Good reasons to beconfident in durhamConstabulary...

5 CrookTackling rural crime…in a heartbeat

Your PACT Meetings

It’s cold, it’s dark, and there’s along day ahead the next morningattending to livestock andpreparing the land for anotheryear’s harvest.

So why do so many farmers andvolunteers choose to stay up allnight?

Farm Watch, that’s why. It’sDurham Constabulary’s on-goinginitiative aimed at tackling ruralcrime around County Durham andDarlington – and it’s working.

Farm Watch began in 1989 andhas gone from strength tostrength, becoming one of themost successful of its kind in theUK, having acquired over 800volunteers from across the ruralcommunity including farmers,gamekeepers and residents.

Farm Watch is aimed at reducingcrime and strengtheningcommunity spirit within smallhamlets and villages, giving thefarming community a sense offellowship and resolve.

The latest operation is nodifferent, held at Barnard CastlePolice Station in the wee hours.Community volunteers descend

Have your say about policing in your

community by attending one of our Police and

Communities Together (PACT) meetings - either online

or in person. Check out the ‘events’ section of your local policing

team website pages for meeting dates, times and locations.

www.durham.police.uk/local/south/crook

Police NewsPolice News Issue 2

L27-12

Protecting Neighbourhoods... Tackling Criminals... Solving Problems... ArouNd The CloCkProtecting Neighbourhoods... Tackling Criminals... Solving Problems... ArouNd The CloCk

For more police information…………etc

Remember the “three Cs”

C lear valuables out of your car...

Take are where you park your car…

If you need to store valuables in your car keep them out ofsight from opportunist thieves by locking them in the boot.

If you have a garage use it as this will dramatically reduce thechance of becoming a car crime victim.

If you do not have a garage, you are less likely to become a carcrime victim if you park in a well-lit, busy area or secure car park.

C

Cut Car Crimewith Durham Constabulary

Use theft-resistant number plates which are widely available online.Stolen number plates can be transferred to vehicles subsequently

used to commit driving offences and more serious crimes.

Pick-up vehicles, 4x4s, vans and high-performancecars are particular targets for thieves and owners

need to be vigilant.

Join your local Neighbourhood Watch as crime isalways lower in areas with an effective

Neighbourhood Watch presence.

For more information visit www.durham.gov.uk/vehiclecrimeor join the police on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact us by telephone on 101.

Play your part in cutting car crime!

onsider making life more difficult for thieves...C

Crime prevention tips

Detection

rates are

rising.We respond

to 90% of our

immediate priority

calls within set

targets.

Overall crime

and anti-social behaviour is

going down every year.

We answer

nine out of ten

emergency calls

within ten

seconds. Eight outof ten people in

County Durham andDarlington think we

do a good job.

on the small building, along withneighbourhood police officers - allknow each other by first name andgreet each other, despite the latehour.

This isn’t TV’s Aidensfield and itisn’t Heartbeat but, you wouldn’tknow the difference. You wouldexpect local bobby Nick Berry toturn up at the briefing next, such isthe camaraderie between policeand volunteers.

The local sergeant talks about thetactics and aims of the operationfollowing weeks of preparationand the analysis of keyintelligence.

Volunteers are quickly paired offwith one another and given radiosto keep in contact, should theyspot anything suspicious; theyknow how the operation worksand it runs like clockwork.

They set off in convoyaccompanied by their policeofficer comrades, armed withnothing but a torch and a hotflask. But they leave no stoneunturned, patrolling farmland todetect and deter opportunistcrooks. This is, quite literally,community policing.

The volunteers act as eyes andears on the ground, notifyingpolice officers of any suspiciouspeople, or vehicles, loitering onfarm land. If anything is sightednearby, units swoop in andquestion the individuals.

All in all, the night remained quiet.But that’s how the communitywants it; it shows that the policeare doing their job and that FarmWatch works.

The evening’s events led to over50 vehicles being stopped bypolice and one man beingarrested, thanks to the help of theeagle eyed volunteers. The nightof action involved 160 volunteersand police staff from Durham,Cumbria and North Yorkshirecovering 1500 square miles.

For more information about thescheme or if you would like to getinvolved contact the local policeteam on the non-emergencynumber 101.

kevin TuckNeighbourhood InspectorCrook

““

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Residents in the south of the county can now dispose ofunwanted metal items with the help of a force approved

tradesman, collector Patrick Dowd. In a bid to crack downon metal theft, officers and PCSOs will carry letters to

hand out to potential targets containing contactdetails for the collection

service.

drug arrests: Three men faced police action aftercannabis was found at a house in Grove Road, TowLaw. Police seized 17g of herbal cannabis and 2.6g ofcannabis resin from the house. Two men, aged 37and 38, were arrested. One was subsequentlyreleased on bail pending further enquiries and the other received afixed penalty notice. A 23-year-old man, who was stopped as he was leaving theaddress, was issued with a cannabis warning.

