Local
Police Contacts
Our
local Police Sgt. is Terri Shirra and we have two
local officers PC Tony Dobberson and PC Stephen
Allen, we also have 6 PCSOs.
You
can phone your local Police office for inquiries
on 020 8721 2772 or by e-mail coperscope.snt@met.police.uk
If
a crime is actually underway or someone is in
immediate danger, ring 999. For all non emergency
matters, call the information centre any time day
or night, on 0300 123 1212 or dial 101.
Page Index:
Bromley Borough
Commander’s Newsletter - January 2012
New Borough
Commander
Bromley Community
Engagement Forum Public Meeting
Safer Christmas
Shopping - purse bells
British Telecom phishing
scam e-mails - be aware!
TSI warns of
dangerous energy saving scam targeting elderly
Be Aware: E-mail scam
"Urgent request from a friend"
Met Police
Commissioner Launches major Crackdown on
Neighbourhood Crime
Message from the Borough
Commander
Crime Prevention
Advice for gaming Consoles
Scam Targeting the Elderly
BCEF Public Meeting -
November 2011
Bromley Poice BOCU
Commander Update
Bromley Trading Standards
Intelligence Bulletin
BCEF Team capture
views on community safety
Police Drop-in Surgeries
Beware Scams
Virus phone scam
being run from call centres in India
Policing Pledge
Policing
Telephone scam
Bromley
Neighbourhood Watch Association
Bromley
Borough Commander’s
Newsletter
Bromley
Borough Commander Steph Roberts' newsletter
for January 2012 is now available, giving details
of local crime initiatives and criminal
convictions.
Message
from New Borough
Commander
It's
with great pleasure that I take up post of
Borough Commander for Bromley. Undoubtedly this
is a high performing borough with a high public
satisfaction rate and this clearly hasn't
happened by accident - it is down to the
professionalism, hard work and commitment of the
people working here. Although this is a temporary
post for me there will be no complacency and we
need to continue to improve performance and keep
those standards high. I have a vested interest in
keeping the borough safe as a local resident and
I feel strongly about local issues.
I
will be getting around and meeting people over
the next few weeks and for those I have already
met, thank you for the warm welcome and support.
Without
doubt 2012 will be a challenge for us all but
even from my initial observations and the people
I have met, I know that this will be a successful
year for Bromley and I take this opportunity to
wish you all a very safe and peaceful New Year.
Steph
Roberts
Borough Commander
Bromley
Bromley
Community Engagement Forum Public Meeting
The
next BCEF public meeting will be held on
Wednesday 7 March, 7pm, Bromley Football Club
(full address below) – all welcome.
This
meeting will also offer the opportunity to meet
the Borough Police Commander Stephanie Roberts.
The
main meeting will commence at 1900 hrs but from
1830-1900 there will also be the opportunity to
meet with local community groups. If your
organisation would be interested in hosting a
table information stand, please get in touch with
me as soon as possible to discuss further.
Could
members please confirm your attendance or let me
have the name of your representative in advance
of the meeting.
Kind
regards
Amanda
Amanda
Evans
Operations Manager
BROMLEY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUM | PO BOX 34 |
BECKENHAM | KENT | BR3 4ZN
TELEPHONE 020 8658 7168 |
amanda.evans@bcef.org.uk | www.bcef.org.uk
Company Limited by Guarantee Number 7070498 |
Registered Charity Number 1133450
THE
NEXT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BCEF WILL BE WEDNESDAY
7 MARCH 2012, 7PM
BROMLEY FOOTBALL CLUB, HAYES LANE, BROMLEY BR2
9EF - ALL WELCOME
Safer
Christmas Shopping - purse
bells
As
you are probably aware, across the borough we are
still experiencing high demand for purse bells.
In order for us to get them out to the broadest
audience possible we will be delivering 200 purse
bells to every charity shop in the borough. Some
have already been delivered, others will be
delivered in the next day or two.
The
idea of the purse bell is for one to be attached
to a purse, wallet or hand bag and it will draw
attention should anyone try to interfere with it.
We particularly try to encourage vulnerable
shoppers who may be targeted by pick pockets
(without alarming them).
