On this page – What it's all about –
How to make contact – Crimestoppers – SmartWater– Home & Car Security
Avoid Distraction Burglaries

What it's all about Our village has set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, sponsored by the Parish Council, to help the Police combat crime. The scheme is not run by the Police but by volunteers in the village led by a chairman and committee. It costs nothing to belong and costs nothing to help. It does provide helpful advice to us and we are all encouraged to keep our eyes open and report anything unusal. At present (December 2007) the sheme is very new and will take time to get fully functional with local "Street Contacts" for groups of houses/roads. They will be able to pass on information to you about local concerns and what, in particular, to look out for. If you are reading this you almost certainly have an email address and if you pass this to the chairman, Nick Brookman, he will be able to get information (and other interesting news) to you more quickly.

How to make contact

If you see a crime actully being committed then always dial 999 at once.

If you see anything suspicious, any anti-social behaviour or the result of a crime then phone the local Police (manned 24/7) on the new number 03000 111 222 asap – i.e. now, tomorrow may be too late. If you prefer, you can email the Daventry Police instead of phoning them (but it is slower).

The Crimestoppers (see below for more details) number is 0800 555 111

For matters concerning our Neighbourhood Watch email the chairman.

Northamptonshire CRIMESTOPPERS

Crimestoppers enables peole to get information passed to the Police without revealing their identity. It doesn't matter why they wish to remain anonymous. Perhaps they are concerned for their safety. Perhaps they have information about the activities of someone close to them. All information is valuable and can lead direcly to offenders being arrested and charged.

SmartWater -- It's Magic!!

SmartWater can be painted (or dabbed) onto any of your valuable possessions. It can only be seen under ultra-violet light and so a thief will not notice it but, when caught, the Police will see it. Each batch is different and registered to you. This helps the Police prove that the goods are stolen and also helps to get them back to you, the righful owner.

There is a very special deal for members of any Neighbourhood Watch scheme. The initial cost is reduced to just £15 + VAT+P&P (=£18.63) and the annual registration cost is waived altogether. If you live in Braunston you can order your kit by emailing Nick Brookman, our Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator.

Home & Car Security -- A message from the Northamptonshire Police

HOME SECURITY:

Please keep all entry doors locked at all times. When you go out, and also when you go to bed at night, remove keys from locks, making sure they are hidden from view but easily accessible to you in case of emergency.

Make sure downstairs windows, and those accessible via a flat roof, are closed whenever you are out of sight of them.
A few days ago, offenders in Northampton stole someone's wallet simply by reaching through an open window.

Keep house keys, mobile phones, purses/wallets etc out of sight in a safe place which is accessible to you but is not the first place an offender will look.

Check that your garage access points are locked when it is not in use.

If you have a house alarm, remember to set it whenever you leave the house and at night when you go to bed. An offender will not hang around long, once an alarm has gone off.

Whenever you leave your vehicle . . .

Please LOCK IT and make sure all windows are shut. It doesn't matter how quickly you intend to be back, an opportunist thief needs only seconds to steal your property.

Recent incidents have included property stolen from unlocked vehicles in the short space of time it took a man to unload items at a tip and also in the few seconds it took someone to pop back into their house for an item they'd forgotten. IF YOU LEAVE IT....REMEMBER TO LOCK IT.

Please REMOVE ALL VALUABLES (including SatNav cradles and the sucker mark which the holder leaves on the windscreen). It is not enough to "hide" items under a seat, in the glove box or in the boot. They're usually the first
places a criminal will look. Don't leave anything on view. It isn't just about the loss of your property, it's also about the cost and inconvenience of having your car repaired after a break-in.

If possible at night, lock your vehicle inside a locked garage, otherwise lock and park it in a well-lit open area. If your vehicle has an alarm, make sure it is set. At night, hide your car keys in the same way as your house keys.

Thank you.

Avoid Distraction Burglaries - Advice from the Police

With the start of the New Year it’s a chance for people to get into good habits to try and avoid becoming the victim of distraction burglaries.
The number of distraction burglaries in the county as a whole has fallen in the last year but police want to see the number lowered even further.

With New Year resolutions no doubt falling by the wayside, Northamptonshire Police would like to see every householder keep one – If you are not sure, don’t open the door.

From January to December 2006 there was 234 distraction burglaries in Northamptonshire compared with 211 for the same period of 2007.

A police spokesperson said: “We treat distraction burglaries very seriously and good preventative work and good investigation are both equally important.

“We would encourage people in the community to pass on the message that distraction burglars can be beaten. Rogue workmen and distraction burglars rely on engaging someone in conversation as the fist step towards getting into their home. If people can remember not to open the door if they are not expecting someone to call, we can help cut the number of people who become victims of this callous crime even further.”

There is some clear guidance for people with regard to avoiding becoming the victim of distraction burglars.

- If you are not sure, don’t open the door.
- Keep your front door, back door and windows locked at all times – even if you are expecting someone.
- Fit a spyhole so that you can see who is there. Choose one with built-in intercom or speak to callers through a window to find out what they want.
- Don’t be tricked. Only open the door if you know the caller – or if they have made a written appointment to see you. Genuine callers won’t mind.
- ID cards are easy to reproduce so don’t trust them. Never use phone numbers printed on ID cards to verify the callers ID, instead ring the appropriate number given here.
- Set up a password with utility companies. If the caller doesn’t know your password then they aren’t genuine.
- Don’t use tradesmen who call offering to do work. Good quality workmen will be too busy to look for business this way.
- Don’t keep large quantities of cash at home – use a bank account instead.
- Avoid buying or selling any goods or services at the door.
- Ring Police if you have received a visit from anyone you are suspicious of – you may prevent your neighbour from becoming a victim.

Write down the vehicle number / telephone number but . . .

. . . let us know if you have any suspicions. Genuine businesses won't mind being spoken to & checked out, as these criminals ae taking business away from them. Please do not place yourself at risk at any time. You can pass on any details or concerns in a number of ways (see above).

Advice about Bargain Auctions and Sales
"Think before you buy" is the message from Trading Standards Officers when it comes to bargain sales or auction events, which sometimes have offers that are too good to be true.
These sales can be described as liquidation sales, cancelled contracts or emergency auctions and are usually advertised in local newspapers or through leaflets. Shoppers are enticed by bargain prices or well known brands, but once the sale begins you could land up paying a lot more than you bargained for.
The advice from Trading Standards is:
1. Think carefully before even attending.
2. Always read the conditions of the sale. There will often be a buyer's premium plus VAT to be added to the final selling price.
3. Treat the sale with scepticism.
4. Explore how you may be able to return faulty goods for a refund. Some sales specifically exclude a consumer's right to obtain a refund on faulty goods.
5. Branded goods may be advertised at very low prices. Trading Standards believe that in most cases branded articles are not available and certainly not at the advertised price.

More information and advice is available on their website.