Followingreports of a hit-and-runincident involving a stolen car inWolsingham recently, the local policingteam called in air support and quicklylocated the suspects. They were foundhiding under an overhang in the river, justa mile from the scene of the collision. Agreat result after a fast response by localofficers.

After receivinginformation from thecommunity about adultssupplying alcohol to youthsin Weardale we took action.Two individuals responsiblewere identified and issuedwith fixed penalty notices. This

behaviour is not only illegal but itis also very irresponsible and thepolice action should act as awarning to others.

Metal theft in the area is down considerably after a

successful programme of work to tackle the problem.

Police action over recent months has included

operations to target scrap metal yards across the whole

of the North East. The work of Durham Constabulary to

reduce this crime has received national recognition and it

is on the way to making the county a no-go area for

those who seek to gain from this despicable crime.

out and About

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team

You can contact your local neighbourhood team on 101

We are in the process of recruitingnew members to the team for Crookand Barnard Castle. Later this year,we will have a new police officercovering Cockfield, Staindrop and Gainford,replacing beat officer Dave Williamson, who movedinto a crime reduction role in the area at the end oflast year. A couple of PCSOs from the Crook areahave also moved on. That is great news for them andthe force as they have taken on police officer roles.We will be recruiting replacements in the near future,so look out for some new faces on the streets.

Main Station:Crook Police Station,South Road,Crook,Co. Durham,DL15 8NE Email: crook@durham.pnn.police.uk

Front counter staffed:10am to 3pm - Monday to Friday

Outside these hours an intercom system andCCTV facility is available to link callers to the communications centre.... down your way

Ifyou areorganising a localcommunity event pleaseremember to contact the relevantcouncil’s Safety Advisory Group foradvice, guidance and support toensure the event goes safely. Youcan find details on both theDurham County Council andDarlington Councilwebsites.

PC 2153 dave Turner:

“As one of your dedicated beat officers in Crook, I understandlocal concerns and the importance of good communicationbetween communities and the neighbourhood policing team.We have strong links with local people and that helps ustackle the problems that matter to you. Crook is a safe placeto live and, by working together, we can keep it that way. Ifyou do have any concerns, or would like to speak to amember of your local policing team, you can contact usvia the details below.”

Your local Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator is ..........................................................................................................................

The television digital switch over will begin in the

Tyne Tees area in 2012. We are aware that some

individuals have used this as an opportunity to

target vulnerable people with offers of new aerials

and other equipment that is not needed. If you are

in any doubt you can contact the Digital Switchover

Help Scheme by visiting the website

www.helpscheme.co.uk or calling 0800 40 85 900.

We would like to draw your

attention to the car crime

prevention advice on the back of

this newsletter. Theft from

vehicles is becoming an issue

across the county. Please make

sure you follow our simple advice

to prevent becoming a victim of

this type of crime; remove or hide

your valuables, choose your

parking space wisely and lock

your car.

MuggleswickPC 828 Helen PearsonPCSO 6629 Tracy Bilton

Willington and oakenshawSgt 1648 Shaun Davis PC 1168 Simon SchofieldPCSO 7036 Nicola Firby

upper Weardale,edmundbyers andhunstanworth Sgt 2141 Dave Lyall PCSO 6629 Tracy BiltonPC 828 Helen Pearson

howden-le-Wear, NorthBitchburn, high Grange andWitton-le-WearSgt 1648 Shaun Davis

PC 250 Ian CraggsPCSO 7184 Rebecca Carey

Billy row, roddymoor andStanley CrookSgt 1648 Shaun DavisPC 1833 Geoff Moore

Tow law and SunnisideSgt 2141 Dave Lyall PC 2249 Michael Rutherford

WolsinghamSgt 2141 Dave Lyall PC 1433 Ellis Hutchinson

StanhopeSgt 2141 Dave Lyall PC 1080 Billy CrampsiePCSO 7437 Trevor Patterson

Crook TownSgt 1648 Shaun Davis PC 1833 Geoff MoorePCSO 7317 Leanne DunnPC 2153 David Turner

Sunnybrow and hunwickSgt 1648 Shaun DavisPCSO 7408 Rachael TurnerPC 250 Ian Craggs

FrosterleySgt 2141 Dave Lyall PCSO 7437 Trevor PattersonPC 1080 Billy Crampsie

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