We
are asking for your cooperation with letting your
colleagues, panels, local groups, day centres,
NHW contacts and residents know that these purse
bells will be available at the till point in
every charity shop that accepts them from
Saturday (if not already). From previous
experience, not all shops accept them, but we try
and get as many as possible on board. We find
that by using charity shops to distribute them we
can get them to some new faces in our target
group, and by requesting a small donation towards
that charity shop for each purse bell, we avoid
people taking 10 at a time!
There
is a press release going out - hopefully in
today’s News Shopper – which will also
be letting residents know.
If
your ward does not have a charity shop please get
in touch with your respective Safer Neighbourhood
Officer and we should be able agree an
alternative venue to take them to.
Thanks
Amanda
Amanda
Davis
Safer Neighbourhood Development Officer
London Borough of Bromley
Tel. 020 8313 4395
Mob. 07951 071 258
British Telecom phishing scam
e-mails - be aware!
There
are many phishing scam e-mails which appear to
come from British Telecom doing the rounds at the
moment. Be aware of them and see here for more information.
TSI
warns of dangerous energy saving scam targeting
elderly
Trading
Standards Institute is urging consumers to be
aware of rogue telephone cold callers offering
energy saving devices after trading standards up
and down the country reported hundreds of
complaints.
Trading standards are currently dealing with more
than 200 complaints about people claiming to be
their energy supplier or working in partnership
with them, offering a plug in device which they
say can save them 40 per cent off their energy
bills. Trading standards have had a number of the
items tested which not only failed to satisfy
electrical safety standards but do not deliver
any tangible energy savings.
Ron Gainsford from the Trading Standards
Institute said: “Consumers are warned not to
use the product as they pose a risk of fire and
electrocution and a safety recall has been issued
for the items traced so far.
“Unscrupulous criminals are using the rising
energy prices as an opportunity to lure in cash
strapped consumers – elderly people seem to
have been deliberately targeted.
“The number of complaints we are currently
dealing with is bound to be only the tip of the
iceberg.”
Westminster trading standards have been
investigating the scam as the caller gives a
London W1 Oxford Street address for the company.
Sue Jones from Westminster trading standards
said: “The address they give is that of a
virtual office provider, the companies involved
in these scams are not actually situated there -
we believe the call centre they use is based
abroad and the appliances appear to be
distributed by a number of individuals in the UK.
“We know that these fraudsters have been
duping consumers across the country into paying
£99 for the energy saving device and have been
told the caller always appears to be very
credible by already knowing the consumers’
details, their energy supplier and sometimes some
or all of the digits of their credit/debit card.
“Often consumers do not realise that they
have been defrauded until they receive the dodgy
looking device with instructions in broken
English and the accompanying invoice which names
an unknown supplier and often gives an American
address.”
So far four different suppliers have been named,
1 Stop Marketing Solutions, ITC Development Corp,
Power Saver and Athico Ltd. but the fraudsters
could be operating under other names too. Some of
these names could be very similar to genuine
companies – for example Power Saver Ltd,
based in Tonbridge, Kent is not involved in this
fraud.
The director of Athico Ltd appears to have been a
victim of the scam himself. He fully cooperated
with trading standards and the company has now
ceased trading.
Advice to consumers
If consumers have responded to one of these cold
calls they should report the matter to Action
Fraud on www.actionfraud.org.uk 0300 123 2040 or
Consumer Direct on 08454040506 . They should also
contact their bank to stop their debit/ credit
card. If a device has been received they should
not use it and dispose of it carefully.
Consumers should be cautious about giving out any
personal or financial information. They should
independently verify a caller’s identity
before agreeing to purchase any goods or
services.
Be
aware: E-mail scam "urgent
request from a friend"
Have
you come across the "urgent request from a
friend" money-making email scam? Well,
someone is making money with these, but it
won’t be you. You could lose money if you're
not careful.
The
way it works is you receive an email that
originates from the real email address of a real
friend of yours with "Urgent" or
"Emergency" in the subject line. Even
the email headers look correct.
The
body of the email contains an explanation about
that friend's trip abroad (they apologize for not
letting you know that they went) along with an
urgent request for money because they've been
robbed.
The
really sad thing about this scam is that those of
your friends from whom these emails originate
have just had their email accounts hacked —
which for most people is a major hassle.
So,
two words of warning here. Don’t be fooled
by this email scam and don't let your email
account be subjected to a hacker. Change your
password regularly!
