Chidham and Hambrook Village - everyday

Police are advising people, especially those living in isolated rural areas, to ensure they answer their front doors with the chain on, and to keep their front and back doors locked. If someone comes to your door and you are in any doubt, don?t open it and call the Police immediately.

The advice has been issued following a robbery on Saturday 14th June, at a home in Finchdean Road, Rowland's Castle, when two men knocked on a door at around 6.15am. They pushed their way into a house and demanded money from a man in his sixties. After taking cash, they ran off on foot, in the direction of Rowland's Castle.

Descriptions:
Male 1 - white male, between 23 and 25 years old, 5' 10" tall, wearing a black hooded top, dark trousers and spoke with a local accent.
Male 2 - white male, between 23 and 25 years old, 5' 7" tall, wearing a light grey hooded top, with a 5cm / 2 inch blue and white checked band on both upper arms.

Forensically trained officers have conducted investigations, and officers have spoken to neighbours and searched the immediate area for evidence.

DS Burgess said: "The victim is naturally upset by what happened, but was unharmed."

Sussex Police are interested in hearing from anyone who can identify the men responsible for this crime. Please contact DS Russ Burgess of Chichester CID on 0845 60 70 999 quoting Operation Shipton, or call Crimestoppers (registered charity) anonymously on 0800 555 111 - you may be eligible for a reward.

Police would like to remind people not to keep amounts of cash around the house. Remember -
STOP - Are you expecting anybody? Do they have an appointment?
CHAIN - Secure the door bar or chain before opening the door
CHECK - Ask for, and double check the caller's identification
Advice on home security can always be provided by your District Crime Prevention Officer, please call 0845 60 70 999 .

Two burglaries occurred in Nutbourne recently, one on Friday 23rd May and the other on Tuesday 27th May.  Property stolen includes computer equipment, cash and jewellery. 

If you have any information that may be relevant to either of these crimes, or hear who might be responsible, please do not hesitate to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999.

Looks count, make your home appear occupied at all times. An unoccupied home is more likely to be targeted by the burglar however with doorstep callers and bogus officials using a number of excuses to gain access into the house it is essential precautions are taken to deter their access and commit offences. With a rise in temperatures there is a tendency to leave windows open throughout the day and sometimes at night which makes the house vulnerable to attack."

Remember a few valuable points can be taken in order to prevent your home being targeted for burglary.

• Fit a 5 lever mortice lock (to British Standards 3621 - 08) to your front and rear door. If you have an integral door to the garage this should also be fitted with a 5 lever lock.
• Fit a door chain and use it whenever you answer the door.
• If you leave your house for short periods lock all windows and doors. It wont take long to circulate fresh air upon your return and when you are in the garden remember to secure the house. You might not see who is trying to get in. Don't provide an opportunity for an offender.
• When you buy new household goods don't leave empty boxes outside, dispose of them carefully. Don't advertise your new purchase.
• For night time purposes consider fitting security lighting, it may well deter the thief.
• If you need to have a window open on warm nights fit a securistay lock.
• Shut off those access points to the rear of the premises and where side gates are installed fit a locking bolt or padlock and hasp.

Trust your instincts - If you witness something suspicious Dial 999
The non emergency number for Sussex Police is 0845 60 70 999
Information can be left anonymously by ringing Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Street Briefings

A very successful street briefing was carried out in Halfrey Rd Fishbourne on the 15 th of May many residents turned out and a very friendly meeting took place, in fact this was the best attended meeting I have been too, I would like to thank all the residents for their support.

There will be a rolling programme of Street briefings throughout the year, date will be promulgated on this sight and by local letter drop.

The neighbour hood watch changes have taken place and I hopefully have contacted each of you either by meeting or correspondence, again I would like to make clear how much your help is valued by me , it enables me to have eyes and ears to the ground in most of the areas I cover.

Some useful links

Current crime themes
Over the last warm bank holiday weekend, reported crime in general, was extremely low.  There were a few highlighted themes we are passing onto you to circulate to your members as below.  Any information you obtain please pass back to myself and I will ensure the information is passed to the relevant officer.

