Day 65: Cottesloe School students continue to patrol with officers and spot potential crime risks

Yesterday (21/1) the Aylesbury Vale PCSOs were out hosting ‘have your say’ meetings at a number of locations.

The Waddesdon and Haddenham PCSOs went to various toddler groups and coffee mornings in Ickford and Worminghall which have been targeted for theft from vehicle offences recently. 

PCSOs in Wendover were highly visible on Manor Waste in the centre of the village

Buckingham PCSOs were at George Browns Ltd, horticultural machinery suppliers

Wing PCSOs signed up 72 people to Thames Valley Alert from various places along the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire borders.

Following on from Monday, students from Cottesloe School went out and about with local police officers to do some rural crime surveys in Stoke Hammond and Edlesborough. They spotted a potential crime target in the form of an unattended van with the back doors open, iPad left in view on the front seat and keys in the ignition!

Target for opportunist thieves!

A proactive operation began in the evening with ANPR over at Wing and then spread over to Buckingham later in the evening.  

Patrols took place where the Great Train Robbery happened over 50 years ago

DAY 32: High visibility patrols in hotspot areas of South Oxfordshire and the Vale

Neighbourhood teams carried out high-visibility patrols across hotspot areas of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse yesterday (17/9).

‘Hotspot’ areas tend to be areas which attract certain types of crime. The team patrolled the Nettlebed, Goring, Christmas Common and areas along the B4009 from Chinnor to Watlington. These areas have suffered breaks to out-buildings and sheds, theft from vehicles and hare coursing in the past.

South Oxfordshire and the Vale have the highest rural crime rate compared with the other local policing areas, but it is the largest area too! There were 89 incidents reported in 2012/13 financial year and 78 incidents reported so far this year which shows a 12 per cent decrease at the moment.



Patrolling hotspot areas



Hare coursing and poaching offences have been on the rise though with 73 incidents reported this year and 58 reported last year.

Listen to our podcast about hare coursing to find out more.

To protect your farm out-buildings, consider these crime prevention tips:

·         Make sure all windows and door frames and in good repair

·         Fit good quality deadlocks which conform to the latest British standards to all external doors

·         Fit good quality window locks

·         Consider installing security lights

·         If you are interested in installing intruder alarms, get comprehensive advice from a reputable security company who conform to the national standards such as the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) or the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB)

·         Be aware of any suspicious activity or crime happening in your area by signing up to the Country Watch messaging service.

During the patrols, the team visited 23 farms to give general crime prevention advice and delivered 53 Country Watch packs and gate signs while out and about. On visits to Thame, Faringdon and Watlington weekly markets, 100 people were signed up to Thames Valley and Country Watch alerts.

DAYS 1- 4, Milton Keynes kick off 100 days of action!

Monday (22/7) saw the start of TVPs 100 days of action to tackle rural crime in the not-so seemingly rural LPA, Milton Keynes.

For the first of their five day stints, the Rural Milton Keynes Neighbourhood Team decided to intensively patrol 'off the beaten track' locations in high visability off-road vehicles, conduct Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operations in hotspot locations and visit all 80 farms on the area to offer specific crime prevention advice.


Patrolling off the beaten track

 Here is what happened...

One of the most isolated villages in the neighbourhood area, Newton Blossomville, was targetted by criminals who committed 17 burglary and theft from vehicle offences both in the village and just over the border into Bedfordshire.

Since then, two men have been arrested and charged with 17 counts of conspiracy to steal. The two men Wilson Turney, aged 20, of High Street South, Olney and 21 year-old Scott Cannon, of Tabbard Gardens in Newport Pagnell appeared at Milton Keynes Magistrates Court today (26/7), Turney has been remanded in custody and Cannon has been conditionally released on electronic tag both until the 1 August.

A 15 year-old boy from Bedford Road, Olney has also been arrested on suspicion of four counts of theft of theft from motor vehicle, one count of burglary dwelling, six counts of burglary non dwelling and three counts of attempted theft from a motor vehicle. He has been released on bail until the Tuesday (30/7).

The ANPR operation resulted in six vehicles being stopped and dealt with for road traffic offences.

Although strictly speaking, these crimes don't come under the TVP 'rural crime definition', this is an example of how intensive operational work can not only build intelligence on the crimes Thames Valley Police are focussing on, but also detect other crimes which are of a serious concern to the community.

Sergeant Andy Paulden, who has led the team this week, said: "We're fortunate that we have a relatively low number of rural crimes happening within our area compared to other areas in the Force, however we acknowledge that when these crimes, or any other crimes do happen, they have a profound effect on the farming and rural community.

"We will be carrying on our high visibility patrols with the hope of disrupting and catching criminals who are of most concern to the area."

More information about rural crime, Country Watch and the Thames Valley Rural Crime Partnership can be found on the Thames Valley Police website.