Metropolitan
Police Commissioner Launches Major Crackdown on Neighbourhood Crime
As
part of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner's
‘war on crime’ a major operation
cracking down on neighbourhood criminals begins
today, Thursday 24 November.
Operation
Hawk will see up to 4,000 Safer Neighbourhoods
officers and PCSOs, supported by specialist
colleagues including the Dogs Unit and
Territorial Support Group, carrying out robust
and visible operations in one day across London's
32 boroughs.
Officers
in Bromley Borough are responding directly to
community intelligence to target drug dealers,
perpetrators of anti-social behaviour and other
criminals who impact on communities.
Borough
Commander Charles Griggs said: “The
communities in all wards across Bromley are
likely to see more operations of this kind from
our twenty-two Safer Neighbourhoods teams, who,
through their ongoing engagement, will continue
to address local crime and safety concerns to
help make our local areas safer.
It’s
a renewed emphasis on Safer Neighbourhoods teams
making the most of local intelligence and acting
on it. To help us do this, we need to encourage
communities to talk to us and report concerns,
but then we must reward this trust, by delivering
swift results and telling people what action we
have taken".
Operation
Hawk began with a public call to action through a
series of radio ads launched on 16 November,
urging Londoners to pass community intelligence
about crime and disorder to their Safer
Neighbourhoods Teams [SNTs]. This is in addition
to the usual methods of information gathering,
such as SNT surgeries, forums and public
meetings.
The
focus is on telling residents about what action
has been taken by officers to address their
issues- with signage placed outside searched
addresses and flyers and newsletters distributed.
The
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:
"Criminals beware - we’re stepping up a
gear to crack down on the drug dealers, burglars
and thieves that make our lives a misery.
“Operation
Hawk means our hard working Safer Neighbourhoods
teams will be keeping an even closer eye on crime
hot spots."
To
find out more, or to find out how to get in touch
with your local Safer Neighbourhoods team, visit
www.met.police.uk/saferneighbourhoods. In an
emergency always dial 999.
Regards,
Julian.
Julian
Hurst | Media and Information Manager | Bromley
Borough Police.
Telephone
020 8284 9963 | Mobile 07940 540698 | Email:
Julian.Hurst@met.police.uk | Address: Borough
Commander's Office, Bromley Police Station, High
Street, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1ER.
Message
from the Borough Commander, Charles Griggs
Dear
all
I
write to notify you of my impending departure
from Bromley.
I
shall be transferring to Southwark Borough to
take up the role of Borough Commander on 3
January 2012 where I expect to serve for a
further three years. With over thirty three years
service I still have a lot of passion, energy and
enthusiasm for policing. I relish the challenge
this opportunity will give me. I would not have
been given an additional three years here, so I
have taken the opportunity to secure a tenure for
my future.
It
has been an absolute pleasure being your borough
commander and serving the people of Bromley for
the past five years. We have experienced massive
crime and disorder reductions in that time and
public confidence and satisfaction is at its
highest levels; a true testament to the strength
of the partnership working in our borough.
As
a resident of Orpington I will keep a close eye
on my successor. I will let you know who that
person is once they are selected.
I
am proud of Bromley Police, the BCEF, and what
the Safer Bromley Partnership has achieved. I
remain a champion of you. I wish you all
continuing success, striving to keep our
wonderful borough safe.
Kind
regards
Charles
Charles
Griggs
Bromley Borough Commander
Crime
Prevention Advice for Gaming Consoles
In
the lead up to Christmas it is more than ever the
time to ensure your property is secure from the
risks of burglary and your property is properly
protected.
On
line gaming consoles are becoming one of the most
sort-after items in domestic burglaries. Steps
can be taken to secure your property and to
assist in recovering items should they be stolen.
7
Simple steps to Secure or assist in recovering
stolen gaming equipment
1.
Register your item with the guarantor on the day
of purchase.
2. Immediately take a note of the serial number.
3. Keep a log of all tags used on your console.
4. Post code your item with an ultra-violet pen.
5. Customise your console with stickers or other
indelible methods etc to make it easily
identifiable.
6. Keep your console out of view from windows
when you’re not at home.
7. If stolen; check on eBay, gum tree,
craigslist, cash converters, local second hand
shops, markets and boot sales. If you item is
seen, contact police immediately on our non
emergency number, 101.
