Local Policing Unit & Windmill Hill Newsletter April 2021

Local News Update

Welcome to your April 2021 Newsletter for your area It’s definitely getting warmer! Spring is in full bloom and more social restrictions have been lifted just in time! Unfortunately with the warmer weather comes an increase in Anti-Social Behaviour and in particular the use of off-road motorbikes. Runcorn LPU is running Op Scrambler which is dedicated to targeting the users of these anti-social bikes on the streets of Runcorn. We are asking the community to provide us with any information as to the location and storage of any off- road bikes know to ride illegally. April saw Constabulary’s Op SCEPTRE – this was a week of action highlighting knife crime and the dangers posed to young persons who carry knives and the consequences involved. The LPU held a range activities including knife sweeps, educational visits & presentations. Plain clothed and uniformed patrols were in your local area targeting known locations and individuals intent on carry weapons or engaging in ASB. Again if you know someone who carries a knife please let us know via Crime Stoppers or calling 101 anonymously. I continue to hold weekly police surgeries, Again I’d like to focus on any Road Safety concerns in your area to be raised to me so we can target our resources effectively. Deb Bromley

PCSO 23175 BROMLEY

Police surgery - upcoming meetings

Due to the current restrictions, we are unable to carry out face-to-face surgeries for the time being.

Digital surgeries are being held weekly and will be advertised on the Facebook and Twitter pages.

I can be contacted by direct message on Facebook and Twitter.

News Stories From Your Local Area

A Lexmoto moped was stolen on the afternoon of 1st April from business premises on Road. CCTV enquiries are ongoing.

In the early hours of 9th April a property was entered on Hatters Close,. The keys to a vehicle were stolen and the vehicle was then stolen from the driveway. Enquiries are ongoing.

A Lexmoto scooter was stolen from the front of a property on Bridgeway West, Windmill Hill on 12th April. The scooter had been secured using a padlock and chain which had been cut through.

A window was smashed by an unknown offender on Bridgeway East, Windmill Hill on 13th April.

On 14th April, a group of youths had gathered in the woodland area of Phoenix Park and lit a small fire. Another group of youths were reported on 18th April near to the skate park in Phoenix Park who were starting small fires using toilet rolls. On arrival of officers, the youths had left the area. A male was reported to be firing a catapult at birds in Phoenix Park on 16th April. The caller did confirm that no birds were injured. Patrols have been increased on Phoenix Park following these recent incidents.

News Stories From Your Local Area

Street of the Month

Street of the Month was carried out in April in Waterfront, Preston on the Hill in April. This is an opportunity for you to have your say on anti-social behaviour in your area and what your priorities are for you in your community. There is a pre-paid envelope attached to the surveys to return to us.

If you would like your street to be included in Street of the Month in the future, please get in touch.

On 26th April, we commenced a week long operation that focused on the impact that knife crime has on our communities and the dangers of carrying weapons. Knife sweeps were conducted by officers in Phoenix Park and on other beat areas. No knives were found during the knife sweep in Phoenix Park. In addition to this, officers in uniform and plain clothes were out in the community targeting individuals who continue to carry weapons and schools were engaged with to educate young people in the dangers of carrying a weapon.

The Co-op Late Shop in Windmill Hill received a bleed kit in partnership with Onward Homes. These kits are designed to control severe bleeding as a result of injury. There are a number of kits at various locations in Runcorn, available to anyone who needs them.

News Stories From Your Local Area

We’ve visited Moore Primary School this month to deliver a presentation to the year 4 children on Staying Safe Online. Children are spending more and more time online so it is important to get the safety message across to them at an early age. We were asked some very interesting questions and the children engaged well.

I’ve joined the Litter Bugs team for a litter pick this month in Windmill Hill. Most of the volunteers were local children who worked really hard on a very hot day to collect as much rubbish as they could!

The picture shows just some of the rubbish we collected. Further litter picks have been arranged for the coming months.

News Stories From Your Local Area

Impact

IMPACT is protecting your community from serious and organised crime by relentlessly disrupting criminal activity as well as safeguarding vulnerable adults and children from criminal exploitation to make it a safer place to live.

Working closely with our partners and in line with the Home Office and National Crime Agency (NCA) strategy our aim is to reduce the risks and threats from organised crime using the four main objec- tives:  Prepare – reduce this criminality and prepare for when organised crime takes place  Prevent – seek to prevent peo- ple from engaging in organised crime by stopping and identifying those at the source  Pursue – Relentlessly pursue offenders through disruption, targeted action and prosecution  Protect – protect communities, vulnerable people and businesses from organised crime

How You Can Help While we are do everything in our power to protect Cheshire from serious and organised crime we also need support from the public. Nobody knows their villages, towns and city better than you. The people who live and work there. We need you to be our eyes and our ears by looking out for suspicious behaviour that is out of place and spotting the signs of vulnerable children and adults being exploited. If you think you have information – no matter how small get in touch with us and together we can help to make your community a safer place.

