly formed Problem Solving Teams.

I look forward to leading my staff to provide a visible neighbourhood police team who engage locally to address problems in conjunction with the local community.

James Davies

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, Aylesbury Vale Local Police Area

Local Priorities

You said- There were issues occurring at the back of a block of flats on Hastoe Park. These issues included drugs and homeless people looking in bins and garages.

We did – We have patrolled the area on a regular basis and have had no more reports regarding the above issues. Hopefully these patrols are deterring the people from hanging around Hastoe Park

You said- That there was drug taking and drug dealing within the compounds of Fairfax Community Centre, also that there was a set of ladders and that one of the windows was broken and that undesirable people were getting into the building.

We did- We managed to find out who was responsible for the centre and it has now been boarded up and the ladders taken away. The rubbish which is at the back of the building has been reported to the relevant parties.

You said – There have been a few reports regarding youths riding around Alfred Rose Park on a quad bike

We did –We have been patrolling the area, and have deterred the youths from riding the quad bike in the Park. One of the males has been spoken to and given serious words of advice regarding his actions. If this is still going on please call 101 and let us know when this is happening.

Alfred Rose Park Elmhurst

Starting at the end of March 2017 Alfred Rose Park is going to get a face lift. The work is going to take approx. 12 weeks. All the paths are going to be replaced, this means that there is going to be a lot of plant machinery in the park during this time. The machinery will be staying in the park at all times. It will be locked up but can we ask you to be vigilant, if you see anything out of the ordinary please call 101 and let the police know.

Burglary

Now the weather is brightening up and the sun is shining people become complacent when it comes to their home security. The most common cases of opportunist summer burglary involve offenders that:

enter an insecure front door while residents are in the back garden
enter doors that are closed but unlocked at night while residents are asleep
reach through windows to take valuable items

In around 25 percent of break-ins that take place in the spring and summer months, entry is gained through insecure windows and doors, especially at the rear of the property.

Crime reduction advice should focus on

Ensure that windows and doors are closed and locked when you are out. Don’t leave small windows open believing them to be safe.
If you want to leave windows open while you sleep, fit window restrictors so they cannot be fully opened, or make sure they are not large enough to allow access to a burglar.
When out in your garden ensure that windows and doors to the front of the house are secure. It only takes a second for someone to get into your home and take things without you noticing.
Do not leave valuables on display in front of windows or in reach of open windows or doors.
Ensure that all barbecue and garden equipment and tools are securely locked up in a shed and out of sight. Tools can be used by the potential offender to break in to your home.
Consider fitting outside security lighting or a visible alarm to help deter burglars. Even using pea shingle or gravel on a driveway and spiky plants in garden beds can help.
Don’t leave any keys near entry points where they can be ‘fished’ or ‘hooked’ out through the window, letter box or cat flap.
Ensure any internal handle operated locks on UPVC doors are fully secured with a key.

Sheds - Easy pickings?

Offenders see sheds as easy pickings because they are unprotected and lack basic security measures. The buildings often contain property that can be sold on or implements that can be used to force entry into the owner’s home.

Many sheds whilst being of good construction fall short on basic security.
It is easy to unscrew the ironmongery, steal contents and in some cases replace the screws to make it look as if the shed has not been tampered with.
By using tamper proof screws or coach bolts together with a good quality pad bar or hasp and staple and close shackled padlock, the shed owner will make it harder for the would-be thief.
It is also a good idea to bond any window glass in, with mastic to prevent easy removal.
Ensure all tools and equipment is locked away when not in use.
High-quality locks should be used on doors. Windows can be fitted with a grille or, as a cheaper alternative, chicken wire, to slow a thief down.
A shed alarm can also be installed.
Post-coding or indelibly marking all property such as lawnmowers, bikes, and tools using ultra-violet pens, forensic marking such as Selecta DNA or Smartwater or engravers.
Installing security lighting as a deterrent, and plants such as thorny shrubs to act as a barrier at potential access points.
If building a shed, putting it where it is most visible to you and neighbours.

New Thames Valley Alerts App

The force has launched its first mobile app to the public marking a further step forward in modernising communication and engagement with our communities.
The new Thames Valley Alert App is the next generation of the force’s successful community messaging system, allowing for the first time, the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) to target messages straight to the people who need to know them.
Users will also now receive push notifications to their mobile phone via the app, ensuring they are alerted instantly when a message is sent.
This new location-based messaging capability provides both reactive and proactive engagement opportunities:

It provides officers with greater investigative opportunities by increasing the likelihood of witness appeals reaching potential witnesses.

For example, a witness appeal alert for a robbery which has just occurred can now be sent to users currently in the area where the offence was committed, as well as those who live or work there.
Or, a traffic update alert following a road traffic collision could reach drivers in the area before they set off on their journey, reducing the impact on the public as well as operationally.

It will improve the effectiveness of crime prevention or safety messaging.

Now you can schedule an alert to reach people entering into a specified ‘cordoned’ area at a given period of time, increasing the opportunity for the right people to receive and be affected by our information.
The Thames Valley Alert system currently has 105,000 subscribers and has proved a valuable way over the last few years of providing information, reassurance and awareness to the public, as well as a way to help build resilience in communities.
The introduction of the app provides the opportunity to grow the system exponentially, capturing the millions of commuters and visitors to Thames Valley as well as those who live in our area. Download the Thames Valley Alert app via the app store or Google Play by searching ‘Thames Valley Alert’.

Crime mapping service – For a breakdown of crimes and reports made to police over the past month, please visit (Opens new window) It is possible to ‘trim’ down the data to cover your street, or immediate area around your house. Doing so will provide you with an indication of any crime taking place where you live.

Police contact information –

You can contact Thames Valley Police in several ways. Telephone – 101,in emergency use 999. For less urgent and routine enquiries, please call 101 and ask to speak to officers from the Aylesbury North Policing Team.

If you have any questions that you would like to ask the police or indeed share with your local community– please feel free by emailing us at the following address. (this email cannot be used to report crime or for urgent enquiries).

Internet - TVP force website -

To find out the latest crime figures for your area please visit the following web site: (opens new window) (opens new window)

If you have information about crime or anti-social behaviour in your area but you do not want to speak to the police, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Thames Valley Alerts

Receive free local crime alerts and crime prevention advice by signing up to Thames Valley Alert (opens in new window) today.