It
is also good practice to discuss the uniqueness
of your console with friends in your circle of
gaming. This will assist for them to help
recognize your console should it be stolen.
Important
points
Gamers
may notice when a known tag user changes tact or
behavior or whether they are playing different
games etc. Report all suspicious activities to
Police.
The hard drives on gaming machines hold credit
card details as well as previously used tags.
It’s in the interest of parents to make sure
consoles are registered and secured etc.
Your
local Police Safer Neighborhood Teams may be able
to assist with Ultra-Violet marking pens and
further crime prevention advice. Contact details
can be found on the MET Police Web Site. http://www.bing.com/search?srch=106&FORM=AS6&q=met+police
Scam
Targeting the Elderly
Dear
Panel members and NHW Co-ordinators
Can
I please ask you to pass on the following warning
to any elderly residents, friends or relatives in
the Bromley Area.
We
have received several reports across the borough
recently of elderly residents being contacted by
'their bank' claiming that their debit or credit
card is due to expire soon and needs to be
collected by courier before a new one can be
delivered to them by courier. They are encouraged
to give out personal details over the phone,
including any PIN for the card. The caller is
very convincing apparently having access to the
victims name and address. This is not difficult
to find out on voters registers, telephone books
etc. A male then arrives at the address,
allegedly from the courier company and has an
envelope addressed with the victims name and
address for them to pop their card into.
Please
can you make your residents, friends or relatives
aware:
The
bank WILL NOT ask for your expired card to be
returned.
The
bank WILL NOT ask for personal details or PIN.
If
in doubt PUT THE PHONE DOWN and call your bank.
Thank
you for your assistance with this.
David
Eaton
PCSO 7329PY
Copers Cope SNT
0208 721 2772
Bromley
Police BOCU Commander Update
15th August 2011.
Charles
Griggs is now on annual leave for two weeks and I
therefore update you while I am in the role of
Acting Borough Commander.
There
has been no crime or violent disorder over the
weekend linked to the rioting and looting
experienced last week. We are extremely busy
gathering evidence, arresting offenders and
bringing them before the courts. To date Bromley
Police have recorded 79 offences that are linked
to the crime and violent disorder. This includes
44 burglary offences, 11 offences of criminal
damage, and the remainder a combination of
Assault, Harassment, Going equipped to steal,
Violent disorder and theft from motor vehicle.
Thirty seven arrests have been made for offences
on Bromley borough so far and this number
continues to increase following the additional
identification of offenders from CCTV imagery.
Charles Griggs met with the Newshopper last week,
images of some outstanding offenders should be
published this week and are already on their
website. The Met has also published images on
www.met.police.uk that has attracted over six
million views on it's flickr page.
I
am immensely proud of the dedication,
professionalism and bravery displayed by my
officers over the past few days in extremely
challenging conditions. They have been working
tirelessly to keep the community in Bromley and
the people of London safe.
I
am grateful to local residents, businesses and
partners for their valued support and I am
personally sending out messages to officers and
staff informing them of the continuing praise and
messages of thanks from the local community.
Once
again, thank you for your continuing support and
message of goodwill which is most appreciated.
We
continue to provide a high level of presence and
visibility on our streets and I will keep you all
updated of any significant developments.
Kind
Regards
Martin
Huxley
Acting Borough Commander
Met Phone 29952 | Telephone 020 8284 9952 |
Mobile 07909 535183 | email
martin.huxley@met.police.uk
Bromley Police Station High Street, Bromley BR1
1ER
Bromley Trading Standards Intelligence
Bulletin
HMRC
- FRAUDULENT E MAIL
It
looks pretty genuine; the website link is
correct; but anyone who decides to 'click here'
is directed to a page asking for Bank account
details. Apparently thousands of people have
already fallen for this, mainly because of the
HMRC web page, but the link is nothing to do with
HMRC and they don't seem to be able to do much to
stop its proliferation:
From: rebate@hmrc.gov.uk
Subject: Tax Rebate
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011 08:37:39
After the last annual calculation of your fiscal
activity we have determined that you are eligible
to
receive a tax rebate of: £ 244.79
Regarding this, please Click Here in order to
process your tax rebate.
TAX REBATE NUMBER: UK833859-HMRC/2011
Please allow us 9 to 14 days to process your
refunds.