News Stories From Your Local Area

Signs to look out for:

 Increase in visitors or cars to a house or flat  People coming and going at odd times of the day and night  Strange smells coming from the property (illegal drugs)  Windows covered or curtains closed all the time  Cars pulling up to or near the house for a short period of time  People talking on phones outside the address  People handling large amounts of cash and owning numerous mobile phones  Unexplained, sometimes unaffordable new things (e.g clothes, jewellery, cars etc  An increase in violence at the property or in the area.

County lines criminal exploitation A county line is operated by an organised crime group who use a mobile phone, known as a ‘line’ or a ‘graft’ to extend their criminal activity business into new locations - usually from a city into rural are- as. In some cases organised crime groups can target and exploit children, vulnerable adults and disa- bled people to deliver and deal drugs on their behalf.

Know the signs:  A child or young person going missing from school or home and travelling to market towns or ru- ral areas  Self-harm or a significant change in emotional wellbeing or their behaviour  The use of drugs and alcohol  Having more money, new expensive clothes or accessories which they are unable to account for  Having multiple mobiles, tablets or SIM cards and receiving an excessive amount of texts and calls  Forming relationships and meeting with controlling or older people or groups  Carrying weapons  Significant decline in school results / performance  Lone children from outside of the area

There are a number of ways to report information or a crime:  Call Cheshire Police on 101  Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111  Speak to your local officers Get in touch through our online form Always call 999 if there is a crime in action or immediate threat to life

News Stories From Your Local Area

Step 3 - not before 17 May Social contact

As part of Step 3, no earlier than 17 May, the government will look to continue easing limits on seeing friends and family wherever possible, allowing people to decide on the appropriate level of risk for their circumstances.

This means that most legal restrictions on meeting others outdoors will be lifted - although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal. Indoors, the Rule of 6 or 2 households will apply - we will keep under review whether it is safe to increase this.

As soon as possible and by no later than Step 3, we will also update the advice on social distancing between friends and family, including hugging. But until this point, people should continue to keep their distance from anyone not in their household or support bubble.

Business and activities

Most businesses in all but the highest risk sectors will be able to reopen. In all sectors, COVID-Secure guidance will remain in place and businesses may not cater for groups bigger than the legal limits. Indoor hospitality will reopen - and as in Step 2, venues will not have to serve a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks; nor will there be a curfew. Customers will, however, have to order, eat and drink while seated.

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Other indoor locations to open up in Step 3 include indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and children’s play areas; the rest of the accommodation sector, including hotels, hostels and B&Bs; and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes. The government will also allow some larger perfor- mances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is a lower number), and in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4,000 people or half-full (whichever is a lower number). In the largest outdoor seated venues, where crowds can be spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend (or a quarter-full, whichever is lower).

Events

Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals. This limit will also apply to other types of significant life events including bar mitzvahs and christenings.

Review of social distancing

Finally, before Step 4 begins, the government will complete a review of social distancing and other long-term measures that have been put in place to cut transmission. This will inform decisions on the timing and circumstances under which the rules on 1 metre plus, the wearing of face coverings and other measures may be lifted. This will also inform guidance on working from home – which should continue wherever possible until this review is complete.

Find out more about the current coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, including what you can and cannot do.

News Stories From Your Local Area

Roads Policing

Trucam has been carried out this month on Pitts Heath Lane, Road, Runcorn Road and Road. Further speed enforcement will continue.

Parking monitoring will continue in the surrounding areas of the schools in the area at start and finish times. Please make sure you park legally and considerately when picking up and dropping off children, this is for the safety of the children and to ease congestion around busy times. The yellow zig-zags lines must never be used to pick up or drop off children, even for a short period of time.

News Stories From Your Local Area

Off-Road Bikes

We continue to appeal to residents to contact us in confidence either via the social media private messaging channels, via 101 or at our LPU email address:

[email protected] if they have any information about where nuisance motorbikes are stored, who is riding them, or detailed descriptions of the bikes or their riders.

News Stories From Your Local Area

Residents urged to beware of loan sharks on social media

The Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) has launched a new campaign aimed at tackling illegal money lending on the internet and warning of the dangers of online loan sharks.

The #SharkFreeSurfing campaign comes amid concerns more people are falling prey to unscrupulous lenders online. Statistics show one in five victims met their lender on social media in the first half of 2020.

Loan sharks are increasingly using social media platforms, such as Facebook, In- stagram and Snapchat, to advertise their illegal loans and target potential victims. These criminals will lure people in with seemingly attractive loan offers but will quickly resort to intimidation, threats and violence to enforce repayment and trap borrowers in a spiral of debt.

A loan shark is someone who lends money without the correct authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is important to remember that the loan shark is committing a crime and you are not in trouble if you have borrowed from an illegal money lender.

