Briefings from your Local Policing Team
October 27th 2009
Good Morning
Crime update
There has been another spate of thefts of catalytic converters from unattended vehicles overnight, mostly on garage forecourts across Herefordshire, but there have been some thefts from private vehicles on driveways also.
Overnight on 24th/25th October, two vehicles were broken into that were parked on a private driveway in Bullinghope. A sat nav was taken from one, and a mobile phone, blackberry and some keys were taken from the other. Please do not leave valuables in your car, even if it is parked next to your house!
Some good news - as a result of us circulating details of a burglary in Kingstone on the last briefing, a recipient gave us details of a male that had been overheard bragging about it, and he has been arrested, and more arrests are to follow. Enquiries are continuing.
Also, following several complaints from residents about speeding in Kingsthorne, PC Bundy has carried out some speed enforcement there and issued three tickets and many verbal warnings. He will be back!
Phone Scam
We have had many calls from people worried about calls they have received from persons purporting to be from BT.
A call is received and the person on the other end says they are calling from BT and that there is an outstanding amount on their phone account, which must be paid off immediately, or the line will be cut off. It is usually a small amount quoted as being owed, and the caller asks for details of a credit card so that payment can be made. When asked for proof that the caller is from BT, the caller will state that they will temporarily disconnect the phone, and then will call back. The phone is then 'disconnected' and shortly afterwards 're-connected' and the victim may then believe that the call is genuine, and gives the bank details for fear of being permanently disconnected. However, the phone is not really disconnected, the caller has just put the phone on silent, but as the line is still connected, the line cannot be used and the victim believes the line has been disconnected.
Please pass this on, as many people are falling victim of this scam.
Ringmaster - also known as Herefordshire Community Messaging Service
Introduction
Herefordshire Community Messaging service comprises two main parts - a web based information system and a data base of citizens who are registered to receive appropriate messages. In the era of customer satisfaction it has proven a reliable tool, countrywide, in helping police deliver Confidence and Satisfaction as well as work with local communities to improve levels of Reassurance.
The web site can be found at www.herefordshire-community-messaging.org. This provides the information based site, but also links into the data base element.
General Information
The site can be used to link to other useful web sites as well as allowing for members of the public to self register and then be given access to the web pages. This allows them to receive messages from HNHWA and the police. It also has a ‘calendar’ section that allows for the advertising of local events and activities, as well as links to West Mercia Police LPT pages to provide information about Police Station locations and opening times and LPT’s identification and contact details.
The system will deliver messages via email (with attachments if required), text message, mobile or land line voice messages. There is a cost implication to HNHWA (not the recipient) for text, mobile and voice messages. Emails are free.
If you are interested in joining up to receive messages, go to the site, and register. Once registered, when you go to log on, it will ask for your user name, which will be your e-mail address. Those of you who have already expressed an interest in Ringmaster, your details are already on the database, and will receive messages in the format you have requested, but you will still need to register on the site to get access to the site itself.
Thanks for reading this.
Fiona p.p.
Fiona Witcher
Community Support Officer 6173
Peterchurch Police Station
07779 141232
Hereford Rural South Local Policing Team
PC 799 Andrew Bundy 07855 385844
CSO 6173 Fiona Witcher 07779 141232
CSO 6993 Kevin Powell 07779 141232
Peterchurch Police Station, HR2 0RR