DAY 70: Plant and agricultural machinery thefts within the Thames Valley continue to fall say PANIU

The latest Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU) report has listed the Thames Valley area in equal eighth place (out of ten) in a list showing the levels of plant and agricultural machinery thefts, whereby first place is the force with the highest level and tenth is the force with the lowest level of plant thefts.

The report shows that the Thames Valley area has seen a gradual drop in offences since October 2012 until September 2013.

This is a great achievement for Thames Valley Police as traditionally, the South East region is subject to one of the highest levels of plant and agricultural thefts. The figures for the Thames Valley are particularly good considering the size of the rural area the Force covers when compared to other forces which cover much less.

The rest of the PANIU report can be found on the Datatag website.

Earlier last year, Thames Valley Police received an award from Datatag in recognition of its commitment to proactive policing to combat construction and agricultural equipment thefts and have continued the effort into this year.

Thames Valley Police security marked over 300 agricultural machines last year with the Construction Equipment Security and Registration (CESAR) security system.

Thames Valley Police continue to offer a discount on Datatag’s CESAR kits to residents living in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

The benefits of getting your equipment registered with CESAR include:

• Easily identifiable machinery 
•  Swift identification should your machinery get stolen
• Swift return of stolen machinery to the rightful owner
• CESAR security symbol on the machinery will deter thieves

The standard price for the CESAR kit is £149 plus VAT. The Thames Valley Police discount allows residents to have the kit installed for £88 plus VAT.

Find out more about the CESAR scheme on the official website.

To take advantage of this offer, call the Datatag booking line 01784 778 310 and mention Thames Valley Police.

DAY 58: Chiltern and South Bucks continue crime prevention visits (and come across some unusual livestock!)

The teams across Chiltern and South Bucks have continued attending their crime prevention appointments. Here is what they got up to yesterday (16/1):

Funny looking cows!?

 At each visit, the team conduct a farm security assesment. The assesment is for farm owners, managers, employees and land owners to help them improve the security of their premises.

The security assesment has been put together by Thames Valley Police's crime prevention and reduction advisors and contains advice on low cost security solutions in a common sense approach.

In the assesment you will find crime prevention advice about:

• Controlling access to farms
• Tools
• Metal theft
• Agricultural machinery protection
• Field security
• Livestock
• Wildlife crime
• Out buildings
• Home security

Don't feel like you've missed out on a visit because you can view and download the same farm security assesment from the Thames Valley Police website.

Property marking

PC Simon Caddy being attacked by bush

PC Simon Caddy had one of these as a boy

DAY 56: Milton Keynes wildlife officer gives talk to local schools on wildlife and rural crime

On Tuesday (14/1), PC Andy Perry, one of the Thames Valley Police wildlife officers, gave the second of his five planned talks to local schools on wildlife and rural crime.

Andy later explained he was very impressed with the knowledge the year 6 pupils at Olney Middle possessed about some of the issues he discussed.

PC Andy Perry talking about wildlife crime to a local school

There are currently four wildlife officers within Thames Valley. These officers conduct their wildlife duties alongside their normal day to day shift work as a police constable.

• Issues wildlife officers will investigate include:
• Hare coursing
• Poaching
• Collecting birds of prey eggs
• Killing protected species and collecting skins (either for personal collection or to sell them on)
• Destroying protected habitats such as bat roosts
• Taxidermy offences

Hare coursing is one of the rural crime focuses for Thames Valley Police. Listen to our podcast to hear PC Dean Kingham tell us why it is such a problem for rural communities.

Elsewhere, PC Caroline McLaughlin took on the responsibility for the running the daily ANPR checks.

She and colleagues identified the most commonly used routes in and out of the county (cross border areas are notorious rat runs for offenders wanting to make a quick escape) and yesterday (14/1), she set up on the A428 just outside Lavendon. 

Monitoring ANPR

ANPR operation in progress

Out of 160 number plates read, six vehicles were stopped and dealt with for various traffic related offences such as no insurance.

DAY 54: Chiltern and South Bucks teams continue crime prevention quest!

Here is the day in pictures...

PCSO Matt Sansom putting up Country Watch signs at Haywill Farm, Bellingdon

PCSO Matt Sansom horse whispering!

CRE (Crime Reduction Enterprise) products are used to deter thieves and prevent property from being stolen using the overt property marking technique.

The CRE-Mark silver marker is used to write your postcode and house number of first two letters of your house name in a clear and obvious place on your property. The marker is permanent, visible to would be thieves and if your property does happen to get stolen, the items are easily traceable back to the rightful owners.

You can also register property on the nation database Immobilise. This is a national database used by police forces in the UK when stolen property is found to try and locate the rightful owner. If your property is registered on the site and happens to get stolen, there is more chance of having the property returned to you if it is either security marked or registered!

Other ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) approved suppliers of forensic property marking equipment are:

Smartwater

Redweb

SelectaMark (supplier of SelectaDNA)

Crime prevention advice for securing your tools:

• Lock tools away in secure building or part of building when not in use
• Invest in a secure storage tool box
• Consider protecting the building where tools are kept with an alarm
• Tools should be uniquely marked, photographed and recorded, include your postcode and property name or number.
• Consider ‘Post coding’ and marking tools and equipment using the premises postcode and house number or first three letters of the property name
• Use property marking to uniquely mark tools. Popular options include overt visible permanent marking (painting or CRE-mark), or UV marking and DNA products.

PC Adam Thomas CRE-marking tools

 

 

 

DAY 53: Neighbourhood teams across Chiltern and South Bucks visit repeat victims of rural crime (and Olympic gold medallist horse!)

Neighbourhood teams across the Chiltern and South Bucks LPA will be attending identified rural locations for crime reduction activity by appointment. The locations identified have historically been subject to crime.

Over five days the teams are aiming to visit 30 premises and will:

• Conduct a crime reduction survey of home and business premises and offer advice about how to better protect land and property
• Discuss any crime concerns, particularly anything which is happening locally
• Have property, horse tack and small machinery security marked
• Give advice on security marking larger items like plant and tractors
• Sign people up to the Country Watch Alerts messaging system to receive up to date news, appeals and crime reduction advice for the local area.

 Here is what the team got up to on Monday (13/1):

PCSO Vicky Kiffin property marking at Richings Park Golf Club in Iver

Example of tack marking

Sgt Lucy Price with an Olympic Gold medalist horse at the Riding School for the Disabled in Stoke Poges