WATCH WORD For & Newsletter of CITY & COUNTY NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH – (LEICESTER & LEICESTERSHIRE) Working in SUPPORT of . Charity No. 1072275 Issue 34/2016 The City & County Neighbourhood Watch is here to represent the concerns of members and their families. We operate entirely outside the police chain of command, so we can always promise an independent and confidential service Working in SUPPORT of LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE

SAVE THE DATE! - THURSDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 - 7.30pm

CITY & COUNTY NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

MEMBERS YEARLY MEETING

ST THOMAS MORE CHURCH HALL, Knighton Road, Leicester, LE2 3TT

Guest Presenter will Be: Debbie Gardner – Relationship Coordinator – Severn Trent Water – supported by Leicestershire Police

TOPIC: BOGUS CALLERS / DISTRACTION BURGLARS

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE

Kayleigh’s Love Story shortlisted for national award

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Issued on 26/8/16 at 2:17 p.m.

A five minute film produced by Leicestershire Police highlighting the dangers of online grooming has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Kayleigh’s Love Story is one of the finalists in the Social Screen category of the Clarion Awards run by EVCOM – the so-called Oscars of the specialist video produced by the corporate and charity sectors.

The film tells the story of aspects of the last two weeks in the life of Measham Schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood who was groomed online over 13 days by Ibstock resident Luke Harlow.

She eventually agreed to spend the evening at his house, and two days later she was raped and murdered by his next door neighbour, Stephen Beadman.

The film has been made to raise greater awareness amongst children and parents of grooming and child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Controlled screenings of the film start at secondary schools next month and it is hoped that every child aged 11 and above in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will have seen the film by Christmas.

The film has also been released to every other Police force in the UK, and it will posted online in 2017.

Deputy Chief Constable Roger Bannister said: “The film was made with the support of Kayleigh’s parents and was done in consultation with experts in their field throughout the UK.

“The intention behind the film is to keep children safe and to prevent online grooming which, as Kayleigh’s Story illustrates, can have tragic consequences.

“We are delighted that it has been recognised by EVCOM and shortlisted for an award”.

The film was made by Loughborough-based Affixxius Films, whose senior partner Tim Cabrelli said: "It is difficult to be ‘proud’ of a piece such as this due to it’s content and, although its technical and artistic execution is testament to the immense talent of the Affixxius Films team, we’re delighted with the shortlisting but hope that it is recognised for its message above all else."

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE

Cadets hit the road to Krefeld for a soapbox derby

Some of the group at Leicestershire Police Headquarters this morning, with Chief Constable Simon Cole.

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Issued on 26/8/16 at 10:39 a.m.

This morning (26 August) eight cadets and leaders from Leicestershire Police will be swapping their bacon cobs to schnitzels as they travel to Krefeld, Germany, to take part in their annual soapbox derby.

The soapbox derby is on Sunday 28 August and is a key date in the Krefeld social calendar. The cadets are flying out today to ensure they have time to experience all that our twin-town has to offer, and to give them enough time to decorate their soapbox before Sunday.

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During their trip the group will be meeting with the town’s Oberbürgermeister (the town Mayor) and the town’s police force, and are looking forward to learning some German and making new contacts.

PC Simon O’Connell, organiser of the trip, said: “It will be a really good insight into the German culture and policing for the cadets, and I hope that we can make our contact with Krefeld more frequent after the trip.”

The trip follows a challenge set in June 2015 by a visiting youth group from Krefeld, but has only been made possible this year by the City of Leicester European Twinning Association (CLETA) and the International Policing Association (IPA) kindly offering to fund it.

The cadets will be accompanied by cadet leaders Tracy Ward and Sergeant Graham (also Lead Co-ordinator of the Volunteer Police Cadet programme) and PC O’Connell. Representatives from CLETA and the Leicester branch of the IPA will also be attending the trip.

Clive Wood, Chairman of the Leicester branch of the IPA and retired Superintendent, said:

“I am extremely excited to be able to reignite the special connection that we hold with Krefeld, and our friends from their IPA branch. It is great to get the younger generations involved with one of our twin-towns, and I actually commenced my policing journey as a cadet, so I am really pleased to be a part of it.”

Krefeld is located about 16 miles (27km) northwest of Dusseldorf, and is known as ‘The City of Velvet and Silk’ due to its central role in the textile trade. The German town twinned with Leicester in 1969 as an effort to improve relations following World War II, and a relationship lasting over 40 years has followed.

Sergeant Graham said: “I think it will be a fantastic experience for the cadets, and I am very proud to be able to take them there. But if it wasn’t for cadet leaders we wouldn’t be able to run visits like this. We are currently recruiting for 20 more cadet leaders, so please do get in touch if you are interested”.