Car Park Thefts - Beauty Spot Car parks suffered a higher than usual reported break ins to unattended cars over the weekend.  North Marden, Petworth and Kingley Vale in particular.  Please remove any items from public view and clean any marks left on your window screen left by sat nav devices.  Valuables were left on show on the weekend and were taken.  

Lead Thefts – As you may all be aware the value of scrap has rocketed in the recent months.  Southbourne has suffered theft of lead from roofs.  Can you all be wary of people sighted on roofs at odd hours or people removing such lead.

Laptop scam – If you are approached by people in public places for example car parks and are offered laptops for sale from the back of a car or van at a very cheap price.  This is a current scam where you will be shown a real live laptop, make payment  of approximately £500 and then realise after the transaction the laptop bag contains no more than drinks or other low value items.  If it is too good to be true – it probably is!

The neighbourhood Police team are looking at ways to reduce speeding in our villages.

In partnership with the Road Policing Unit we intend to visit problem areas and commence measures to reduce speeding and therefore increase the quality of life for the local residents.

I will also continue to patrol target areas of reported antisocial behaviour at appropriate times when duties allow.This seems to have made a difference in Bosham as the main suspects where stopped and we now have a picture of who is around at the times anti social behaviour takes place .

Spring has sprung and the usual crimes are occurring in our area

Remember to take away from your boat anything that can be easily detached, make sure you have serial numbers of items i.e. radio ,GPS, outboards and tenders.

Ensure equine tack is locked away securely and out of sight. Horse Boxes should be locked at all times, serial numbers noted. Post code visible on the box. Make it distinctive and easy for us to spot.

Please also be aware of where your Son/Daughter is at night ,where do they go and who with.

Luckily we do not suffer from youth problems very often and with your help we can keep it that way.

Always remember the Neighbourhood Police teams are here for you , please contact us if you think we can help you.

Tel 0845 60 70 999 . if you wish to speak to me add 22103 when asked for extension.

Latest information from PCSO Ives

Please be aware of people asking to enter your homes for various reasons, make sure they are who they say they are before you let them in. Check the identity with the company they profess to represent before you invite them in.

Cycle thefts have decreased in number over the last few months, remember to get your bike marked and always lock it.

Car crime in Bosham and Chidham: A suspect has been detained regarding several offences.

If you are a victim of car crime please ensure any artefacts left at the scene are kept dry and safe also if when the vehicle is returned to you and you find something that does not belong to you in it ,save it and let the Police know, we may be able to get scientific evidence from it.

The Neighbourhood Specialist Team has now been operating for just over one month. In this time the team have been getting to know the communities they serve. Several street briefings have taken place as well as more formal and informal contacts. In addition, the team has responded to intelligence that has been received and has conducted overt and covert policing operations. It has also executed three drugs warrants with arrests being made, and drugs recovered, on each occasion. The majority of intelligence in relation to these warrants was received from the community.

On Wednesday 5 th December members of the team will be conducting a crime prevention initiative in conjunction with Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Fire and Rescue service and Chichester District Business Against Crime ( ChiBAC) group.

Members of all these groups will be present at the weekly market and throughout the city centre between 10 am and 3 pm. Advice concerning crime prevention will be available throughout these times along with fire safety advice.

The festive period is meant to be a time of fun but sadly a minority of criminals like to take advantage of other peoples enjoyment. The advice being offered is to help prevent people becoming a victim of crime by reminding them to take simple precautions, such as not leaving presents where they can be seen in their vehicles, and not to advertise to a criminal all the new gifts they have received by leaving the empty packaging on display outside their houses for refuse collection.

Over the past 4 months the theft of plant, such as diggers, trailers and quad bikes have increased across Chichester District. The offences have mostly taken place at rural locations across the area during the hours of darkness. The team has have had several successes in recovering property of this nature and in doing so have made a number of arrests. However this type of offence is still continuing. The Police are urging everyone who has property of this nature to ensure that it is removed from view when not being used and to record photographs of, and mark your property with, identifying features. People are also asked to report any suspicious activity, such as people paying attention to property and addresses, and any vehicles in possession of plant and similar property, particularly those travelling on the road out of working hours. We are continuing to work with our neighbouring forces and our partners, such as the recently launched County Watch Scheme, to tackle this issue, as well as further developing the use of capture equipment. We would ask that anyone who has any information regarding offences of this nature to contact Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

In order to improve the effectiveness of the Neighbourhood Specialist Teams (NST) across Chichester District we have reviewed the staffing structures that were in existence across the three Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) areas of Chichester, Midhurst and Manhood. A strengthened Neighbourhood Specialist Team has been developed consisting on one Inspector, three Sergeants and fifteen constables. These officers will complement the twenty police community support officers who have already been working within your communities. The teams are geographically based across the three NPT areas, each of these teams being led by a Sergeant These dedicated teams have specific responsibility for each defined neighbourhood so that they can be known by and easily accessible to those who live and work in that area.