Our head office address can be found on our web
site at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
Thank you,
HM Revenue & Customs Officer
William FULTON
www.hmrc.gov.uk
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
BRITISH GAS – FRAUDULENT E MAIL
Another one doing the rounds, which may be worth
warning staff and consumers about:
From: British Gas [mailto:info@britishgas.co.uk]
Sent: 19 March 2011 22:19
Subject: Notification
Refund Notification
After the last annual calculation of your gas and
electricity activity, we have determined that you
are eligible to receive a refund of 732.80 GBP.
Please submit the refund request and allow us 5-7
days in order to process it.
Please fax the following 2 documents in order to
have us process your request.
Provide a legible, colour, digital photograph or
scan of both sides of your government-issued ID
(e.g. driver's permit or passport).
Name and Address
Town/City, County and Postal code
Please send us the documents by fax at: +44
(0)117 315 0456
Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox
is not monitored and you will not receive a
response.
----------------------------------------------------------------
® British Gas 2011. All rights reserved”
BCEF
Team capture views on community safety
Please
see the following press release from Julian
Hurst, re yesterday’s Community Outreach Day
in the Glades Shopping Centre. Our thanks to
participating partners and to Nell Riehl and
Margaret Gubbins from the BCEF for helping
throughout the day, and to the Glades Management
for allowing us to host the event at their venue.
A
reminder that our next BCEF public meeting will
be on Monday 9 May, 7pm, Bromley Football Club,
Hayes Lane, BR2 9EF. The presentations will be on
Licensing and Bromley’s Street Pastors, plus
the Partnership’s update. From 6.30pm, a
light buffet and information stalls –
officers from Bromley Immigration Team will be
attending to discuss their work on the Borough
and will be available to meet with from 6.30pm.
----------------------------------------
Team
capture views on community safety
Members
of the Bromley Community Engagement Forum (BCEF),
the Lewisham and Bromley Local Immigration Team,
Bromley Police's Safer Transport Team and Bromley
Council's Youth Services have been out in the
Glades Shopping Centre today (26th April 2011) as
part of the BCEF's latest Outreach Day, seeking
residents and shoppers views on safety issues.
The
day was a huge success with large numbers of
people of all ages stopping by the stall.
Judith
Cross, Chair of the BCEF, said: "This was an
important event as it gave us the opportunity to
dispense personal safety messages, as well as
seeking residents perceptions on safety in the
borough and on our local transport network. The
crime levels across Bromley remain low, but it is
important that people are aware of how to best
protect themselves and avoid becoming a victim of
crime".
Amanda
Evans
Operations Manager
Beware
Scams : February 2011
Information
from the Police and Trading Standards about two
Scams:
A
number of residents have received bogus calls
from a lady called Christine, claiming she is
from the Borough of Bromley Council Tax
Department and telling them they are entitled to
a refund or a discount and then asking for their
bank account details.
This is a Scam, if you get one of these calls,
contact the Police.
Trading
Standards have received some calls from
residents, concerning identical incidents
They were cold called by a white male claiming he
was sent by Bromley Council to investigate a
blocked drain in the road. On inspection of the
drain he tells you the man-hole cover is faulty
or your drains need a jet wash, at a cost of up
to 200 hundred pounds.
If you say no, he then tells you he will report
you to the council.
He is described as white, in his 20s, stocky
build with short dark hair and an English accent.
He drove a white van with the words “Leigh
on Sea “ on the front and side.
Virus
phone scam being run from
call centres in India
The scam always starts
the same way: the phone rings at someone's home,
and the caller – usually with an Indian
accent – asks for the householder, quoting
their name and address before saying "I'm
calling for Microsoft. We've had a report from
your internet service provider of serious virus
problems from your computer."
Dire
forecasts are made that, if the problem is not
solved, the computer will become unusable.
The
puzzled owner is then directed to their computer,
and asked to open a program called "Windows
Event Viewer". Its contents are, to the
average user, worrying: they look like a long
list of errors, some labelled
"critical". "Yes, that's it,"
says the caller. "Now let me guide you
through the steps to fixing it."
The
computer owner is directed to a website and told
to download a program that hands over remote
control of the computer, and the caller
"installs" various "fixes"
for the problem. And then it's time to pay a fee:
£185 for a "subscription" to the
"preventative service".