The cadets will be posting live updates on our Facebook, Twitter and snapchat account (leicspolice), so please follow them for more information.

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE

Thousands commit to help stop child sexual abuse

Kayleigh's parents support CEASE

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Issued on 24/8/16 at 9:23 a.m.

More than 5,000 people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have backed a campaign to stop children being sexually abused and exploited.

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Among those who have given their support are the parents of Measham teenager Kayleigh Haywood who was groomed online over 13 days before being raped and murdered last year.

The campaign is called CEASE, the Commitment to Eradicate Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of children and young people, and was launched in February by Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

It aims to raise greater public awareness of the crime and invites people to sign a pledge committing to do all they can to spot the signs children may be being abused or exploited and to report their concerns.

In the six months since its launch, a total of 5,285 children and adults have signed the pledge, including Stephanie Haywood and Martin Whitby.

Other signatories include former football team captain and Leicester City legend Gary Lineker, Bend it Like Beckham actress Parminder Nagra, BBC Apprentice star Melody Houssaini and Leicester Tigers Players Tom Croft, Sam Harrison, Freddie Burns and Oli Bryant.

At the beginning of the campaign people pledged their support by completing an online form via the force’s website. Since then, four other ways have been introduced allowing the public to support the campaign, including the launch of a text service and hand-shaped cards which people can sign.

Stephanie Haywood said: “Our beautiful daughter was taken from us in the most horrific way as a result of being groomed online and we would not want any other family to suffer the heartbreak and pain that dominates our lives every single day.

“We would urge every adult and child to back this campaign. Society needs to be far more aware of the dangers of grooming, abuse and exploitation and the signs that this may be happening. Please sign the CEASE pledge and do what you can to stop this happening.”

There are five ways in which people can support CEASE:

 Sign the online pledge  Add the CEASE twibbon to your social media profile  Text CEASE to 87007 (texts will be charged at your standard local rate)  Sign a CEASE hand (available at police stations, public events and from your local neighbourhood beat team)  Send a CEASE hand selfie to LeicsPolice via Snapchat

ACTION FRAUD

Students are being recruited, sometimes unwittingly, as “mules” by criminals to transfer illegally obtained money between different bank accounts.

What is a money mule? A money mule is someone who is recruited by those needing to launder money obtained illegally. Criminals advertise fake jobs in newspapers and on the internet in a number of ways, usually offering opportunities to make money quickly, in order to lure potential money mule recruits. These include:

Social media posts Copying genuine company’s websites to create impression of legitimacy Sending mass emails offering employment Targeting individuals that have posted their CVs on employment websites

Students are particularly susceptible to adverts of this nature. For someone in full-time education, the opportunity for making money quickly can understandably be an attractive one. The mule will accept money into their bank account, before following further instructions on what to do with the funds. Instructions could include transferring the money into a separate specified account or withdrawing the cash and forwarding it on via money transfer service companies like Western Union or MoneyGram. The mule is generally paid a small percentage of

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the funds as they pass through their account.

Money Laundering is a criminal offence which can lead to prosecution and a custodial sentence. Furthermore, it can lead to the mule being unable to obtain credit in the UK and prevented from holding a bank account.

Protect Yourself Be aware that the offence of money laundering carries a maximum prison sentence, in the UK, of 14 years. Never give the details of your bank account to anyone that you do not trust. No legitimate company will ever ask you to use your own bank account to transfer their money. Don’t accept any job offers that ask you to do this. Be wary of unsolicited emails or social media posts promising ways of earning easy money. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be afraid to question the legitimacy of any businesses that make you a job offer, especially if the recruitment procedure strays from the conventional.

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE

Suspicious Caller Alert

Issued on 23/8/16 at 10:43 a.m.

We have recently received a report of a suspicious caller posing as being from both Leicestershire County Council and , advising people that they are required to make an additional payment to their council tax.

The caller then went on to try to take the payment over the telephone.

Neither Leicester City Council or any of the district councils who collect Council Tax would ring you to try to take a payment over the telephone.

If you do receive a call from someone in relation to Council Tax, ask them to give you the Council Tax reference number and the balance outstanding, and check this against your bill.

Never give bank details or personal information to anyone that you don’t feel is 100% genuine. Any reputable company will be happy for you to check they are who they say they are before you give out personal information.

If you receive a call of this nature please be cautious and double check that the person calling is who they say they are.

If you live in the county your council tax is dealt with by the relevant District or Borough Council, not Leicestershire County Council.

We recommend asking the caller for their name and contact details so that you can call them back in order to check that they are legitimate. Official callers should have no problem providing you with this information as they will understand that you are cautious about giving out personal information over the phone. If the caller is not genuine they are likely to become defensive or flustered when questioned for this information.

