Category: Policing

This for Harrow residents only who own the following makes of cars

• Toyota
• Honda
• Lexus
• BMW
• Volkswagen

 

In an effort to reduce catalytic converter thefts in the area, the respective Pinner, Pinner South and Hatch End Safer Neighbourhood Teams are holding a catalytic converter forensic marking event in the car park of Morrisons’, 299 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner HA5 4QT on Wednesday 30th March 2022 between 8:00am –  11:00am.

This event is for Harrow residents ONLY. Forensic marking kits will only be installed on the five most targeted makes of vehicles for catalytic converter thefts:

• Toyota
• Hond
• Lexus
• BMW
• Volkswagen

Working in partnership with HiQ Tyres & Autocare and Harrow Council, this service will be offered FREE of charge and will only require the simple completion of a registration form to ensure that the unique identifier of the forensic marker used is linked to you.

On the day, police will set up a stand where crime prevention advice and leaflets will be available.

To best avoid traffic congestion, all interested persons owning the above vehicle makes only, who wish to have their catalytic converters forensically marked, are to park their vehicle in an available parking bay at the event site in Morrisons’ car park.

Please be aware that there are only 75 forensic marking kits available and it is anticipated that they will be allocated extremely quickly. We apologise in advance to any attendees who do not manage to have their catalytic converter marked, but there will be future forensic marking where more kits will be available.

 

Dear Watch Member,

Please be aware of a scam involving fake banking apps.

Scammers are targeting people who are selling valuable electrical items via online selling platforms.

The vendors are contacted about their items and when the scammer arrives, they pay for the item(s) using a convincing banking app. The app mimics apps from a number of banks and appears to show the funds being transferred to the victim’s bank account.

This scam is catching a lot of people out as the app is very convincing. The scammer asks the victim to enter their bank details into the app and then it appears to show the amount being debited from the buyer’s account.

We  urge anyone selling an item to be sceptical about accepting payment via a banking app. Payment by cash, credit card or using PayPal for Business is a more secure way of making a sale.

Please help us to raise awareness of this scam and prevent financial loss by alerting your friends and family.

If you believe that you are a victim of this scam please report online to www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Visit www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/ for advice on avoiding scams.

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,

On Sunday 6th February this year Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives are taking place throughout the year, culminating in a four day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June. The bank holiday will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate the historic milestone.

The four days of celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.

The Big Jubilee Lunch

Every year since the idea began in 2009 The Big Lunch has encouraged communities to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better, coming together in a spirit of fun and friendship. This year, The Big Lunch will take place on Sunday 5th June and will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community.

People are invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A Big Jubilee Lunch can be big or small – street party or picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque. Click here for tips and ideas for hosting such an event.

If you live in Pinner and are hosting a Big Jubilee Lunch in your street, a community centre or other social hub in the village, please let us know by calling 020 8721 2775 or by email at [email protected].

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]
Tel: 020 8721 2775

Dear Watch Member,

As the conflict and humanitarian situation in Ukraine continues to escalate, it’s vital that charitable donations reach their intended causes.

As fraudsters often take advantage of emerging situations, people looking to donate to causes working in Ukraine and neighbouring countries should make a few simple checks before giving:

• check the charity’s name and registration number at www.gov.uk/checkcharity
• most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered, and you can use the advanced search function to identify charities working in specific regions and countries
• ensure the charity is genuine before giving any financial information
• be careful when responding to emails or clicking on links within them
• contact or find out more online about the charity that you’re seeking to donate to or work with to understand how they are spending their funds
• look out for the Fundraising Badge on charity fundraising materials, this is the logo which shows that a charity has committed to fundraise in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice

The official Disasters Emergency Committee website for donating to the Ukraine Humanitarian appeal is:

Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal | Disasters Emergency Committee (dec.org.uk)

For more advice on donating safely visit:

www.gov.uk/government/news

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]
Tel: 020 8721 2775

Dear Watch Member,

As part of the violence against women and girls (VAWG) action plan we’re rolling the “Walk and Talk initiative” out across the Met.

“An important part of our approach is to invite women and girls to tell us what they think needs to change and to keep talking to us about what more we can do to improve their safety in London.

