Category: Policing

NHS Track & Trace Scam.

 

A new telephone scam is coming to light …. callers contact residents saying they are from the NHS Track & Trace service telling the resident that they have been in contact with someone suffering from COVID-19 and need to have a test sent out to them.

This is swiftly followed with a request for the resident’s bank details; the caller stating the test & results cost £500. Please do not fall for this scam. If you need a test sent out to you because you are unable to attend a test site, this is done for free, both via delivery & collection, followed up by the result.

***Important***

The NHS Test and Trace service will NOT:

  • ask for bank details or payments;
  • ask for details of any other accounts, such as social media;
  • ask you to set up a password or PIN number over the phone;
  • ask you to call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087.

Outbuilding Security Advice

Dear Watch Member,

As the weather starts to become warmer (although not in May according to the weather forecasts!), people confined to home are spending a lot of time in their gardens using gardening tools and leisure equipment, which are often left out or stored in outbuildings.

Burglars tend to target sheds, garages and outbuildings at this time of year looking for valuable power tools, bikes and other expensive items.

We recommend that everyone takes some basic security measures to make sure their gardens and outbuildings are secure. Leaving tools and gardening equipment lying around in your garden can attract thieves, as they are valuable and could also be used to break into your home.

Locking tools away in a shed or garage when you are not using them and making outbuildings as secure as possible, with strong locks or even an alarmed padlock, will help keep your property safe. Dusk till dawn security lights in your garden will make your home even safer, along with locking windows, doors and garden gates and making sure your fences are in a good condition.

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If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Keep Your Money Safe Online and Offline

Keep Your Money Safe Online and Offline

Dear Watch Member,

The closure of many businesses and changes in most people’s routines has presented new opportunities to criminals looking to commit fraud and cybercrime. Those working from home or furloughed are likely to see more fraudulent emails, SMS messages or bogus callers.

Fraudsters are taking advantage of the fact that more people are at home due to social distancing measures. Naturally they will be easier to target by bogus callers who look to commit burglaries by distracting the occupant or posing as someone from the water board or gas supplier. People will also be spending more time online, making them more susceptible to online fraud, such as phishing emails, bogus text messages and social media posts.

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to fraud:

  • Don’t respond to emails or texts out of the blue asking you for your personal or financial info
  • Don’t respond to messages asking you to “confirm” or “verify” your personal or financial details – this is a common tactic used by criminals
  • Create strong passwords using three random words. For example such as a fruit, a colour, and make of car i.e. Yellowappleford1! Use passwords with over 15 characters, using upper and lower case, numbers and symbols.
  • Use a different password for every login and use either a password manager or if you don’t want to / can’t do that write them down if you can’t remember them. If you do write them down don’t leave your password list in plain sight.
  • Use two factor authentication wherever this is an option, which requires two different methods to prove your identity before you can access a service. This is usually a password and another method, such as a code sent to your mobile phone.

For more simple tips on how to protect yourself online, visit www.cyberaware.gov.uk.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team

Recent Burglaries

It looks as if Pinner is currently the target area. Police LogoPlease be extra vigilant.

At some point between Sunday 12th January – Thursday 16th January, a burglary occurred in Athol Close. The property had been unoccupied for several weeks; the unknown suspect(s) gained entry by forcing open a rear dining room window.

At an unknown time between Tuesday 14th – Friday 17th January, a burglary occurred at an empty property in Birchmead Avenue. Entry was gained by kicking in the property’s front door.

On Thursday 16th January between 12:35pm to 12:45pm, an attempted burglary occurred in Jubilee Close. The three suspects initially rung the victim’s doorbell, and having not received a response, they attempted to force open a window to the property, before fleeing after being disturbed by the victim.

On Saturday 18th January between 06:30am – 8:45pm, a burglary occurred in West End Lane, at an address close to Hillcrest Avenue. Access was gained via a rear kitchen window.

On Sunday 19th January between 4:35pm – 10:15pm, a burglary occurred in Waxwell Lane. The unknown suspect(s) smashed the window of a rear patio door to access the property.

On Monday 20th January at 6:30pm, a burglary occurred in Eastern Avenue when the unknown suspect(s) smashed a rear window of the property. The burglar alarm’s activation is believed to have caused the suspect(s) to flee the property prematurely and empty-handed.

