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Rural Community Newsletter
Date: 2nd March 2016
Hello everyone,
Welcome to this month’s newsletter concerning issues that affect you and the rural community.
The idea behind this monthly publication is to try and keep you better informed & up to speed regarding what is going on, in & around the rural areas covered by this newsletter. In addition to this publication, many of you also receive the text & e-mail alerts sent out via our ‘Watch’ alert system. The ‘Watch’ schemes that are used in our area have now been running just over two years and feedback shows that we are keeping you and other members of the rural communities better informed. This is something that we want to build and improve on. The idea and basis of the ‘Watch’ schemes is for there to be a ‘two way’ communication between you and us the cops. It’s hoped that the monthly newsletters will help achieve that, so please feel free to give us feedback.
CRIMES REPORTED IN FEBRUARY
Newton, Slaidburn, Tosside, Dunsop Bridge, Whitewell & Cowark
Chatburn, Downham & Twiston
Sometime between 20/02 & 22/02/2016, a petrol strimmer and green coloured wheel barrow were stolen from two sheds in the Sawley Road area of Chatburn.
Gisburn, Bolton-By-Bowland, Rimington, Newsholme, Paythorne & Horton
During the evening of 13/02 & the morning of 15/02/2016, 400 litres of red diesel was syphoned and stolen from a fuel tank, located in the yard of a property in a remote rural area near Rimington.
During the early hours of 11/02/2016, a burglary took place at a commercial unit adjacent to the A59 in Gisburn. A quantity of livestock medicines were stolen in the burglary. Similar offences to this have also taken
place recently in Bentham, Lancaster and Cumbria, where livestock medication was stolen.
Waddington, West Bradford, Grindleton & Sawley
During the early hours of 21/02/2016, a property in Waddington had two large (10’x8’) windows smashed.
Some of the issues we will be concentrating our efforts on during March are shown below
· As can be seen from the crimes shown above, there is no particular pattern other than the rural areas are regularly being targeted. There has been a number of house burglaries in other areas of the Ribble Valley, so please be aware and please make sure your security is up to the job and as good as possible. If you do see anything suspicious, please go with your gut feeling and ring 101.
· Vehicles are still a favourite for being stolen, including Land Rovers, Ford Transit vans, Quad Bikes etc. Have you considered getting a ‘tracker’ device fitted to your vehicle in the event of it being stolen?
· We regularly receive reports of suspicious vehicles, which are great appreciated, as this helps with our intelligence gathering as to when known suspects have changed their vehicle(s) or have access to other vehicles. Please keep the information coming. If you do see a vehicle in suspicious or unusual circumstances, all we ask is that you go with your ‘gut feeling’ and ring 101 with as much detail as possible.
Can we ask, if you see any vehicles or persons in suspicious or unusual circumstances, please let us know. WE WANT & NEED TO KNOW what is happening and where. Please ring 101 immediately with as much detail/information as possible. If you believe an offence is being committed, please ring 999 immediately. It may only be a small amount of information you have, but it could be that important piece of information that we need, so please ring the police on 101, or alternatively you can ring Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111 and leave your information without the need to leave any of your details. If you do ring Crimestoppers, your phone number details are not recorded or displayed. It is an anonymous service.
Community Information
Mud On The Road
Please see the attachment in the e-mail re the subject of ‘mud on the road.’
Bogus/Rogue Traders
This article is a reminder about bogus workmen cold-calling householders with offers to repair roofs, fences, guttering and remove trees damaged by the weather. Rogue traders will prey on vulnerable householder’s concerns about the condition of their property and often undertake work that is not needed and is of poor quality and vastly overpriced. If you think work needs to be done as a result of storm damage, or you know of vulnerable people that may have had damage caused to their property as a result of the recent weather, the advice is to first check with your household insurance company. If you do need to find a trader to do work, get quotes from two or three local businesses or ask friends and relatives to recommend a reputable business. You can also use the Lancashire County Councils Safe Trader Scheme. For more information visit: www.safetrader.org.uk or call 0303 333 1111.
Land Rover Defender Owners – Vigilance
Can we remind owners of Land Rover Defenders to be on their guard against vehicle thieves, particularly in rural areas, as a number of thefts and attempted thefts involving the vehicles have recently taken place in neighbouring police areas.
We are asking owners to remain vigilant in keeping their vehicles as safe and secure as possible. We also ask members of the public to report any suspicious activity they may see near to Land Rover Defenders.
There are criminals who are specifically targeting Land Rover Defenders and it appears that the thieves have knowledge of this particular vehicle's factory-fitted security and electrical systems.
As with all vehicles, we urge Land Rover Defender owners to make sure your vehicle is always locked and alarmed when you are not in the vehicle. Also, consider fitting an after-market approved immobiliser. Try and park your vehicle in a locked garage or other secure area if you have one, or in a well-lit open space or where there is passive lighting. Certainly don't leave keys in the ignition or near the front door at home and be vigilant when in your vehicle for anyone taking an interest in it.
