BROMLEY HEATH

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

NEWSLETTER WINTER/SPRING 2013 EDITION ‘Working Together, Keeping You Safe.’

Your Contact Person is ……………………………………………. At Number…………………………………….

IN THIS ISSUE… Page 1: Help with number plates and leaflets. Page 2: Scams, PCCs. Page 3: SSCG, Speed watch, Police Cadet Scheme. Page 4: Useful numbers, Crime statistics.

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We are very grateful to the local businesses that advertise in this newsletter and hope that you will support them; however, we cannot endorse or recommend their services.

Welcome Packs If you are a new resident to Bromley Heath we do our best to drop a 'Welcome Pack' from your local Co-ordinator and Contact Point through the door. It is there to say 'Hello' and let you know who we are and explain what the Watch is all about and the area it covers. Unfortunately, we don't catch everyone, for a variety of reasons, so if you have moved in recently and not received a pack - 'Welcome ’ to you and your family and do please speak with your contact person (details above) or use the contact details on the back page to let us know and we'll get one to you.

Bromley Heath – your help is required! Number Plates Avon and Somerset Police Force is asking for your help with tracking down stolen car number plates. We have been advised by the Police that number plates are stolen from law-abiding motorists and then used to avoid detection when committing a crime. In January, eight were reported stolen in South Gloucestershire alone. If you find abandoned number plates whether broken or look like they may have just fallen off a vehicle please call 101. You will be asked for the registration number on the plate and where and when found. If your own are stolen please report the theft immediately otherwise the police will be knocking on your door as part of their enquiries!

No Cold Calling Zone s We are still working on bringing ‘no cold calling’ to other roads in Bromley Heath but in the meantime the Police have asked for your help in respect of the following: Please collect together any leaflets that you receive regarding companies offering services such as driveways, gardening, roofing etc. into an envelope (try not to handle them too much if possible) along with the date received and the address where they were received and send them to Sgt Adrian Fallows, Filton Police station, Gloucester Road North, Filton, Bristol BS34 7PH.

Scam alert – 4 in this issue ! If you receive a telephone call from an organisation purporting to be World Wide Web, or Windows, or Microsoft Technical support or any other techy sounding organisation asking you for your own safety to provide information PUT THE PHONE DOWN. They may claim that a virus or other problems have been noted on your computer. The fraudsters may say that they are happy to ring off so that you can ring someone to check that they are genuine and they will ring back. They don’t and pretend to be whoever you are ringing. Don’t fall into their trap.

TULLETT HOMES AND GARDENS

Tullett Homes and Gardens are specialists in:

For a FREE no obligation quote, call James on: 0117 9574387 or 07897416197

• Painting and paperhanging

• Carpentry • Guttering and Facia

Replacement • Exterior Painting

• Prepare and Lay Turf

• Erect and Repair Fences

• Patios and Paths • Decking

Theft, burglary, arson, drugs all happening in Bromley Heath. Are you aware that you can bring your concerns to your Safer Stronger Community Group ? (SSCG) see page 3 inside.

Do you remember this shop?

Look at it now!

Pop into the shop to see these pictures and more, and to share your memories with Raj and his team.

PCC Our elected Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens (formerly of Mountstevens bakery) is now in situ. PCCs are accountable for how crime is tackled in the force area. The idea is that they will ensure the policing needs of their communities are met as effectively as possible, bringing communities closer to the police, building confidence in the system and restoring trust. Ms Mountstevens believes you have the right to feel safe in your community. Her priorities are to:

• Tackle anti-social behaviour • Tackle violent crime • Tackle burglary • To give victims a louder voice

We will watch with interest how she progresses.

Scam alert Internet Shoppers – Beware PayPal highlights the danger of sending out goods before you have received any money. However, fraudsters are now sending fake emails to sellers which look like genuine PayPal emails. The email claims to be notification of funds that will be paid via PayPal pending the tracking reference number. The sellers then post off their property and tracking number in the belief the money has been paid. In reality they never receive a penny. Be warned PayPal will never send an email asking for a tracking reference number. The best way to avoid being a victim is not to send any goods out until you can see the funds in your PayPal account.

Scam alert Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). I don’t think many people have escaped the phone calls and text messages telling them that they have been sold PPI when it was not relevant. However, please be aware that these companies may be fraudsters pretending to provide assistance with your claim. They will ask for payment of their fee upfront and you may never hear from them again. Normal practice is for recipients of a PPI claim to receive an invoice in writing. You will never be asked to make payment by any form of voucher system or wire transfer including UKASH or Western Union.

75 Quakers Rd 0117 9575904

MS-2 - A Premier Local Store

Scam alert Council Tax Over the last few weeks persons claiming to be from ‘Household Claims’ have been contacting residents by phone stating that their property has previously been in the wrong council tax band and they are due a rebate. They then advise that they can help retrieving the rebate at a cost of 25% of the amount involved. Appointments have been made. The Council are aware of this scam and have had a few calls from residents. They have confirmed that any rebate would be done through them and that it would be done via a letter on headed paper NEVER by a phone call.

Has your gadget got APPeal? Get a tracking app. Get it back! You can download apps for mobile phones, tablets and laptops which if stolen can show you a map location of the device. Some will also take photos using built in cameras or keep a log of the internet pages that have been visited. Avon & Somerset police released a video 1/2/2013 showing how easy it can be to use an app to apprehend a thief. It shows a thief snatching a bag from someone at a bus stop, the tracking software being activated and a police officer arresting the criminal. More information can be found on our website.

THE MANOR COTTAGE Residential Care Home for the Elderly

Please Telephone us for a Brochure: 0117 9560161

Beckspool Road, Frenchay, Bristol, BS16 1NT

If you think you may have been the victim of web scammers please report it to the police using the non-emergency number - 101 or contact your local trading standards depart at South Gloucestershire Council.