On Tuesday 21st January between 8:30am – 10:30pm, a burglary occurred in Athol Gardens. Again, the unknown suspect(s) smashed the window of a rear patio door to access the property.

On Thursday 23rd January at approximately 9:00pm, a burglary occurred in Bell Close after the unknown suspect(s) smashed the window of a rear patio door to access the property.

Police Local Newsletter

Dear Resident,

It’s the middle of the month, which can only mean one thing……. it’s newsletter time! So here goes.

Burglary

In November 13 burglaries and 1 attempted burglary occurred in Pinner.

In the Pinner ward the burglaries occurred in Cuckoo Hill, Durley Avenue, East Towers (attempted  burglary), Hillcrest Avenue, Lyncroft Avenue, Meadow Road, Nursery Road and West End Avenue. The Pinner South ward saw burglaries occur in Meredith Close, Norman Crescent, Oakhill Avenue, Pinner Green, and two in Waxwell Lane.

Many of these burglaries took place while the owner / occupier was away from their home for two or more consecutive days. The majority of properties were left in darkness during this time period and entry was gained by means of smashing the glass of a rear window or door. It is therefore important to make access to the rear of your home as difficult for possible for burglars, in addition to giving the impression that your home is occupied.

With Christmas fast approaching you may be ordering gifts online. Please make sure that if you are not going to be home to receive your delivery, that you nominate a safe secure place for it to be left. Even better would be nominate a neighbour who will be in to accept it on your behalf. Not only do parcels left on doorsteps or inside porch ways indicate to burglars that no one is home, but opportunist thieves might have your parcel for themselves!

When the big day has come and gone, please don’t advertise to thieves what Santa has given you, as this might attract unwanted attention. Discard of packaging inside bins and not on the street or in front gardens.

If you’ve been especially good this year Santa may have given you the latest smartphone or tablet (not the ones for hangovers!) or other electronic products. If so, please do not forget to register your ownership of them by using www.immobilise.com, or if you get a bicycle www.bikeregister.com.

As always this link contains all the home security advice you could possibly need https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/.

OWL (Online Watch Link)

Since mid-November another 100 Pinner residents have signed up to OWL, taking our total to 775, which according to my calculations means that Pinner represents 19% of the 4000 Harrow residents that have joined Nextdoor since it went live in the borough in September.

The OWL database allows us to send a message to a specific road or area of Pinner instead of everyone receiving information that may not be pertinent to them. However, some roads in Pinner only have  one or two residents signed up to OWL, making targeted messages ineffective so, as I do every month, I encourage to join OWL.

Whether you have already joined OWL or intend to do so in the future, if you have some form of CCTV, please include this information on the database as it assists officers when investigating local crimes.

For more information about OWL, please read the attached leaflet then sign-up at www.owl.co.uk.

Vehicle Crime

Theft of property from within vehicles continues to occur because so many vehicles are left insecure overnight. Plenty of CCTV footage shows that locked vehicles DO NOT get broken into but result in the thief moving on to the next vehicle.

There has been a recent spate of catalytic converter thefts, not just in Pinner, but across Harrow. Some of these thefts are taking just minutes to commit and are happening in residential streets and car parks during the day and night. If you see anyone working underneath a vehicle in your road and they don’t clearly seem to be working for the AA or RAC, then please call police on the emergency 999 number and try and obtain the make, model and registration number of the vehicle used by the thieves.

Vehicle thieves are operating in the area and I have seen footage of individuals using equipment to scan for signals to obtain entry to keyless entry enables vehicles. Primarily, it is high-value vehicles such as Land/Range Rovers, Audis, BMWs and Mercedes etc. that are being targeted so, in an effort to counter these criminals’ intentions, please keep keys away from your front door, store them in a Faraday pouch, alarm your vehicle, affix a steering wheel lock to it, and consider purchasing a fold down bollard for your driveway.

For comprehensive vehicle theft prevention advice please go to this link: https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/theft-of-a-vehicle/.

Arrests / Miscellaneous

November saw the departure of two officers from Pinner; after two years PC Kat Lewis left to join the North West Borough’s Professional Standards department and PC Kevin Brooks, after only six months with us, moved to Rayners Lane Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).

Their respective replacements are new recruit Atila Beyaz, and 13-year veteran Cat Groome who joins us from Harrow on the Hill SNT.

