Latest Watch Word

BIRCHINGTON NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

The Neighbourhood Watch movement is the largest voluntary organisation in the UK, embracing well

 over 150,000 street schemes covering more than 6 million households over more than a quarter of the

 country. The prime objective of Neighbourhood Watch, which celebrated its twenty first birthday in the

 year 2003, is to encourage, promote and develop close co-operation between the public and the Police to

 reduce and prevent crime. The movement is notably strongly developed throughout Thanet and the

County of Kent, which have seen considerable reductions in all categories of crime over the last several

years as a result of new Policing methods and increasing information forthcoming from Neighbourhood

 Watch members.

Birchington Neighbourhood Watch was originally conceived in the mid-1980s by a group of like-minded

individuals with lots of community spirit and a desire to do something for the village by way of reducing

crime levels. They formed small groups, and gradually became organised into a formal Executive Committee

meeting on a regular basis to discuss problems and maintain contact with Thanet Police. Birchington

Neighbourhood Watch has gone from strength to strength over the years, successfully establishing additional

street schemes and finding replacements for street co-ordinators forced through age, infirmity or work

commitment to adopt a less active role. Current strength amounts some 90 street co-ordinators with coverage

of over 60% of the village in both geographic and demographic terms.

Without doubt, the greatest challenge facing Neighbourhood Watch both in the immediate and long-term

future will be the recruitment of fresh and younger blood into the organisation in order to develop new

strategies for the 21st century and to attract funding to ensure that the Watch is equipped with the latest

technology to maintain its channels of communication. If you are interested in helping your community or

for further information, please contact the Secretary below:-

Secretary – Dennis Cooper (tel 01843 845933)

For general information about Neighbourhood Watch, check the following websites:

www.neighbourhoodwatch.uk.com

www.kentcommunity.messaging.net

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH LATEST NEWS – ONGOING CONCERNS

While overall crime levels in Birchington remain low by comparison with other areas, there are incidents

which continue to demonstrate the need for better personal and home security, eg the growing cases of bogus

callers, rogue tradesmen, doorstep sellers and a wide variety of scams. And too many burglaries occur

because of lax security, eg insecure doors, windows, side passages or alleyways. It is good to review

regularly one’s current levels of security, bearing in mind in particular the fact that burglars prefer to break

into a house through a back door or window, or at the side.

Protect your possessions when out and about …

Now that summer is in full swing (ha ha!) it is very important to make sure that you take all practical steps to

protect your money, valuables etc - a thief only needs a moment to make off with them. Your coat hung up in

a restaurant, your briefcase beside your chair, even your cheque book and cheque card left on the table while

you pay a bill. Do not look away, be vigilant. Your money and plastic cards – please do not make it easy for

the pickpocket; keep your purse and wallet safe at all times. Keep cheque card and cheque book separate.

Watch out for your mobile phone, never let your handbag out of sight – and do not leave your bag or purse

open to view on your supermarket trolley. Lock your car, do not leave belongings, including shopping, on

display.

Rogue tradesmen - this breed of con men continue to ply their rotten trade, often deliberately targeting the

elderly or otherwise vulnerable members of the community. They usually crawl out of the woodwork at this

time of the year, so beware of callers who offer you special deals on tarmacing your drive, repairing your

roof or pruning your trees, or providing security alarm systems etc. Their sole interest is in bilking you of

your hard-earned cash. Never sign bank forms and never let anyone drive you to your bank/building society

to withdraw money from your savings. Above all, make sure that you use reputable, local tradesmen and get

advice from neighbours or friends - or consult your nearest Neighbourhood Watch representative.

Bogus Callers/Distraction Burglary/Doorstep Sellers - while many callers to your door may be genuine, it

is very important indeed that you take a few simple precautions to avoid becoming the victim of attempts to

gain entry to your home with the sole purpose of relieving you of money and valuables when your attention

is distracted. Bogus callers come in all shapes, sizes and guises - and of all ages – often posing as meter

readers, Council employees, Charity collectors or even the Police Please remember to think before you open

your door. Use a door viewer to make an initial check of callers and if you feel confident enough to open

your door always use a security door chain to ensure that you remain in control of the situation. Ask for proof

of identity (telephoning the callers’ company for example to check) if you do not know them - genuine

callers will not mind being asked for this., Do not take any chances, there is no la`w which says that you

must open your door to callers. If you are suspicious, notify the Police and your nearest Neighbourhood

Watch representative providing as much detail as possible, including descriptions of the individuals and any

vehicles involved which will help in warning others.

Scams – there has been a good deal of national coverage of scams, which are usually run by organised

criminals. A number of these involve news that you have won a huge sum of money in some lottery with the

invitation to provide a large fee up front in order to complete your so-called good fortune. Some such calls

invite you to press a number on your keypad for further information – doing so will result in your telephone

line being fixed on a premium rate number and clocking up extremely large telephone bills. A relatively new

track is for you to receive an e-mail, purportedly from your bank or some other financial institution

requesting that you verify on line details of your account/s, PIN numbers etc. Never provide such information

on-line or in response to any mail shot – Banks do not operate in this way and will always make special

arrangements directly with you. Even then you should make sure that you check with your local branch or

with a known contact at your bank before providing any such details. The latest scam involves

advertisements in regular and free newspapers for fast loans regardless of credit history – beware, these also

ask you to reveal details which can then be used for other purposes and involve paying a fat fee up front

(£4000, for example). Always remember, money does not grow on trees and if something sounds too good to

be true, it never is!

Furniture - do not buy furniture or other items being sold from the back of vehicles – these are often stolen

goods or are uncontrolled imports not meeting current standards of safety. In the case of upholstered good

(sofas, mattresses etc.) this can be extremely dangerous, causing fires in the home resulting in loss of life.

Please advise Neighbourhood Watch of details and descriptions (including vehicle type and registration etc)

if you come across this activity.

 

Last Update January 2008