DAYS 37 and 38: Mobile police station stops at Burford Garden Centre and oil thefts are of particular concern

On Monday (23/9) the 100 days of action team covering Cherwell and West Oxfordshire policing areas set up the mobile police station at Burford Garden Centre to speak to passers by about their crime concerns.

Oil and diesel thefts seemed to have been of particular concern. Here is some advice and ideas about how to protect fuel tanks. Alternatively, OFTEC offer advice and guidance for those who use and store oil at their premises.

The position of the tank has a significant effect on its vulnerability:

• If it’s close to the house and overlooked then a thief may consider the chances of being seen too high.
• If it’s close to the road or other access points then it will be an easier target.
• Hiding it behind the garage or other structure is commonplace but can be an advantage to the thief as they are likely to be well hidden also
• If tanks are to be stored in an outbuilding then there are strict regulations which must be followed and advice should be sought from the Fire Service and OFTEC.

More security measures:

• Consider using control switches to control the flow of oil and isolate the electricity supply when the tank is not in use.
• Consider using oil level gauge alarms: These remote control alarms activate if the tank level suddenly drops or falls below a quarter full.
• Consider using Proximity GSM alarms: These are battery operated motion sensor alarms, which can alert designated mobile phones when motion activity has been detected around the tank
• Consider CCTV: This can be set up to watch over an isolated tank and may be a deterrent.
• Defensive planting is nature's way of helping reduce crime: Thieves will not want to fight their way through or over a thorny hedge. Ripped clothing or blood may help the police identify an offender.
• Consider restricting access to the tank with walls, fences and trellising. This should be constructed in close proximity to the tank.
• Consider protecting the tank with metal cages, grills and guards, these are available with lockable access points. Ensure someone is available when the tank needs to be filled.
• Closed shackle padlocks offer the most resistance to the bolt cropper
• Security Lighting: If your tank is visible from your home, this can deter thieves. Low level “dusk til dawn" or PIR motion detection lighting can be effective crime deterrent.
• Remember to check the oil level in your tank regularly, look for any spilt fuel, marks on the locks or anything else suspicious.

The Oil Save website also offers further advice.

 

Visiting farms offering Country Watch advice

Checking tractors fitted out with CESAR security technology

Tuesday (24/9) saw the Woodstock neighbourhood team patrol local farms handing out comprehensive crime prevention packs which cover a number of issues farmers and land owners have around protecting their farms, machinery and livestock.

The crime reduction advisor for the area has also spent the week visiting repeat victims of rural crime to offer advice about their main concerns and carry out farm security checks and talk about how to better protect property and land from thieves and trespassers. 

Whilst police officers appreciate farms are busy working environments, they are encouraging farmers and their staff to secure gates and ensure their farms are not left open to opportunistic theft by locking vehicles and where possible, keep items which may be vulnerable, out of sight. 

Take a look at our 12 point check list to get an idea of some of the information your neighbourhood team and crime reduction officer can offer you:

·         Nameplate: is your house/farm sign displayed at the entrance?

·         Fire hydrant: Where is the nearest fire hydrant?

·         Water supplies: Location of available additional water supplies for example  tanks, ponds, rivers

·         Evacuation plan: Is a written animal evacuation plan available at all times?

·         Dangerous animals: Are stables/ stalls/ fields identifiable if you are not there?

·         Flammable risks: What materials do you have on site and are they suitably stored away from fire risks?

·         Chemicals: What chemicals are stored, how many and where? Are they marked with the relevant safety instructions?

·         Fuel/ diesel: Are supplies/ tanks/ pipes clearly marked?

·         Staff: Are your staff aware of emergency procedures and contact numbers?

·         Housekeeping: Are your electrics, workshops and yards maintained and kept tidy?

·         Public: Are you hosting the general public on your property? How many are likely to be present?

·         Agricultural buildings: How many buildings do you have on the site? What size are they and what is their current use, i.e. animal, crops, hay, chemicals, machinery?

DAY 23: Police officers in Aylesbury patrol off road and visit 667 houses

The team set off in the police 4x4s to patrol the off road areas around the Buckingham villages yesterday.

Patrolling off road

Meanwhile the PCSOs and Aylesbury Vale District Council visited 667 houses in the villages around Cheddington and signed up 154 to the alerts messaging system.

An ANPR operation set up on the Bedfordshire border flagged up 38 vehicles of interest to police out of the 2005 vehicles which drove past. These were all for traffic offences such as no insurance and all were pulled over and dealt accordingly.

PCSOs and AVDC set off to visit residents around Cheddington



ANPR on the Bedfordshire border



Day 23 ended with an evening talk at a school in Buckingham about wildlife crime. Hare coursing and poaching are both rural crime priorities for Thames Valley Police to tackle.

It is now the time of year when hare coursers and poachers become a real problem for the farmers and landowners in the area and police officers are encouraging anyone who sees suspicious activity or thinks people may be poaching or hare coursing to report it to police straight away.

What to look out for:

·         Groups of vehicles parked up in a gateway, bridle path, farm tracks or grass verges, anywhere rural!

·         There will usually be estate cars, 4x4s or vans. You may see evidence that there have been dogs inside the cars like muddy paw prints or dog hairs

·         Hare coursers often travel in convoy with transit vans and the front and back and the cars in the middle

·         Lights or torches at night in wooded areas or across fields could be a sign of someone illegally hunting

·         Hare coursing tends to start after harvest (end of August, beginning of September) but it can continue up until Christmas.

If anyone sees any of the above, even if you think it’s probably nothing, call police on 101 straight away.

Participants of hare coursing and poaching do not consider the land they are trespassing on. Their vehicles ruin land and crops which can cost the land owner a lot of money.

Visiting a farm in Shalstone

DAY 10: Having your say about rural crime

Throughout the last five days, Chiltern and South Bucks have run six ‘Have Your Say’ meetings at key rural locations within the area.

Yesterday (8/8), a very successful ‘Have Your Say’ was run at Dorney Court Garden Centre in Dorney. Over 70 people met with PCSOs and had the chance to talk about what rural crime issues concerned them most. 30 attendees agreed to sign up to the Thames Valley Alert messaging service and the majority left with packs of crime prevention advice and ideas about how to secure their property and land.

You can find specific advice about how to protect your farm and land on the Country Watch pages on the Thames Valley Police website or contact your Neighbourhood Team at any time if you would like to speak to someone in person about protecting your property.

Giving crime prevention advice and a Country Watch gate sign