If the caller provides you with their contact details, please check the number against the number of the relevant council tax department for your area. If the numbers do not match we recommend calling the number on the council’s website and asking to speak to the person who has called you.

Details of the numbers for the Borough/District councils can be found in the link below. http://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/find-your-district-council

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If you have a Council Tax query for the city council, call 0116 454 100.

If you believe you have been a victim of this type of call please report it to us by calling 101.

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE

POLICE SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM

EAST LEICESTER NPA

COLEMAN

The Coleman neighbourhood covers North and Crown Hills which has numerous busy shopping areas on Uppingham Road, East Park Road, Wicklow Drive and Ambassador Road where residents and visitors can access all types of stores and services. The area also has numerous places of worship from many different faiths that open the doors for anyone to learn more.

To find out more about what's happening in your local area read your local station Inspector's monthly update.

Each dedicated neighbourhood team is supported by the Special Constabulary.

Your dedicated neighbourhood team

Sgt James Thomas

Collar number: 2893

I have worked for Leicestershire Police since 2005. I started as a PCSO at Braunstone for over 2 years and I’ve since made the progression to Police Constable in March 2008. I have worked in a variety of roles in the city area mainly on the Keyham Lane local policing area including response and pro-active teams. I then went onto be a dedicated neighbourhood officer on the ward.

I have recently been a Sergeant on a patrol and resolution team covering the City centre and the East area.

I am very pleased to now be part of the Coleman and Evington beat wards. I am looking forward to my role in supporting the community and dealing with any policing issues they may have.

 Send an email to your neighbourhood team  Leave a voicemail for Sgt James Thomas by calling 101 and follow the instructions to leave a message for an officer. When prompted, key in the identification number 2893.

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PC Claire Jackson

Collar number: 4660

I joined Leicestershire Police in 2008, and worked at Spinney Hill Park police station, firstly on the St Matthews estate, and in May 2012 transferred to work with the Coleman Safer Neighbourhood team.

It is very important for local residents to ring the police, visit our office, or stop us and speak to us in the street with any concerns or to give us any information. It is only when issues or concerns are reported to us that we know what problems to tackle in the area.

 Send an email to your neighbourhood team  Leave a voicemail for PC Claire Jackson by calling 101 and follow the instructions to leave a message for an officer. When prompted, key in the identification number 4660.

PC Neil Patel

Collar number: 729

I have been with Leicestershire Police since July 2008. I was previously a PCSO for the Metropolitan Police and transferred to Leicestershire Police as a PCSO, working on the neighbourhood team in Lutterworth area.

I have been a Police officer for over 3 and years and worked in different departments. I enjoy working with communities and problem solving. I am the newest member of the Evington & Coleman Dedicated Neighbourhood Team. I look forward to meeting everyone and building good working relationships with residents and and partner agencies alike.

 Send an email to your neighbourhood team  Leave a voicemail for PC Neil Patel by calling 101 and follow the instructions to leave a message for an officer. When prompted, key in the identification number 0729.

PCSO Lee Williams

Collar number: 6083

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I joined Leicestershire Police in September 2013.

I work closely alongside the other more established officers of the Beat who you may already know, I look forward to meeting you all on the Beat so if you see me out and about, don’t hesitate to say hello.

 Send an email to your neighbourhood team  Leave a voicemail for PCSO Lee Williams by calling 101 and follow the instructions to leave a message for an officer. When prompted, key in the identification number 6083.

PCSO Sima Shah

Collar number: 6624

My name is PCSO 6624 Sima Shah. I joined the Police in April 2013 and work on the Coleman Ward Safer Neighbourhoods Team. I worked in the financial sector for 7 years. I am really keen to work with partners to identify and solve local issues. When you see me out and about come and chat to me. Alternatively keep a look out for details of meetings we will be at; they are all on the Leicestershire Police web site.

 Send an email to your neighbourhood team  Leave a voicemail for PCSO Sima Shah by calling 101 and follow the instructions to leave a message for an officer. When prompted, key in the identification number 6624.

PCSO Tracey Ward

Collar number: 6018

I joined Leicestershire Police in 2006 based as a Neighbourhood Officer at Mansfield House for 5 years before taking a 3 year career break from work to travel around, South East Asia, India, Nepal, Australia and New Zealand.

I returned back to the organisation in October 2014 and am now stationed at Spinney Hill Park at a Neighbourhood officer working on the Coleman Ward.

I can be found either or foot or pedal cycle, if you see me please feel free to stop and chat with me

 Send an email to your neighbourhood team  Leave a voicemail for PCSO Tracey Ward by calling 101 and follow the instructions to leave a message for an officer. When prompted, key in the identification number 6018.

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