Good Evening

Here is the latest crime details and prevention update from the St Alphege neighbourhood policing team, with an important message at the top of the prevention section.

St Alphege 6th - 14th October 2024

Burglaries

There have been no residential burglaries reported during this period.

Vehicle Crime

Between 3:50pm and 4:00pm on Sunday 13th an unsuccessful attempt was made to steal a blue HONDA moped while it was parked in MANOR SQUARE in the town centre.

Other crimes

A number of other crimes have been reported us over this period such as shoplifting, assaults, harassment, drugs offences and 1 business in the town centre was burgled. There was also an attempt to steal building equipment and solar panels from the car park of The FIELD HOUSE which is undergoing an extensive refurbishment. The offenders were disturbed and left empty handed.

GOOD NEWS

There have been 2 speed watch sessions held on the area on Dorchester Rd and Bryanston Rd. A total of 45 letters have been sent out to the registered keepers.

We have been out on street watch patrol with the Dorchester and Alderbrook street watch teams.

We will be holding a crime prevention beat surgery soon. 10:00am – 11:00am on Saturday 19th October at SMITHTONS FOOD MARKET on PROSPECT LANE.Please come down and chat to the officers about any concerns you might have.

 

CRIME PREVENTION

Between October 1st and December 31st last year there were 33 reported residential burglaries on the St Alphege area. This obviously coincided with the darker nights.

If you are going to be out when it gets darker please consider timer switches for your lamps. There are also other devices that do the same job that can be linked to wifi. Don’t leave your house in darkness, this is a clear sign that the house is empty.

Remember, crime prevention is all about making it difficult for offenders to break in to your property or steal your vehicles. If they have to spend more time or make more noise than they want to they may give up and look elsewhere. 

Please consider anti-snap locks to all outside doors. Look for at least 3 stars and the Kitemark when purchasing them.

Put wheelie bins at the rear of your property away from gates and fences if you can. These can be used as a means to get over your fence and into your rear garden. 

If you have a side gate or a fence bordering your garden then think about something called PRIKA STRIP. This is strips of hard rubber spikes that can be run along flat surfaces such as gates, fences and roofs, anybody attempting to climb on or over will find it difficult to put their hands on the surface due to these spikes.

We are at the time of year when we start to put away our garden furniture and gardening tools. Please make sure that everything is secure and your sheds are locked and check them regularly over the winter months. Shed alarms are a relatively inexpensive item that you can purchase as an extra crime prevention measure.

Please check any garages that you own that aren’t attached to your house. These can be seen as an easy target as garages that are away from the houses aren’t overlooked. If you have anything valuable in them extra security measures would be a good idea. Lock bikes up that are inside and padlock tool boxes are 2 such measures. Good lighting can be a deterrent, one suggestion would be a dusk to dawn system so that you don’t even have to think about switching it on.

If you use a bike to get out and about think about the lock that you secure it with. A D lock is one such lock. Simple chains can be cut through in seconds.

Always check you FOB HAS DONE ITS JOB and has locked your vehicle. Offenders are out there at night trying the handles looking for insecure vehicles.

Please consider a good steering lock for your vehicles, and check that your vehicle is locked before you walk away from it.

Tamper proof screws for number plates are a good idea to protect number plates from being stolen.

Pickpockets and purse dippers are active in the town centre. Always make sure handbags are zipped up,never leave your handbag or purse unattended on a shopping trolley, pushchair or wheelchair. Always be aware of your surroundings and the people around you when withdrawing cash. A simple tactic against this type of crime is to attach small bells to your purse so that they jingle when purses are being moved.

Please take 5 mins to read about ways you can prevent burglary and vehicle theft

Residential burglary | Your Options | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)

Theft of motor vehicle | Your Options | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)

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