Pocklington Provincial Police Update for August 2017

Pocklington Provincial Update for August 2017

1. Priority

Issue: Pocklington Town Centre area (Evenings):

Throughout August we are to continue our high visibility patrols of the Pocklington Town Centre area to deter potential anti-social behaviour. These patrols include regular checks on peripheral areas at Pocklington Infants’ School, Maxwell Road (periodic reports of criminal damage and youths causing annoyance), All Saints Church (periodic reports of anti-social behaviour on an evening), the Tennis Club (reports of anti-social behaviour, (ASB)) and town car parks (reports of low level anti-social behaviour). Criminal offenders will be challenged robustly, arrested or reported for summons. Penalty Notices for Disorder or warning letters may be used in appropriate cases however, those who offend should expect to be arrested and dealt with if their anti social behaviour amounts to criminal offending.  The exercise of discretion should not be expected.

2. Pocklington – Vehicle related nuisance

To reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and its impact on the communities within the Pocklington area as well as taking positive action against offenders who cause ASB with their vehicles.  Hotspot areas in Pocklington will be checked regularly and any drivers using their cars to cause alarm or distress will be considered for warnings and possible seizure of their vehicles under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act.

3. Examples of crimes in your area

• Entry was gained into a property in Pocklington, keys taken and a vehicle stolen from the driveway.
• Both sets of number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked on a driveway in Stamford Bridge.
• Entry was gained into a property in Pocklington and cash was stolen.
• A lawn mower was stolen from an insecure shed in a rear garden in Low Catton.
• A garage was damaged.
• Tools were stolen from a building site in Wilberfoss.

4. News and Appeals

Sneak Thieves

We all want to relax and enjoy the warmer weather, however we still need to think about home security to prevent ourselves from becoming victims of crime.

So what do you need to consider?

You need to ensure that your home is always secure when you go out and that you don’t leave potential entry points open and accessible, for example a downstairs window or a door.  This also applies at night especially when it’s a warm muggy evening and you are thinking about leaving a downstairs window open for ventilation whilst you are asleep.

You may be out working in the garden and out of sight of the windows or doors that you have left open.  You could even be cutting the grass or hedge perhaps with a loud lawn mower/hedge cutter or be using power tools and it could be so easy in these circumstances for a sneak thief to take advantage of the situation, go inside your home and steal things, for example keys, handbags, wallets, laptops etc that are often on display or easily accessible. Also don’t leave valuable items, for example insecure bicycles in your garden thinking that they are safe, lock them up and put them away if they are no longer required, as again it doesn’t take long for someone to sneak into a front or rear garden and steal them.

The same applies with garages. We often leave the doors wide open and go off into the garden leaving everything in them on display.  How easy is it then for someone to take advantage of this situation and steal bikes, power tools or garden equipment!

Lastly there’s your vehicles to consider: On a warm day, there might be a temptation to leave your car parked on the drive with its windows open to allow fresh air to circulate, along with items ,eg a sat nav, coat or shopping bags on clear view that you just haven’t managed to bring in doors yet!.  These items can all be stolen very quickly, but the worst case scenario is that your car could be stolen too.

The kinds of thefts described are committed by opportunists who could be wandering around your neighbourhood looking to take advantage of people who leave their property insecure so think security at all times and don’t become a victim of crime!