Crime in the Bromley Heath Area (XXX-XXX)

WATCH THAT SPEED! One of the top items of feedback from residents in D&BH to the Community Plan questionnaire was to express concern about the speed of traffic on our roads. So, something more is being done about it! THaT, (the Traffic, Highways and Transport action/sub group) is tasked with taking forward those particular targets in the published community plan. Its first priority has been to consider the opportunity to form a voluntary SPEEDWATCH, in partnership with South Glos. Council, our Neighbourhood Police and BHNW. 3 volunteers have already come forward to be trained having seen how Speedwatch works and what it has achieved elsewhere. More are needed to get it off the ground, make it sustainable, effective and share the duties round. Could you be one of the team? If so please contact Bill, the chair of the action/sub group on 956 3325 or email: contactus@bhnw.org.uk

Downend, Bromley Heath & Emersons Green Safer Stronger Community Group Your local Safer Stronger Community Group needs you! South Gloucestershire's 20 Safer Stronger Community Groups are all about working together to improve your local community. The groups also enable you to have your say about the services that your community receives. These groups have been set up as part of the Neighbourhood Policing Model and South Gloucestershire Council's Community Engagement initiative. Their members include people who live and work in the area and representatives from the local police, Avon Fire & Rescue, Primary Care Trust, South Gloucestershire Council, the Town & Parish Council and other local organisations. The aim is to:

• work together to ensure that local communities are safe and pleasant places to live, work and play

• give local people a greater voice and influence over local decisions and the priorities of the service providers

• fund and support initiatives that help overcome issues raised by SSCG attendees, for example, Community Speed Watch equipment and activities that promote community cohesion and integration.

Priorities identified at meeting held on 6 th December 2012

• Parking and traffic speed - Quakers Road outside schools

• Parking on double yellow lines – Sandringham Avenue and Quakers Road junction

• Parking outside The Mezze Next Meeting Tuesday 19th March 2013 7.00pm Emerson Green Village Hall, Emerson Way, Emersons Green, BS16 7AP

Message from Editor On behalf of Bromley Heath Neighbourhood Watch Happy New Year! Well of course we are well into the New Year and have experienced an amazing variety of weather already. The snow drops are in flower and I notice that the daffodils are in bud! Once the forsythia has burst into colour I will know that spring has truly arrived. BHNW has also arrived! Not only do we have a website, we now have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Don’t worry we are not expecting everybody to be using these. Please feel free to still phone or write to us! One last thing, please accept my apologies Malcolm (Heathfields sector) for getting your name wrong in the last newsletter. I wonder how many of you spotted that error. Rose Cane Last issue I promised to give you more information on the Avon and Somerset Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme. The scheme is run by police officers and police staff in their spare time with costs met through sponsorship. After initial training, cadets are involved with helping their communities, attending events and patrolling with neighbourhood police teams. In the first six months of the scheme, cadets spent 137 hours on public duties, including:

• Handing out personal and property safety information to young people at the Christmas Lights concert at Cribbs Causeway.

• Carrying out ‘vulnerable’ vehicle surveys in car parks.

• Delivering crime prevention advice and information on police operations alongside neighbourhood teams.

Some of the older cadets accompanied PCSOs on foot patrols, helping to carry out house to house enquiries and joining community speed watch volunteers. Interestingly this year’s ‘Cadet of the Year’ was won by a Bromley Heath Resident – Christopher Perrett. Well done Christopher!

contact: Jason King, a local resident in Bromley Heath

On either (Mobile) 07557 367 357 or (Freephone) 0500 346 494

email jasonking@acgfinancial.co.uk

• Residential & Commercial Mortgage Brokers

• Pensions & Annuities• Savings & Investments• Life & Serious Illness Cover• Insurances• Will Writing

Crime i n Bromley Heath September - December 2012 (logged by postcode)

Crime On or Near Anti-Social Behaviour

Church Lane Heathfields x2 Oakdale Road Quakers Road Queensholm Drive x2 Wedgewood Road x4 Windsor Court

Burglary Bampton Drive Fouracre Road Heath Road x3 Queensholm Cres Queensholm Park Sandringham Ave Windsor Court

Criminal Damage Greenleaze Ave Glendale x2 Heath Court Oakdale Close Sandringham Ave x2

Drugs Windsor Court Other Theft Wedgewood Road

Fouracre Crescent Vehicle Crime Bromley Heath Avenue

Oakdale Road Violent Crime Heath Court

Windsor Court

Definitions: Anti-social includes personal and environmental Burglary entering a building with intention of stealing Criminal damage to buildings and/or vehicles Theft of bicycles or from the person Vehicle theft from/of/or interference with Violent crime against the person

Mike is offering an open invitation to view his premises and learn more about his tattoo business. Please call in. If you prefer to go with someone please contact BHNW.

BROMLEY HEATH NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NEWSLETTER WINTER/SPRING 2013 EDITION Telephone: 0117 9563325 Email: contactus@bhnw.org.uk Website: http://www.bhnw.org.uk Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bhnwatch Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhnw_uk

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Useful Numbers Please tag calls as Neighbourhood Watch Neighbourhood beat manager’s office

0117 9454137

Police Main Switchboard 101 In Emergencies Only 999 Emergency text for deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and speech impaired people

80999

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 Street Care: (Litter, Lighting, Pavements, Graffiti, etc.)

01454 868 000

Stray Dogs (South Glos Council) 01454 868009 BHNW Handy Van Service

0117 9563325 01454 863857

Beat Mobiles PC. James Rochford 07919 628312 PC. Wayne Hodge 07778 470354 PCSO Katrina Sheldrake 07795 503243 PCSO Ross Rugman

07825 388935

DRY CLEANING