The
only catch: there was never anything wrong with
the computer, the caller is not working for
Microsoft or the internet service provider, and
the owner has given a complete stranger access to
every piece of data on their machine.
For
more information click
here
Policing
Pledge
The
policing pledge is a set of promises from the
police to you about the services they will
provide. All 43 police forces in England and
Wales have agreed to keep those promises so the
same set of promises apply wherever you are. Find
out more about what that means to you.
Click
here to view The
Policing Pledge
Policing
by Roger Leach
What
is going on? Since 1885 we had a police station
in Beckenham, which then suddenly closed down in
2003. At the next Police Consultative Group
meeting in Beckenham, including myself, we
virtually went down on our bended knees to the
then Bromley Police Commander, Chief
Superintendent David Dillnutt, to reopen our
police station. We were told this could only be
done if volunteers came forward from the local
community to run the front desk.
Under
protest from some of us, this came about and we
have to thank a number of local residents for all
the hard work they did in this respect. In the
summer of 2007 the police station was closed down
again and the police office was opened in
Albemarle Road, with a few of the volunteers
still running the front desk. Over the next two
years there were a number of complaints from
residents about this police office. As I reported
in our last newsletter, the front desk of this
police office was closed down in September 2009.
About
three years ago the Bromley Police Community
Consultative Group, which operated very
successfully for many years, changed its format
to become the Bromley Community Engagement Forum.
This group now covers a wide variety of Borough
issues, but these meetings are always held in
Bromley or Hayes and never in Beckenham.
Those
of us who have been involved with the
Neighbourhood Watch over the years have of course
always been able to obtain some information from
Bromley Neighbourhood Watch and their very good
Watchword service. Early in 2009 this was
suddenly stopped and we were told this was
because of some massive computer foul up but it
would be up and running again later in the year.
Then
in November we were sent an e-mail saying
‘this will now unfortunately not be the
case, as the Bromley Partnership now wishes to
review bulletin content.’ Now when you phone
Geoff Wright, the Borough Neighbourhood Watch
Co-Ordinator, he tells you in a recorded message
that he is on leave but not coming back to the
post and giving you some other numbers to phone.
Makes you think, does it not? Just what is going
on?
However,
there is still a local phone number for police
inquiries, 020 8721 2772, but this is not for
reporting crimes. Use 999 for that, but only if
the crime is actually underway or someone is in
immediate danger. For all non-emergency matters,
call the information centre any day or time, on
0300 123 1212. Use it to report all anti-social
incidents because they then should get into the
crime statistics and could lead to the police
targeting a certain area.
Over
the last three years we have been made aware of a
number of scams going on,
by letter, sometimes by phone and now by e-mail,
usually asking for you to contact them because
they need your help or your bank details to
transfer large sums of money to this country, If
you do this you will make a large amount of cash
for yourself, but this must be done in
confidence.
A
number of these scams appear to be coming from
Nigeria, Ghana and Canada. Various agencies have
been trying to deal with these and they have had
some success. But of course there are always more
coming along. If you get anything like this
coming to you, just delete these from your
computer or please throw them straight into the
bin. Do not under any circumstances follow these
up in any way. I have spoken to the police and
they get so many of these that they do not seem
to want any information passed on to them. But of
course if you are concerned you can always
contact the information centre phone number above
and speak to a police officer.
In
October the Nat. West Bank was held up and
robbed, but as the robbers’ car shot down
the High Street and turned into Manor Road the
police were ready and waiting. I understand four
arrests were made.
P.C.
Chris Higgins, who has been one of our local
police officers for about five years, has now
left the area to follow his career in a different
branch of the police force. Good luck Chris and
thanks for all the help you gave to the residents
of Beckenham.
Neighbourhood
Watch
If
you are new to the area or like myself were born
in Beckenham, have you ever thought of becoming
more involved in our local community?
There
are a number of Neighbourhood Watches in the
Beckenham area, but we really need a lot more.
You could always contact your local Neighbourhood
Watch Co-Ordinator to help them out or even
better, if you have not already got one, start up
a watch in your local area.
Our
watch, the Church Drive N.W. which covers The
Drive, Church Avenue and The Crescent, has now
been going for 20 years and covers 167 houses,
but many watches are smaller then this,
comprising about 30 houses or flats.
Starting
up a watch means you can get together with your
neighbours and the local police and help them to
take action, which could help to cut crime.
