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