Other security measures to consider are: fitting a transponder-based security marking system and tracker device as well as etching all windows with your vehicle identification number.
Dog Owners
The lambing season is now here and there has already been a number of Ewes in lamb killed by dogs, so this is a timely reminder to all dog owners that the dog MUST be kept under control when out in fields or open spaces. This means keep it on a lead when in fields or open land. Just because there may not be any livestock in the area at the time does not mean a dog can freely run around doing its ‘business’ in the crops etc. The fields are part of a farmers business. All we ask is for you to THINK how would you feel if another person’s dog wandered into your garden, patio area and the dog was allowed to do it’s ‘business’ there. It is no different. Also, please pick up and take with you any ‘fouling’ your dog carries out when out in public.
Livestock
We ask all farmers to make every effort to report anything suspicious in your area. We also ask that when you are moving sheep between holdings, that all movements are correctly inputted on the ARAMS system where required. We are also carrying out checks on trailers etc. to combat livestock thefts. You, the farmer can help us to help you, by making sure that everything is in order if you are stopped when transporting livestock. We are also carrying out checks on Land Rovers, as thefts of this type of vehicle continue, not just locally, but nationally. Local officers make every effort to visit the Clitheroe & Gisburn Auction Marts, so if you see us please approach us for a friendly chat. We will also be trying to sign more people up to the ‘Watch’ alert schemes at the auction marts. Finally, if you do see us at the auction marts, don’t think we are there to check on the Land Rovers & other vehicles on the car parks. There has been an odd comment to this effect. This is not the case, unless of course we need to, for example to look for a stolen vehicle, or that we may have received information that a suspicious vehicle is in the area etc. so don’t be shy.
Poaching issues
Poaching has been around for a long time. It has however progressed from the old fashioned ‘Green Grass’ type characters. Nowadays, poachers use this practise to check out what security is like at farms, homes and rural businesses with a view to stealing property etc. Please ring the police regarding any suspicious vehicles or persons seen on land near to you, particularly at night time. Also if you see any lamps being shone in fields near to you, again ring the police and we will do our best to check the vehicle/persons out.
Fire Safety
Lancashire Police work closely with various partner agencies, including Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. If you feel you or someone you know may benefit from a Home Fire Safety Check, please visit: www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk or call 0800 169 1125. Remember, smoke alarms save lives.
Report It
Please remember, we can only report and let you know what crimes have been committed, if a crime is reported to us. A query was raised recently from a resident about crimes that are supposed to have taken place mid-November in one of our villages. The simple answer is, if we don’t know about it, we cannot report it and more importantly we cannot record the crime. It is vitally important that we know when a crime is/has been committed in order to direct resources and also to get a more accurate idea of what crimes are being committed and where. You are not wasting our time. Remember, we cannot investigate a crime, unless you inform us that you are a victim of a crime.
Feeling The Pressure
If you are a member of the farming community and you are going through difficult times, due to overwork, anxiety, illness, isolation, debt, bereavement or any other situation that maybe making you feel the need to speak with someone, there is a charity called ‘Farm Crisis Network’ that helps farming people with these issues. The FCN helpline is open every day of the year between 7am & 11pm and if you feel the need to speak with someone, then you can ring them on 03000 111 999 (daily 7am to 11pm). Alternatively you can E-mail them at . The FCN also has a website: www.fcn.org.uk.
National Property Register
We urge you to safeguard all of your valuable items that have serial numbers, frame numbers, chassis numbers or other unique identifying marks. You can do this for free by registering them with the National Property Register. It’s a good way of protecting your personal valuable items. Just go to: www.immobilise.com and enter the IMEI, serial number or other unique identification numbers. Any item can be added, including mobile phones, play stations & X-box consoles. You can also add other household items ranging from TVs to toasters, bikes to jewellery. Give it a try, it’s easy to do.
In The Know Messaging System
If people you know are not signed up to ‘Stay in the Know’, ask them to go to http://www.stayintheknow.co.uk
to sign up so they too can receive important and useful alerts. As shown in previous newsletters, our biggest issue is criminals travelling into our area from further afield, from other counties. With this in mind, please don’t feel that the texts or e-mails you receive don’t concern you because something has happened in another part of the Ribble Valley, or just over the border into North Yorkshire. Crime trends show that criminals do travel some distance to commit rural crime and that these types of crimes can and do happen near you, so please try not to dismiss the information we are sending out.
Social Media
If you use social media & would like to be kept up-to-date with information on the work of your Local Neighbourhood Police Team, then why not follow us on Facebook & Twitter;
Facebook: Ribble Valley Police. Twitter: @RibValleyPolice.
Find out more about us on…
www.lancashire.police.uk http://twitter.com/LancsPolice www.facebook.com/lancspolice
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