PC Muzikeviciute assisted officers from other Safer Neighbourhood Teams to execute a drugs warrant at an address in Graham Road, Wealdstone. One man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of Possession with Intent to Supply (PWITS) drugs and for possessing a non-permitted air rifle.

PC Beyaz and PC Muzikeviciute have been heavily involved in an ongoing and time-consuming neighbour dispute in Whittington Way.

PC Brooks gave first aid to a 90-year-old woman who suffered a head wound and shredded the skin on her arms and legs after falling down the stairs behind Sainsbury’s.

At Lidl, PC Aziz and PC Beyaz assisted an 86-year-old customer who dislocated her shoulder in the store.

Both ladies were taken to Northwick Park Hospital by an ambulance.

PC Muzikeviciute attended a call to an address in Barrow Point Avenue after an elderly dementia sufferer locked herself in her bathroom. Thankfully, the matter was resolved without the need to force entry.

PC Beyaz and PC Muzikeviciute assisted a man experiencing a mental health episode in Marsh Road. The man was detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and referred to Mental Health professionals. The male was found in possession of cannabis and was therefore issued a Community Resolution by PC Beyaz at a later date.

As you would expect we have visited all those victims of burglaries who wish to receive a visit from us, as well as making enquiries into these crimes and others reported to us. We continue to frequent those roads / areas where we are aware that anti-social behaviour and suspected drug-related activity is occurring. Some of these patrols have resulted in several people being stopped and searched. I encourage you to contact us with any information you have about crime in the area.

Community Engagement

As is always the case (and rightly so) all officers from the Pinner and Pinner South teams were in attendance at the annual Remembrance Sunday service in High Street which, as always, was very well attended. Long may that continue.

We were also on duty to police the annual Pinner Panto (‘Oh no you weren’t!’) which, as usual, passed without incident.

PCSO O’Brien and PC Aziz gave an internet / social media safety and stranger danger talk to members of the 3rd Pinner Beavers.

Both the Pinner and Pinner South SNTs held Cuppa with a Copper contact points in both wards, mainly at Costa, Caffe Nero, Café Sombra, Daisy’s in the Park and Pinner Library.

Everyone at Pinner Police Station wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2020.

Kind regards,

Lee O’Brien PCSO 7562NW
Pinner / Pinner South SNT

Police Local Newsletter

Dear Resident,

Here is the newsletter covering the majority of our October activities. As usual we have all had a busy month doing one thing or another to contribute to making our community a safer and pleasant place for everyone.

Burglary

In October ten residential burglaries occurred across Pinner, in the following roads: two in Albury Drive and Moss Lane respectively, and one in Bell Close, Cannonbury Avenue, Crossway, Grange Gardens, Pinner Hill and Whittington Way respectively.

All but two of these burglaries are known to have occurred during the hours of darkness, and in all but one instance, entry to properties was gained by means of a rear patio door or window being forced open or removed. Again, as is so often the case, the route to the rear of homes continues to be gained by burglars going through unlocked / insufficiently locked side gates or by climbing over low side gates or flat-roofed garages.

In many cases, burgled homes did not have any outwardly visible signs of occupation as houses were often in darkness. Burglars (and thieves committing overnight vehicle crime) do not like light or noise that might attract unwanted attention, so please consider getting motion sensor lighting and an alarm if you don’t already have one.

The main valuables stolen tend to be jewellery, watches and cash. It is therefore important that you catalogue and photograph all your jewellery and watches so, if you should be burgled, you can identify what has been stolen, and if found, you can prove they belong to you.

Please take some time to read the attached home security advice, then assess your home’s security and proactively bolster any vulnerabilities you identify. For comprehensive burglary and other crime prevention advice please click on this link: https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/.

OWL (Online Watch Link)

 At the time of writing 667 Pinner residents have joined OWL, which is fantastic. However, this figure pales in comparison to the 2909 residents I engage with on Nextdoor, a social media platform you may be aware of and currently using.

It is anticipated that at some time in the future OWL (with the exception of Twitter), will be the only way we will engage with you about crime-related matters so, in addition to the way you might have received this ‘newsletter’, I would ask that you sign-up to OWL too so we can maintain contact with you.

For more information about OWL, please read the attached leaflet then sign-up at www.owl.co.uk.

Please accept my thanks in advance for your registration.