The teams will use the National Intelligence Model to direct their activities - focusing on - Those issues that the public have told the police matter most to them as a community priority, requiring a problem solving approach - Dealing with the incidents within their geographic area. - Identifying and working with repeat victims - Intelligence led interventions with prolific and priority offenders, divisional or neighbourhood targets - Individuals subject to an ASBO - Nuisance or anti-social behaviour - Environmental or quality of life issues.

They will work closely, and take joint action, with Local Authorities, voluntary groups, businesses, criminal justice agencies and other partners to tackle these issues. This is not to say that neighbourhood specialists will not be the first responders to emergency calls from the public, but where possible they will not be drawn into a cycle of ‘response policing' to enable them to focus their efforts within the community.

Date: 03 Oct 2007
Operation Crackdown
Please be aware of OPERATION CRACKDOWN. on the Sussex Police website. It's for reporting reckless /dangerous drivers etc. A very good tool to stop this kind of road behaviour.

Residents Meetings
I would be interested in attending any residents meetings or neighbourhood watch meetings in my area as I am sure we have the same feelings of duty and care for our areas.

Date: 03 Oct 2007
PAVING TARMACING - FLYERS

Trading Standards have had reports of traders leafleting in the Chichester area offering paving and tarmacing services. Trading Standards often receive complaints from residents who have entered into contracts with traders who have either cold called upon them or who have pushed fliers through their doors.

The complaints they receive are usually about poor workmanship or jobs that have been paid for - but have not been completed.

Remember - not all cold callers are genuine nor are all fliers produced by legitimate businesses - always double check the information.

DO NOT deal at the door. Be cautious of fliers - not all are genuine. Choose traders that you can be certain are who and where they say they are. If you can, visit the address they give you before entering into a contract to ensure that it exists and that the trader is at that address.

DON'T be fooled by people who call at your door saying that they are just working up the street or that they have done work for your neighbour! This is a common ruse to gain your trust

REMEMBER you would not give money to a stranger that you met in the street but the people who call at your door are also strangers and you know nothing about them other than what they choose to tell you.

If you require work done in or around your home ask for recommendations from friends or family. Alternatively, Trading Standards operate an Approved Trader Scheme - Buy with Confidence - for more details on a trader near you please call 08454 040506.

VEHICLE CRIME – EMSWORTH TO FISHBOURNE

Over the past month there have been thirteen incidents of vehicle crime in the area between Emsworth and Fishbourne. Four offences involved the theft and interference of motor cycles and scooters, one the theft of a tractor and eight thefts from motor vehicles of cash, tools, bank cards, keys, scales, audio equipment and clothing.

The offences took place in Prinsted, Garsons Road, Salthill Road, Slipper Road, Woodfield Park Road, Thorney Road, M'Tongue Avenue, Blackboys Lane, Gifford Road, Kelsey Avenue and Flatt Road

Should any of your members see such incidents taking place would they please call the police using the 999 system or if they have any information call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the police on 0845 60 70 999 ..

There has been a great deal of vandalism in and around Fishbourne. Please report anything you see so we can attend promptly.
Again due to a member of public in East Ashling being observant, a man was arrested.
That is the way forward to enjoy our neghbourhoods and lower crime and antisocial behaviour.
If you see anything suspicious, make a note, written or mental, and give us a call.

Theft of Machinery 30/6/07
A lot of theft of machinery has taken place in Chidham, Bosham, Funtington. Mainly building site and a farm. Please ensure everything is under lock and key and preferably out of sight.

Having said that when we have all the details of stolen property ie serial numbers, full and accurate description of the items /machinery, we have a good chance of getting the goods returned to you .

