Wishing You All a Very Merry and Crime Free Christmas!

Monthly Update Alert for West End

Wishing you all a very merry and crime free Christmas!

We now have 555 people registered to receive alerts for West End. Thank you to everyone who is helping to spread the word.

Anyone in Hampshire can register for Hampshire Alerts and their respective Neighbourhood Police Teams use the alert system to send out messages for their beats.

Corporate communications also send out messages of a more general nature and other agencies such as trading standards and crimestoppers use Hampshire Alert.

Can Hampshire Alert help prevent your neighbours, friends and family

becoming victims of crime?We are passionate about preventing crime, can you help us get the message out by spreading the word about Hampshire Alerts – please talk to your neighbours, friends and family and recommend they register.

Following on from my alert about recent crime in West End, I received contact from a member of the public who had read the alert about tools being stolen. She told me she had found a drill and drill bits in a hedge.

We are always really grateful for the assistance of the public in helping us to piece together the pieces of the jigsaw and solve a crime.

Please be aware, if you should find property or have information that may assist us, please call 101. So your call can be routed to an officer who is on duty, who can assist you. If you email or message an individual officer, they might not see the message before they go off duty and would not then respond until they were back on duty.

TOO MANY EMAILS?????

I have received feedback saying that some people are unhappy at the number of emails they are getting. We do not want you to get fed up with receiving Hampshire Alert emails.

I have fed this back to the corporate communications dept and they have asked for examples of this. If you do feel you are getting too many or the emails are not relevant, please can you let me know –

What the message was about? And who sent it?

When we send an alert for West End,we always use 'West End'in the subject bar of the email, so people will know that the email is relevant to West End residents.

Have you checked ‘Filter and Control Messages’–

Once you are registered to receive alerts, you are able to filter and control all of the messages that you are sent.

Unsubscribe options.
Step 1: Filter who, what priority and type of message you are prepared to receive.
Click on link to review settings
a) Who (Information Providers)
b) Priority level
c) Types of message

You can also add other locations, you wish to receive alerts for i.e your work address, your child's schooland other locations you spend time - family, gym, hobbies, interests and recreational activities.

Add Other Locations –

Message settings.
Alerting areas.

Christmas Campaigns.

The “Where Will You End Up Tonight?” #ItsNotWorthTheRisk drink-drive prevention campaign video in partnership with Thames Valley Police has been viewed more than 275,000 times on Facebook and YouTube, and the campaign itself has been seen by 770,000 on Facebook.

Copy and paste the link below into Google Chrome to view the video:

Continuing thanks to our Vine Cop, PC Mark Walsh, for his ingenuity in encouraging motorists to learn the ways of the force as a focus for remembering #ItsNotWorthTheRisk as the new Star Wars movie “The Force Awakens” premiered in the UK.

PC Walsh has now reached more than 150,000 people on Twitter with his light-hearted Star Wars-themed videos, and received positive international media attention. Follow his Vine videos @HantsPCMark and read about his efforts stateside in the New York Daily News:

Our advent #SaferChristmas messages have reached more than 150,000 people on Facebook so far, and been seen 169,000 times on Twitter. A list of tips can be checked twice or more on the Safer Christmas page of the force website.

Copy and paste the link below into Google Chrome:

Keep following our official force Facebook page and @HantsPolice Twitter channel for more advice on a range of issues.

Christmas is a busy time... for thieves

Christmas brings the busiest shopping weeks of the year and for many retailers often accounts for 70% of their annual revenue. Stocking our homes with the latest electronic gadgets, jewellery and must-have accessories is commonplace, unfortunately though it provides thieves with an increased incentive to commit burglaries.

10 crime prevention tips you shouldn't ignore...

Deterring would-be criminals is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention. Invest in a motion sensor flood-light or even some outdoor Christmas lights to highlight your home's exterior. This will hopefully make approaching your home too conspicuous for a burglar. Also, highlighting the fact your possessions are security marked and registered on Immobilise using window decals provide a further warning that your goods are traceable and not worth the risk of stealing!

Festive lighting - be secure. A common mistake of many festive decorators is to feed extension cables through partially open windows, criminals know to look for this vulnerability. When it comes to outdoor lighting, opt for solar or battery operated lights or install outdoor electrical outlets.

Dispose of gift packaging carefully. Refuse collections over the Christmas and New Year period are normally at different times. If you can't take packaging to a recycling point, make sure you only put your rubbish out just before the collection and do your best to break apart boxes so that they do not advertise your new contents of your home to thieves!

Be careful not to advertise your home to burglars on social media!According to one recent study, social media is a commonly used tool for scouting potential targets. Social media savvy families have a tendency to publish their whereabouts during the holiday season, including any vacation plans. This can let burglars know when your house is going to be empty. Uploaded photos of pricey Christmas gifts can also be a problem as if privacy settings aren't tied down, it can allow burglars to go shoppingjust by viewing your Facebook profile.

Check doors and windows for weak spots. Government statistics show that 30% of burglaries happen through windows. Installing a few dead-bolts and new window hinges could increase the security of your home exponentially.

Keep your curtains, drapes and window blinds closed at night, making sure valuable items are out of sight. When going out for the evening make use of inexpensive timers to give the illusion of occupancy, you should also consider leaving a radio on or go further and invest in a Fake TV device to emulate the light given of by at television.