Neighbourhood
Watch is one of the biggest and most successful
crime prevention initiatives ever and in the last
few years, with the start of the local Safer
Neighbourhood Police teams and panels, there are
more chances for local groups to work together to
deal with some of the problems.
If
you feel you want to start up a Neighbourhood
Watch or just find out more, you can phone The
Bromley Neighbourhood Watch office and speak to
the Co-Ordinator Geoff Wright 020 8721 4511.
If
you just want to contact me about N.W. you can
always e-mail me via this website: rogerleach@coperscope.org.uk
Remember,
only call 999 if a crime is happening now or
someone is in immediate danger, for all
non-emergency matters always call the new
information centre on 0300 123 1212. You can call
this number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Use it
to report all anti-social incidents, because they
will then get into the crime statistics and could
lead to the police targeting a certain area.
You
can call our local Police office for inquiries
020 8721 2772, but if you need to hand in some
documents, you will have to go to Bromley Police
Station.
Please
be aware of this BT telephone scam:
I
received a call from a 'representative' of BT,
informing me that he
was dis-connecting me because of an unpaid bill.
He demanded payment
immediately of £31.00 , or it would be £ 118.00
to re-connect at a later
date.
The guy wasn't even fazed when I told him I was
with Virgin Media,
allegedly VM have to pay BT a percentage for line
rental!
I asked the guy's name - the very 'English' John
Peacock with a very
'African' accent - & phone number - 0800 0800
152.
Obviously the fella realized I wasn't believing
his story, so offered
to demonstrate that he was from BT. I asked how
& he told me to hang up
& try phoning someone - he would dis-connect
my phone to prevent this.
AND HE DID !! My phone was dead - no engaged
tone, nothing - until he
phoned me again.
Very pleased with himself, he asked if that was
enough proof that
he was with BT. I asked how the payment was to be
made & he said credit
card, there & then.
I said that I didn't know how he'd done it, but I
had absolutely no
intention of paying him , I didn't believe his
name or that he worked
for BT.
He hung up.
Did 1471 & phoned his fictitious 0800 number
- not recognised.
I phoned the police to let them know , I wasn't
the first! It's only
just started apparently but it is escalating.
Their advice was to let as many people know by
word of mouth of this
scam. The fact that the phone does go off would
probably convince some
people it's real, so please let as many friends
& family aware of this.
Real con job, don't get caught
This is good but not that clever. He gave the
wrong number - it should
have been 0800 800 152 which takes you through to
BT Business. The
cutting off of the line is very simple, he stays
on the line with the
mute button on and you can't dial out - but he
can hear you trying (This
is because the person who initiates a call is the
one to terminate it).
When you stop trying he cuts off and immediately
calls back. You could
almost be convinced! The sad thing is that it is
so simple that it will
certainly fool the elderly and vulnerable.
By the way this is not about getting the cash as
this would not get
past merchant services - it is all about getting
the credit card details
which include the security number so that it can
be used for far larger
purchases.
Cheers
Ian A Younger CFE, MABI, MICM
Certified Fraud Examiner
Specialist in Fraud and Commercial Investigation
Member of the Fraud Advisory Panel
(Ian Younger has given his permission to use his
name)
From
Bromley Neighbourhood
Watch Association:
This
is a further message from the Bromley
Neighbourhood Watch Association regarding the
Watchword service.
Please accept our apologies for further delays
with the Watchword service.
At the end of August 2009, we wrote to all
Watchword recipients apologising for the break in
service, and saying that we hoped that Geoff
Wright, Borough Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator,
could resume Watchword communications in October.
This will unfortunately not be the case as the
Safer Bromley Partnership now wishes to review
bulletin content.
- If you have any thoughts on this, please let us
know at:
Colin.Newman@bromley.gov.uk (CC: Sue.McVicker@bromley.gov.uk)
We are due to receive further
clarification on the matter by the end of this
month, at which point we will endeavour to update
you.
We would also like to thank all those who kindly
responded with their updated email addresses and
contact details, and apologise that these updates
have not been able to be applied yet, but will be
made as soon as possible.
Many thanks for your continued support and
understanding.
Best wishes,
BROMLEY Neighbourhood Watch Association Executive
e: info@BromleyNWA.org.uk
w: www.BromleyNWA.org.uk
Back to Top
|