“We’ll update the VAWG action plan following a range of community engagement and discussions with partners over the coming months. We want communities to regularly see and get to know their local officers, so that they have trust and confidence in them, knowing they are there to protect them and keep them safe.”

How it works

The Walk and Talk initiative involves female officers buddying up with women from their communities to go out on patrol in open spaces so that they can hear first-hand their experiences, concerns and reflections. The aim of the walkabout is to start a conversation between the public and officers about their safety concerns and what police can do, working with partners, to address them.

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.

• Walk and Talk for women and girls (139 KB)

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,

After Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice both wreaked havoc across the country many of us sustained damage to our properties and are now experiencing the stress of arranging for repairs to be undertaken.

Unfortunately, fraudsters will use these storms as an opportunity to exploit you by overcharging for repairs or claiming that whilst working at a neighbours’ property they noticed that your property has loose / missing roof tiles, broken guttering, blown-down fences or tree damage etc.

They will sometimes say that they can fix the problem immediately with surplus building materials whilst they are in the area. This can inevitably lead to unnecessary or uncompleted work of poor standard.

Fraudsters may use intimidation and pressure you into making a quick decision that could prove to be an expensive one. They may also insist that you pay them in cash immediately, put down a deposit, or if demanding large sums of money, instruct you to make a bank transfer or offer to take you to your bank to withdraw the money.

Please encourage your relatives, friends and neighbours to be vigilant to these tactics. It is always advisable to find reputable traders via recommendations from friends or family, or use websites such as Which? Trusted Trader which you can visit with this link: Find traders near you with Which? Trusted Traders | Which?

For comprehensive advice on how to protect yourself from fraudsters please read the attached 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.

• The 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]

 

Dear Watch Member,

It’s not just the Omicron variant that is still in circulation; there is also a scam NHS text message regarding it too!

The text message informs its recipient that they have been in contact with someone infected with Omicron and they need to apply for a test kit using a link. The link appears to be for an urgent test kit.

Some of the recipients who have clicked on the link have entered their personal information and bank details after being asked to pay for postage of the kit.

This is a scam.  Please remember that unexpected texts may not be from whom they claim. You should never divulge any personal information or bank details after clicking on a link in an unexpected text or email.

• NHS contact tracers will never ask for your bank account details or for any form of payment.
• If unsure about a message of this nature, residents can call 119 to check with a genuine NHS professional.
• You can report a suspicious text message for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.
• We would also advise you to report texts of this nature to Action Fraud www.actionfraud.police.uk.

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,

We know many residents in Harrow are concerned about the rise in catalytic converter thefts and to discuss the issue Harrow Council and North West BCU police are holding a community webinar.

Catalytic converters, used to clean up exhaust gases and reduce pollution, are targeted by thieves because they contain precious metals.

These materials can be illegally recycled or sold for profit. Newer cars’ converters are fitted differently and are not typically targeted, while hybrid cars are the most popular for organised gangs because they contain the most precious metals.

At this webinar, hosted by Cllr Peymana Assad, you will hear from the police and council.

Join us on Zoom on Wednesday 23 February at 6.30pm.  

Speakers include:

• Cllr Peymana Assad, Cabinet?Member for Community Cohesion, Crime and Enforcement
• Chief Inspector Ed Baildon of the Metropolitan Police North West BCU

There will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Join the webinar on zoom using the following details:

Meeting ID: 849 6006 2958

Passcode: 678086

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.

• Catalytic Converter Theft Community Webinar (276 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,

There is currently a convincing WhatsApp scam in circulation responsible for some victims losing thousands of pounds.

The victims receive texts claiming to be from their son / daughter or other family member saying they have lost or broken their mobile phone, and that the number they are texting from is their new number. They then request financial help, asking that the money is sent urgently.

Some of the scam’s victims have suffered a significant financial loss in addition to emotional upset.

Please remain alert to this scam and warn others.

Remember that on WhatsApp (like emails and phone calls) people are not always who they claim to be. If someone claiming to know you asks for money or personal information, it is best to pause and check that they are who they claim to be – perhaps by speaking to them in person – before you consider acting on their request.

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]