Category: Policing

 Dear Watch Member,

Many of you will have children or grandchildren returning to school this week, some of whom may be starting secondary school and using public transport to commute there and back.

Unfortunately, the start of a new school term can see an increase in robbery offences. There are, however, some things you can do to help reduce school-age family members’ risk of becoming a robbery victim and keep safe whilst using their phone. If you can, talk to them about where and how they use their phone using the following advice:

Safety when out and about:

• Keep your phone and valuables out of sight in a safe place when travelling to and from school. Be careful when you take your phone out.
• Bus stops, train stations and surrounding areas are common target areas for thieves, who can approach on foot, moped or on a pedal bike or e-scooter.
• Earphones can distract you, stopping you from seeing or hearing someone approach you from behind.
• Don’t confront a thief – it’s not worth risking your own safety for possessions that can be replaced.
• Robbery or attempted robbery are serious crimes and should be reported. It’s important you seek help straight away by dialing 999 rather than contacting police when you get home. Use a friend’s phone or the phone of a trusted adult. This gives us the best chance to catch the suspects, recover any stolen property and ensure your safety.
• If you have information about a robbery and do not want to report it to police, speak to Fearless 100% anonymously at www.fearless.org. Fearless is the youth service of independent charity Crimestoppers.
• Whether you have a phone or not, memorise or keep a parent/carer’s phone number in a separate place in your bag/zipped pocket in case of emergency.

For more information go to www.fearless.org/campaigns/robbery.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

Illicit drugs are at the root of untold harm and misery across our society. More people die every year as a result of drug misuse in England and Wales than from all knife crime and road traffic accidents combined. Drugs also cause enormous harm to children and young people, impacting on their health and their ability to work and learn. The total cost to society and taxpayers in today’s prices is running close to £22 billion a year in England alone.

Even these shocking numbers cannot fully capture the scale of the human tragedy, with countless lives ruined and families devastated.

A new government white paper is proposing a new regime for how the criminal justice system deals with drug possession offences by so-called recreational or casual users, and changes to how drug testing on arrest works.

The government’s consultation on the proposals is open until 10^th  October, and the Home Office policy team have told us they are keen to get a wide range of responses. You are invited to find out about the proposals and give your views via the below online links.

The paper can be found at: ‘Swift, Certain, Tough: New Consequences for Drug Possession’ white paper – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Swift. Certain. Tough. New Consequences for drug possession white paper (homeofficesurveys.homeoffice.gov.uk)

Please use the above links if you want to respond to this survey.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

Scammers are targeting motorists in Pinner.

They approach elderly motorists and convince them they must pay for parking or a fine by inserting a credit / debit card into a parking machine, some of which have a card-sized slot. After the motorist enters their PIN on the alphanumeric keypad, the scammers then use a distraction or sleight of hand technique to remove the card. They then tell the motorist the machine has retained the card, which is then used to swiftly make contactless payments and/or withdraw money from a nearby ATM.

One of the scammers was reported to be wearing a camera to give the appearance of being a genuine parking enforcement officer. Other scammers approach motorists about to use a parking machine, to offer their assistance, when their real purpose is to confuse the motorist and steal their card.

Although the method can change (such as using an ATM instead of a parking machine) the intended result is the same.

Please note that Harrow Council parking machines only allow two types of payment; either with coins or by calling paybyphone, using their website (www.paybyphone.co.uk) or smartphone app, and no genuine parking enforcement officer will ask you to pay a fine in the street.

If you fall victim to these scammers it’s important to cancel any stolen card(s) at the earliest opportunity, so ensure that your card issuer’s phone number, found on the reverse of your card, is in your mobile phone’s contact list.

Please share this message on WhatsApp groups and social media feeds, and speak to elderly family, friends and neighbours to help prevent them becoming victims of this crime.

 

Download Associated Documents
Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page.

• The Little Book of Big Scams – Fifth Edition (3929 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

You may receive in the post a letter claiming to be from Amazon. The letter invites you to join a “Test Club” where you are given the opportunity to test new Amazon products in exchange for free items and commission. You are asked to submit your details to register your interest in joining the test club.

Amazon have been contacted, and they have confirmed that they are not sending these letters, therefore this is likely to be a scam.

As always, please be suspicious of unexpected correspondence of any type, particularly if it asks you to provide your personal details.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

British Sign Language (BSL) users can now communicate more easily with the emergency services following the launch of a new service this month.

999BSL is a free-to-use video relay service that can be accessed online or downloaded as an app. In an emergency, people who are deaf or hard of hearing can use 999BSL to connect with a BSL interpreter. The interpreter will then call 999 using a landline to relay the conversation to the emergency services operator.

To use the service:
• Open the 999 BSL app or website
• Press the red button to video call
• Communicate with the BSL interpreter

The Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP, Minister for Crime and Policing, said: “Calling 999 can literally be a matter of life and death, and everyone should have confidence that their local police force will be at the end of the phone, ready to jump to their aid.

Increasing accessibility of the 999 service to all members of the public is vital and will help to ensure our streets are safer for everyone.”

For more information visit the 999BSL website.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

Local Safer Neighbour Officers will be available on Monday 13^th June 2022 between times 12.00 – 14.00hrs to discuss any concerns or questions you may have with a particular emphasis on the ongoing work to address violence against women and girls.

Please come for a chat if you have anything to discuss on this or other topics affecting you.

Meeting will be held in Costa Coffee at:

The Accounting House, Pinner Road, North Harrow, HA2 6DZ

 

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Kristina Dvorakova
PCSO
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

#Streetsafe can help police identify areas that need improving and work towards making our streets safe for everyone! People can report anonymously to the police, the areas where they feel unsafe #barnet #policeactivity #communityengagement

For mor information please go to our website: www.police.uk/streetsafe

 

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
David Morrow
Watch Liason Officer for Barnet

Dear Watch Member,

An O2 scam targeting customers in the United Kingdom is offering ridiculous discounts and phone plans in return for your one-time security codes.

At a time when the cost of living is rising in the United Kingdom – when many of us are worried about the looming energy price cap disaster, and finances are often stretched thin — the prospect of being the lucky customer eligible for a discount of 35% to 40% on your phone plan is an attractive one. At least, that’s what the callers on the end of the phone try to sell you.

The caller sounds delighted in informing you that you can take advantage of a substantial discount on your plan.

Even before they finish their pitch, you receive a text message which is a legitimate O2 communication — a one-time code that customers can use to access their accounts if they forget their password, for example.

This is how the scam works:

The cold caller asks if you want to take advantage of the discount.

At the same time, the scammer visits the O2 sign in page, types in your phone number, and asks for a one-time code to access your account In order to apply the discount. They only need the code they have just sent to your handset; if you hand over the code, they can then access your details.

Reports suggest the team has also impersonated Carphone Warehouse and Three, and are offering discounts, new phone contracts, and a 100% discount on phone charges. Worth keeping an eye out for, and as always, you should never hand over these details. If in doubt, cut the call and ring your service provider directly.

Remember, if someone calls you claiming to be from O2, they would never ask for one-time passcodes, passwords and PINs, or personal information like your bank details. So, make sure you check who they are by asking where they’re calling from. If you have any doubts, just give them a call to check.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

Please read the attached document regarding impersonation fraud and the accompanying latest edition of ‘The Little Book of Big Scams’.

Download Associated Documents
Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page.

• Impersonation Fraud (183 KB)
• Little Book of Big Scams – 5th Edition (3929 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]