HOUSE BURGLARY 25/6/07

Of the break-ins that have taken place at people's homes recently, well over half have been as a result of people leaving doors unlocked. Often people will go out into the garden or down the road and leave their back or front door open.

There are a lot of ‘opportunist' burglars out there waiting to strike. When they see an open door, or window for that matter, they will enter and take what they can. Not only does the thought of someone being in your home leave a nasty taste, but also the replacement of stolen items that are precious to you can cause misery to the victim.

So make sure that your home is as secure as it can be whether you are at home or out. If you do go out make your home looks occupied by leaving lights on in living rooms at night and a radio during the day. Should anyone be acting suspiciously, then call the police immediately on 0845 60 70 999 or if a crime is in progress dial 999.

We are aware of these crimes and are having great success in finding and dealing with these people.

Your help in giving information regarding suspicious persons in your area.

Most of my time is spent on high visibility patrol, dealing with lower level incidents and providing help and support to the public.

I enjoy the freedom of the role - getting out and about, talking to people and helping them to resolve their issues.

I became a PCSO in November 2006 - prior to which I'd spent 25 years in the Royal Navy as a medic and, latterly, as a Chief Petty officer. I left the service in 1992 and was then a charge nurse at a local private hospital in Chichester for 14 years. I had thought of joining the police service for many years and was a Special Constable for two years. I needed a career change so applied to join as a PCSO.

My role is to provide a visible presence on the streets of my parishes and try to facilitate communications between the public and police service with regard to anti-social behaviour and any other real or perceived threats.

I am in a rural area and enjoy getting out on the streets meeting people and listening to what they have to say.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH - Neighbourhood Watch is one of the biggest and most successful crime prevention initiatives ever. It is not just about reducing burglary figures, it's also about creating communities who care. It brings local people together and can make a real contribution to improving their lives. Neighbourhood Watch is a method of developing close liaison between households in a neighbourhood and the police. The aims are to help people protect themselves and their properties and to reduce the fear of crime by improved home security, greater vigilance, fast and accurate reporting of suspicious incidents to the police and fostering a community spirit. Householders are the ‘eyes and ears' of the community and they usually know who and what people and vehicles belong in their road. All they need to do is to be reactive as to what is occurring.

‘RAISING AWARENESS' - Police can only react to problems and crime if they are made aware of it. If incidents of crime or anti social behaviour occur they need to be reported as this paints a picture for the police as to where problems are taking place. Police and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) will target such areas. There are a large number of PCSO's, plus some District Council Wardens. They are briefed to patrol these areas and hold ‘street' briefings in order to discourage incidents from occurring and to foster good relations with the community.

INCIDENTS / CRIME - All incidents and crime reported to the police is recorded. In some situations when crime is reported and there is no evidence at the scene and there is no likelihood of an arrest being made, the police may not necessarily visit the scene. Similarly, if an incident occurs, there may be other more serious occurrences taking place in the area, at the time, that the police have to give a higher priority to, therefore your incident cannot be attended to. Such calls are graded according to their severity.

WHICH NUMBER TO CALL - These guidelines should help you to decide as to which is the best number for you to call, should you require the police:

999 – EMERGENCY - You should only use the 999 number when:
A crime is in progress.
A life threatening situation is occurring.
A serious road crash has taken place.
Or if you genuinely believe that the police need to attend as a matter of urgency.

0845 60 70 999 (or e-mail contact.centre@sussex.pnn.police.uk ) - NON EMERGENCY You can use this telephone number to contact Sussex Police in all other situations. Switchboard operators answer these calls in Lewes and transfer you to the appropriate person. You will either be transferred to the local police station or the Call Handling Centre depending upon the nature of your enquiry. You should use this number when:
You witness a suspicious incident but you haven't actually seen a crime take place.
You belatedly discover that a crime has been committed which still needs the attention of the police.
You see evidence of a crime recently having taken place, but no obvious offender
You want to speak to a member of the Sussex Police staff

NEIGHBOURHOOD SPECIALIST TEAMS (NST) – Each area has its own NST police officer and PCSO. To find out who covers your area go to www.sussex.police.uk and search on your area or postcode, or call the police on 0845 60 70 999 .