Tony Quigley, Head of the England Illegal Money Lending Team, said: “We are aware that loan sharks are becoming more active on social media, particularly in community groups and on local selling pages. “People throughout our communities are struggling financially due to the pandemic, and the increased pressures to not only meet monthly bills, but also the added expense of Christmas, may make them more at risk of being targeted by illegal money lenders. If you spot a suspicious loan advert online, report it to us so we can help.”

News Stories From Your Local Area

How to protect yourself from loan sharks online:

Know who you're dealing with. If you've only ever met someone online or are unsure of the legitimacy of a lender, take some time to do a bit more research. Check the lender is authorised by the Financial Con- duct Authority (FCA). If not, don’t borrow from them - report to the Stop Loan Sharks team.

Beware of loan adverts with no credit checks. Loan sharks have been known to advertise in community groups and on local selling pages. They may seem friendly and accommodating, but their behaviour can quickly change, and you might be harassed or threatened if you get behind with your repayments. Lenders must carry out credit checks to make sure borrowers can afford to pay back their loans. You should never hand over your bank details to strangers, even if they lure you with attractive offers. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Beware of any requests for your details or money. Loan sharks may ask for copies of your passport or pictures of your house, the street and your house number. Never send money or give card details, online account details or copies of personal documents to anyone you don’t know or trust. The Stop Loan Sharks Helpline 0300 555 2222 will remain open 24 hours a day over the festive period.

Anyone with concerns about loan sharks can access support via live chat between 9am and 5pm on weekdays (excluding bank holidays) at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Before you borrow, check your lender is authorised by the FCA at https://register.fca.org.uk/s/

The Stop Loan Sharks App is free to download on both iOS and Android devices from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

News Stories From Your Local Area

News Stories From Your Local Area

News Stories From Your Local Area

Immobilise

Immobilise is the world's largest free register of possession ownership details. These details are searchable by all UK Police Forces and form a very effective tool in helping to identify and return recovered, lost or stolen personal property to its rightful owner. These details are held on a secure system that is approved to Government standards. Can I register my mobile phone? –Yes, you will need to create an account that you have total control over. You will need the IMEI number, make and model of your phone. You can enter other property on your account and will need de- scriptions, serial numbers and photographs of your prized possessions. How do I get the IMEI number of my phone? - The IMEI is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the handset, except on iPhones where it is located on a pull-out tray. It can also be displayed on the screen of the phone by entering *#06# into the keypad. If your phone is new, the IMEI should also be labelled on the side of the box. Your network provider can also provide you with your IMEI. What happens when my phone is registered? - Should your phone be lost or stolen, and Police recover it, they can quickly establish who the real owner is and restore the property. Can I highlight my phone as stolen on my account? - Yes, Immobilise has a feature for the owner of a phone to instantly update the status on their account as lost or stolen. It is still essential that you report it to your network and police if stolen. Please visit the immobilise website to register your items by clicking this hyperlink https:// www.immobilise.com/

News Stories From Your Local Area

Community Speed Watch provides an opportunity for residents to take positive action in respect of road safety within a controlled environment. As the local PCSO I will co-ordinate the scheme at a local level with the Community Speed Watch Volunteers and Local Authority. Community Speed Watch Volunteers are responsible for adherence to procedural guidelines regarding the handling of evidence, data protection and all operating rules. All speed watch sites will be risk assessed by the appropriate Local Authority in consultation with Cheshire Police’s area Traffic Management Officer and will include directional flow of traffic. High visibility clothing will be provided by the appropriate Local Authority. A Community Speed Watch is designed to be used in situations which require the monitoring of speed of vehicles in pursuit of the following activities:

 Reduce death and injury on the roads.

 Improve the quality of life for local communities.

 Reduce traffic noise and pollution in local communities. If you are interested in participating in a community speed watch scheme then drop me an email for further details: [email protected] News Stories From Your Local Area

News Stories From Your Local Area

Cheshire Police Alert System I realise that I have sent all members this update via Cheshire police alert! However I am asking that you recommend the Alert service to all of your friends, family and colleagues. They can either sign up themselves or ask any PCSO or police officer including myself to sign them up. This way, myself and other police officers can contact a great number of people with any important updates or alerts. (Including the monthly newsletter) Sign up at… https://www.cheshirepolicealert.co.uk/ Or if they prefer they can call 101 and ask an officer to sign them up. Easy!

‘Cheshire Police Alert is the community messaging system brought to you by Cheshire Constabulary and servicing the whole of Cheshire. By registering with Cheshire Police Alert, you receive news and appeals, local crime information and crime prevention advice - direct to you as an e-mail, mobile text or voice message. Registering with this site is completely free, and not only allows you to receive messages about your local area, but also allows you to feed back information to your local policing teams to help them better police your neighbourhood.

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Cheshire Police has launched its new approach to community policing, which will see dedicated police officers assigned to each of the county’s 122 policing areas to tackle crime and support communities. They will spend more time in the heart of their dedicated communities and be given time to deal with issues that matter most to local residents.

Another benefit of the changes is local residents will have more opportunities than ever before to directly contact their officers - either online, through social media, or face-to- face during police surgeries.