Arrests / Court Results / Miscellaneous

Whilst at a flat in Grove Avenue, PC Brooks arrested a male on suspicion of burglary after he attended the address in possession of a mountain bike that checks established had been stolen from a property in Moss Lane.

Two other bikes at the flat were also identified as being stolen from the same property. Thankfully, due to the bikes’ owner providing police with each bike’s frame / serial number, we were able to return the bikes to them. You can register ownership of your bikes at www.bikeregister.com, and electronic items at www.immobilise.com

PC Aziz, PC Brooks, PC Lewis and PC Muzikeviciute have each seized cannabis from individuals stopped in Cuckoo Hill Drive, Pinner Memorial Park, Pinner Village Gardens, and the car park of Montesole Park and Roxbourne Park respectively. These drug seizures have resulted in four Community Resolutions and one cannabis warning being issued. A youth was referred to Harrow Council’s Youth Offending Team.

After watching a transit van being driven slowly along Wakehams Hill, we stopped the vehicle and established that it did not have insurance, subsequently resulting in it being seized under Operation Reclaim.

PC Lewis and PC Muzikeviciute have been dealing with ongoing neighbour disputes in Ellement Close, Tewkesbury Avenue and Whittington Way.

We are aware that there is one male, and a male and female couple loitering and begging outside Sainsbury’s and occasionally elsewhere, claiming to be homeless. We have spoken to all three of them and they have all been referred to partner agencies who have offered benefits and accommodation, which for whatever reason has been wholly or partially declined.

I politely request that rather than give the individuals money that might not be spent on legal forms of sustenance, you instead make a referral or a donation to a homeless charity such as Harrow-based Firm Foundation http://firmfoundation.org.uk/, or Streetlink (https://www.streetlink.org.uk/), to name just two.

Community Engagement

PC Aziz and PCSO O’Brien gave an internet and social media safety talk to the 3rd Pinner Beaver Scouts, which was very well received by the young (and young at heart) minds in attendance.

PCSO O’Brien had an audience with Moss Lane residents who wanted to discuss the two burglaries that occurred in the road.

PC Aziz held a pop-up crime prevention stall outside Marks and Spencer, and PCSO O’Brien held one outside Tesco; both of which provided opportunities to speak to shoppers about distraction thefts, handbag thefts and burglary prevention whilst simultaneously deterring shoplifting offences.

PCSO O’Brien also waited outside the gates of Pinner Wood School to hand parents and pupils alike with Hallowe’en and burglary prevention literature.

As well as meeting the new Rabbi, the team have also been providing reassurance to the Jewish community as they celebrated the High Holy Days.

Of course, we still heavily use Nextdoor and Twitter to promote what we have done, and will be doing.

If you don’t want to join Twitter, but still want to find out what we’ve been doing, you can do so by clicking on this link: https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/met/harrow/pinner/ or https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/met/harrow/pinner-south/, depending on where in Pinner you reside.

N.B. Please note that Waxwell Lane car park is sadly now permanently closed and awaiting development.

Kind regards,

Lee O’Brien PCSO 7562NW

Remembrance Sunday Service 10th November 2019

The sun shone brightly on Pinner High Street this morning where a large crowd gathered at the War Memorial to attend the Remembrance Sunday Service, observe the two minute silence and see wreaths laid by representatives from local government, the armed services, the local police and fire service, local community organisations and the local scouts and guides and schools.

The Pinner Association assisted the United Services Club in the organisation of this annual act of remembrance, and we wish to particularly thank Caroline Ennis, our volunteer who so kindly undertook much of the administration for the event.

Met Police – News Letter

Dear Resident,

Apologies for the late distribution of this newsletter (again), but I try and write it in between all the other things I need to do. Anyway, here is some of what we did in September.

 Burglary
Unfortunately, the last month of summer has not been a good month for burglary statistics and more importantly those residents who have experienced a burglary.

In total the Pinner area had three attempted residential burglaries; in Howards Close; Rickmansworth Road; and Ringwood Close respectively; and twelve burglaries; one in West End Lane, Tewkesbury Avenue, High View, St Michaels Crescent, Eastcote Road, Marsh Road, Glover Road and Whittington Way respectively. Two occurred in Albury Drive and Paines Lane.

The majority of these burglaries occurred during the hours of darkness. Entry to properties is often gained by smashing a rear patio door or window, and access to the rear of these properties is usually gained through unlocked side gates or by climbing over them.