Away over Christmas - plan ahead! If you're going away at Christmas be sure to cancel newspaper or milk subscriptions. Arrange for a neighbour to park on the driveway to help create the impression someone is home. Don't leave overly descriptive telephone answering machine messages and again make use of light timers, radios and devices like Fake TV's.

Secure garages and sheds. Make sure that garden tools or ladders that could be used to force entry into your home are not left lying around or accessible from an unlocked garden shed. Garages are often targets for burglars looking for tools, bikes and gardening equipment - make sure the garage is secure and your possessions are secured too in the case of bikes and tools. Naturally make sure anything portable / valuable is recorded on Immobilise.

Don't hide keys and use alarms if you have them. Burglars know to look for hidden door keys so don't hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Instead give the spare key to family or trusted neighbour. Many houses these days have alarms, many though are rarely set, make sure yours is on and protecting your home when you are away and overnight where possible.

And lastly, don't forget to register your gifts on Immobilise! Most consumer electricals have a unique identification code such as a serial number or for mobile phones an IMEI number - This IMEI number can be found quickly and easily by pressing the following keys on your mobile handset: *#06#. If your gift doesn't have a unique identifier there are several affordable marking kits available from the Immobilise store allowing the police to easily identify the owners of items they recover and so detect crime. Check out the form attached, to help you write down the serials nos etc, so you can then upload them to Immobilise.com

Please share them with your family, friends and colleagues. As always please remain vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately to the police on 999 if a crime is in progress, 101 in a non-emergency or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Calling all Parents, Grandparents, Carers and Guardians –

What are your young people up to this Christmas break?

I’m guessing some of their time will be spend online, gaming, using their mobile phones and on social media. Are you happy and able to talk to your young person about the risks and consequences involved?There are some excellent videos to highlight the issues and give guidance, in the websites below.

There is new version of the ‘thinkuknow’ website for parents and carers and is now live at The new site offers a completely refreshed suite of articles and guidance on all aspects of child internet safety.Families can visit to access advice and support on how to keep children safe from sexual abuse, both online and off. Articles provide guidance on topics as diverse as: challenging harmful sexual attitudes and promoting positive behaviours; helping a child with autism negotiate life online; supporting a child who has been sexually abused; and dealing with a range of online issues such as sending nude selfies and viewing pornography. Users will find films, downloadable guides and useful links to support organisations.

Families can also use the website to access the CEOP Safety Centre ( where they can report abuse and exploitation direct to CEOP.

Cybercrime: Preventing young people from getting involved.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has launched a public awareness campaign to highlight the increasing number of young people engaging in cybercrime.

The #CyberChoices campaign targets parents of 12-15 year olds who may be involved in hacking or other kinds of online crime without their parents' knowledge. The campaign, also aimed at professionals who work with children and young people, highlights the range of criminal activities that children may be involved in, how to spot signs of potential problems, what the consequences could be and importantly, signposts better ways for young people to use their technical skills.

For further information about cybercrime, and to watch the short film produced for the campaign, visit www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/765-campaign-targets-uk-s-youngest-cyber-criminals

For advice from the NCA on how to help young people avoid the risks of getting involved in cybercrime visit: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/crime-threats/cyber-crime/cyber-crime-preventing-young-people-from-getting-involved

Feedback –

Do you know you can rate our messages and or give us feedback?There are a couple of people who regularly do this and I’m really grateful to you – thank you! It is really important for us to have your opinions and feedback. Some of the boxes are simple icons to choose and click and there is a box you can write in, if you wish. I am keen that I know what it is you like about our Hampshire Alerts and also what you don’t like – if there is something we need to change, please do let us know.

This icon appears at the bottom of each message – if you have a moment to spare, please click it and let us know.

Sharing on Social Media –

Do you know you can share any Hampshire Alerts on social media? If you think the information might benefit the people you are connected with on social media – please do share the message. You will find the icon pictured, at the bottom of each message.

Upcoming Events Next Month –

Wednesday 13th Jan 19:15 hrs - West End Parish Council Meeting at the West End Parish Centre, Chapel Road, West End - Usually a Police representative attends to give an update and answer any questions from the public.

Thursday 14th Jan 17:00 – 18:00 hrs - West End NPT Police Drop In at Asda, High Street, West End - Please come along and meet the team. Feel free to ask us any questions that you have relating to your local area. We can provide valuable crime prevention advice and leaflets, to assist you in keeping yourself and your property safe and secure.

Other Information –

If you should need to contact the police to report incidents, please ensure you call 101 – do not reply to this alert, as I cannot take these reports. It is important to ensure the call taker is aware you want to make a report of the incident - not that you wish to pass a message to me, they can input all the relevant details into the records system, so that the incident is available for every department, officer and staff to see.A decision will then be made as to whether an officer needs to deployed and whether this needs to be urgently or not. Any other general enquires, please feel free to reply to me.

If you are a Twitter user then come and follow us, for up to date news and events that affect your community @EastleighPolicewe use the #WestEndBeatOr check out Hedge End Northon the Hampshire Constabulary website.

Kind Regards,

West End Neighbourhood

Policing Team,

PC 3291 Jason Steel,

PCSO 12948 Mica Coppin andPCSO 13308 Hannah Jeffcoat.