HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY - WITH PEACE OF MIND

The holiday season extends over the whole of the year these days, but many families will be setting off for a break during the Summer months. To ensure that your property is safe and secure during your absence take the following precautions:

• Ensure all windows and doors are locked
• Tell neighbours of your absence; ask them to keep an eye on your property; they could draw curtains, collect post and make your home look lived in.
• You could set lights, using timer switches
• Ensure valuable items are property marked and stowed out of sight.
• Keep car keys and financial documents locked away or with a friend.
• Remember to cancel your milk and paper deliveries.
• Ensure sheds and garages are securely locked, with tools out of sight.
• Don't put your address on the outside of your luggage!

ALERT FOR HORSE OWNERS / STABLE USERS

Do you, or anyone you know, haveor ponies, or visit stables and farms to ride other's horses, or help care for them?

If so, please pass on this crime alert message to them….

During the month of June several stable yards and farmyard/ stables in the Meon Valley area, have been targeted by car thieves.

Vehicles are being broken into at stables while the owners are out riding, or tending to horses within the stables.

Handbags and purses are being stolen from within the cars, all within a matter of minutes.

The thieves are actively driving to and seeking out isolated stables and farms to commit this crime.

Police advice is to pass this advice on by e-mail or word of mouth -

• NOT TO LEAVE VALUABLES IN THE CAR
• MAKE SURE VEHICLES ARE LOCKED, EVEN IF AWAY ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES.

MESSAGE FROM INSPECTOR JIM PEGLER

I am the Police Inspector responsible for delivering local policing on the Eastern side of Winchester, which includes the Alresfords. I am glad to have been asked to contribute to your Neighbourhood Watch (NW) Newsletter.

Community engagement and involvement in policing is crucial to the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) that serves you. This involvement is not just about gathering intelligence and information in relation to individual crimes – it’s about building a dialogue with the community, so that we are concentrating on the problems that are causing most grief to you. It’s very important to me that you know what we are doing to tackle those problems, so that you can have faith in the service.

We welcome PCSO Helen Ashcroft to the team at Alresford. I hope to be able to add further resources to the SNT in the near future. The two PCSO's will be visiting Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators to give out 'Your Community, Your Voice' leaflets. I would urge you to get the members of the Watch together to discuss what you think the 3 most important things for the police to address are. We will continue to collate the results and will act on the priorities identified by the community. Please take part and if you have specific ideas about how we may tackle a problem – let us know that too.

We have had a notable success through the direct involvement of NW in looking out for their neighbours. A man has been arrested, following information from NW and a prosecution is anticipated. Details of this will be released following charge.

We welcome all information and intelligence that is passed to officers; we would much rather know than not. For example: there are people who think it’s funny to damage gardens in the middle of the night. It’s unlikely that this is a solo activity, more likely a juvenile showing-off exercise! If this is the case then there are people in the community who know who is responsible. Those people are likely to be in households within the NW umbrella. We won’t be arresting people on third hand information, but it may help us ask the right questions of the right people, to stop this activity. Often seemingly insignificant information can be the missing part of the jig saw.

I look forward to working further with NW to make the Alresfords a safer community to grow up in and grow old in.

Remember you can contact your SNT via 08450454545 or by email meon.valley.north.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk

YELLOW PAGES

Deliveries start in the SO24 area from 11th August. If you see a delivery to a neighbour who you know to be away; put it round the back, or take it in for them.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING- NEW VENUE

The 18th A.G.M will be held on Thursday 6th November 2008 at St Gregory’s Church Hall, Grange Road, Alresford starting at 7.30pm.

It is a public meeting and all householders are welcome to attend. There will be a brief report on Committee activities, adoption of accounts, minor formal items, plus input by Hampshire Constabulary and an interesting talk by a local J.P.
Nominations for Committee membership will be considered and anyone interested in joining the Committee should contact our Administrator ­ Jan Berry on 732737 for a nomination form. As usual there will be ample time for questions to the Police, plus free refreshments!

CO-ORDINATOR NEWS

A few changes are taking place.

In East Street, Alresford we are grateful to Mark Flemming for taking over from Meg Read.
In the rural areas Robert Bryant has taken over in Northington, and Steve Green has increased his responsibilities in Marthyr Worthy.

Don Meadwell has offered to join the Committee and act as Co-ordinator Liaison Officer and will be looking to fill some vacant Co-ordinator positions.

The various new developments in the town will need to have Co-ordinators and we are looking for volunteers at Warwick Court, Robins Close, and Hankins Court, as the properties are occupied. A successor for Gerald Gledhill in New Farm Road is needed; also for Old Alresford, and Tichbome Village, who are now receiving newsletters with Church & Village magazine (thanks to all concerned).

If there is anyone out there who would like to volunteer for any of these vacancies, please contact Don on 733521.

Remember, an active Watch means householders can claim house insurance discounts.

Also, all Co-ordinators can now receive weekly Crime Reports
issued by the Police, by e-mail. Apart from being alerted to all reported incidents in the whole Alresford area, these also show that incidents reported do get recorded. Send an e-mail to the Editor if you wish to be added to the list of recipients.

THEFT OF FUEL FROM OIL TANKS

Police are warning people living in rural areas to ensure that their home heating oil supplies are secure.

Due to the rise in fuel prices they are advising anyone who stores any type of fuel, whether it is petrol, diesel or heating oil, to ensure they have security measures in place.

A typical 1,000 litre tank of domestic heating oil is now worth around £600, offering a tempting target for thieves.
Attaching a Neighbourhood Watch sticker may just draw attention to a tank. Screening with fencing or hedging is probably the best deterrent.

MOBILE POLICE STATION

The mobile Police station dates for visiting the villages, one Saturday a month, are 9th August and 13th September.

The visits allow Police officers visibility where they are not often seen and the public to discuss any local concerns.

Constabulary Column

from
Alresford PCSO Melissa Panter

Distraction Burglary. This can be anything from giving false identification to get into your house, to physically distracting you at your front door whilst an accomplice enters from another side of your home.

The Police take these crimes very seriously and will put many resources into tackling it We ask that if you see anybody acting suspiciously, trying to sell you items or a service; or even collecting for a charity, be alert to their actions. Any person officially knocking on doors for a service will always be very happy for you to check identification and to ring companies to confirm.

I am happy to answer any questions on this subject. You can either leave me a message on 0845 045 45 45 (with a suitable time to call back) or email me on - melissa.panter@hampshire.pnn.police.uk

I would also like to take this chance to introduce to you our new PCSO for the area,Helen Ashcroft.

Helen is a local girl who has come from a background in recruitment, so is very used to dealing with members of the public and has excellent customer service and communication skills. Before this, her background throughout her educational years was mainly in sports development and working with children, so she has a variety of skills and experience to offer the local community. Helen is keen to improve facilities for local youth and is looking forward to getting to know the community helen.ashcroft@hampshire.pnn.police.uk

USEFUL CONTACTS
EMERGENCY 999	Crime in progress Life in danger Violence being used
NON –EMERGENCY 101	Report minor crime Abandoned Vehicles Street Lighting Anti Social behaviour
0845 045 45 45	Contact Police officer Leave messages
ALRESFORD POLICE STATION ENQUIRY DESK
Subject to operational demands, the station is open to the public at the following times -
Monday - Thursday	12.30 – 16.30
Other times by appointment - telephone 0845 045 45 45
Hampshire Constabulary web site www.hampshire.police.uk	Information on crime prevention and all Police services.
CRIMESTOPPERS 0800 555 111 Call anonymously with information about crime