With the dark nights now well and truly upon us, it is important to illuminate your home and give it the ‘lived-in look’, which can often deter the majority of burglars who like the cover of darkness. Whether you are at home watching the latest iteration of the Hallowe’en franchise or out walking the dog, please give the impression your home is occupied.

Obviously, using timer switches or smart technology alone won’t prevent a burglary happening; not even the presence of a burglar alarm can, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put security measures in place. You will never know if your home security has deterred a burglar, but you will know when it hasn’t.

Please take some time to assess your home’s security and proactively address any vulnerabilities you identify. For burglary and all types of crime prevention advice please click on this link: https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/.

Neighbourhood Watch / OWL
There is a new neighbourhood watch scheme in town which I encourage you all to sign up to. On 14th September OWL (Online Watch Link) went live in Harrow. At the time of writing the Pinner and Pinner South wards collectively have almost 500 residents registered to receive crime updates from police. I have attached some literature about what exactly OWL is, so please do sign up, if you’ve not already done so.

Please accept my thanks in advance for your registration.

Arrests / Court Results / Other
It was an unlucky Friday 13th for one individual who PC Brooks found in possession of cannabis in Pinner Grove. The male recently pleaded guilty to drug possession and received a £100 fine and a £32 victim surcharge.

During our Op Cubo traffic operation, that started in Pinner and gradually moved to Rayners Lane, we stopped a vehicle after its driver was seen using his mobile phone. A subsequent search of the vehicle – which was later seized- resulted in a crowbar and a substantial quantity of cash being discovered in the boot.

The driver was arrested for going equipped and theft offences and a search of the driver’s home address resulted in further cash being found; subsequent to that a cannabis factory was discovered in Barnet!

The driver was later released under investigation.

During patrols in an unmarked vehicle we spotted a transit van slowly being driven around the area. This is a frequent sight in all areas as the occupants of vans of this type are often looking for scrap metal in skips or discarded white goods that have been abandoned in the street.

However, on some occasions the occupants are looking to steal tools from building sites or insecure work vans.

Our enquiries established that the driver of the stopped van was not insured, so we seized possession of it as part of The Met’s ongoing Operation Reclaim. The driver has been sent to court.

Community Engagement
We have provided residents of Pinner with ample opportunity to engage with us and discuss local crime-related matters.

We have held crime prevention stands in Costa and Pinner Library, attended the Pinner Village Show and two MacMillan Coffee Mornings; in Pinner United Services Club and the pavilion in Roxbourne Park respectively.

We also popped up at Barclays Bank and a recent music event at Roxy Café in Roxbourne Park’s pavilion, and held ten ‘Op Carpo’ Community Walks across the Pinner ward, during which we discussed any local concerns with those residents whom attended.

Our public meeting in Pinner Village Hall was attended by approximately 80 residents, who listened to talks from a Detective Constable from the Central Specialist Operations Unit and a Detective inspector from the North West Borough Command Unit’s Burglary Unit. Both officers gave the audience valuable burglary prevention advice and information on what is being done to reduce burglary offences across Barnet, Brent and Harrow boroughs.

We were also lucky to be graced with the presence of Natwest Community Banker Mark Mullally who provided excellent advice on how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of scams and frauds.

We continue to use social media platforms Twitter and Nextdoor to engage with and inform the community about our activities and future events. If you have a Twitter account but don’t yet follow us, please do so @MPSPinner and @MPSPinnerSouth respectively and encourage others to do the same.

If you don’t want to join Twitter, but still want to find out what we’ve been doing, you can do so by clicking on this link: https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/met/harrow/pinner/ or https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/met/harrow/pinner-south/, depending on where in Pinner you reside.

We have done many other things, but as I don’t want to bore you completely, I have omitted them from this update.

Kind regards,

Lee O’Brien PCSO 7562NW
Pinner / Pinner South SNT

OWL comes to Harrow

OWL, the Online Watch Link, is launching in Harrow on Saturday 14th September 2019. This is an online facility that allows local police to engage with residents and share information, alerts and solve problems. It also allows local watch areas to be established quickly and easily, allowing residents and coordinators to engage with their neighbours and the police. OWL has been tried and tested across the city and the counties with proven benefits to security and crime reduction. We are keen to share this news with Harrow residents, starting with you as Community Champions. To register for the OWL system please go to www.owl.co.uk