Neighbourhood

Alerts

Your Safer Neighbourhood

Police Officers are:

Sgt Ged Want, PCSO Sarah Hart and PCSO Alison Donnison

Call them at Dorset Police on: 01305 222 222 or on

their team mobile: 07500 816291

Please only use the numbers above for non-

emergency calls. If a crime is in progress or life is in

danger, please dial 999.

Dorchester Safer Neighbourhood Team are now

Tweeters - follow them on @DorchesterSNT for

updates and information relevant to our area.

The Neighbourhood Alerts scheme is about bringing people closer

together and involving them in local village life. It plays an important part in making

the community safer and one of the most important things that scheme members

can do is to look out for activity that seems suspicious or unusual and report it to

the police. It may help solve or prevent a crime! Any messages received from

Dorset Police regarding Neighbourhood Alerts will be posted here as soon as we

receive them.

28th March 2023. WhatsApp Account takeover scam 6th April 2023. Advice to farmers and landowners. The warmer weather combined with bank holiday weekends, can sometimes result in unauthorised gatherings on farmland and the Police would like to provide advice to farmers and landowners on reducing the risk of unauthorised occupation of your land. 8th September 2023. Witness Appeal Serious RTA nr Sherborne 7 Sept Various Amazon/Visa/Mastercard/BT telephone scams. These are recorded messages saying that large transactions have been noticed on your credit card account, or that you are about to be disconnected from your internet account. They are almost certainly scams intended to obtain bank or credit card details. If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online at: www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone on: 0300 123 2040.

Missing Persons with Dementia

When a person goes missing, it is very distressing for family and friends and can be even more worrying when the missing person has dementia. Click on Herbert Protocol for more information on how to report a missing person with dementia.

Staying safe from e-mail scams

Just been told you won that social media giveaway you entered a while ago? #StopChallengeProtect to make sure it isn’t a scam. Criminals will try and trick you to make you believe you’ve won something. They want you to hand over your personal or financial information, make a payment, or click on a dangerous link. You can report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (spells out the word ‘spam’ on your keypad). A useful article from Neighbourhood Watch - worth reading

Please help report rural crime

Dorset Police are asking people to be vigilant and to report rural crime. Click here to see more.

Crime Prevention Visits

Did you know that the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team offer free of charge crime prevention visits to farms, smallholdings and equine premises and other rural businesses? We have carried out hundreds of visits to farms, smallholdings and equine premises and businesses to advise of the best up to date methods available to keep them safe a prevent them becoming victims of crime. Crime prevention in rural areas is very difficult by the nature of the environment but officers are trained and experienced in crime prevention advice. On these visits we have a walk around premises and find out any weak points and any existing security measures and then advise on security measures that would suit the solution. We will also bring with us a pack containing useful guides and products which might be of interest to you and officers can discuss with you any concerns or product ideas you may have. We can also offer property marking while we are at the premises and offer lots of crime prevention signage. More crime prevention advice can be found here: https://www.dorset.police.uk/help-advice-crime-prevention/rural-crime/ If you would like a visit to your farm, smallholding or other rural business from the Rural Crime Team or for further crime prevention advice please send an email to the team at ruralcrimeteam@dorset.pnn.police.uk

Staying Safe Online

Click here for Staying Safe Online and Staying Safe on Social Media information from the police.

Non-Emergency Police Number 101

Members of the public in Dorset must now ring 101 to contact Dorset Police for non-urgent

enquiries. The new 101 number has replaced the previous non-emergency police number.

As ever, people should always dial 999 in an emergency – when life is in danger or a crime is in

progress. Calls to the 101 non-emergency number – from both landlines and mobile phones –

cost 15 pence per call no matter what time of day you call, or how long you are on the phone.

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team: PC James Long 1316 is now the designated officer for Dorchester Rural Neighbourhood Policing. PC Long will be working alongside Police Community Support Officers 5301 Hart and 6500 Alison Donnison. Contact them on 101 or on their team mobile: 07500 816291; please only use this number for non-emergency calls. If a crime is in progress or life is in danger, please dial 999. Meet the Team Buckland Newton Old Chapel Stores: Every third Wednesday of the month from 3pm to 3.30pm. In the meantime please check out the Dorchester Police Facebook page where you’ll find up to date information from Dorchester Police. All you need to do is log into Facebook and search for Dorchester Police. Do It Online is a contact portal that can be found on the front page of www.dorset.police.uk. Here you can select the service most appropriate to your enquiry and complete the form as directed. Please give as much information as you can to help the police answer your enquiry. The Do It Online function enables you to make enquiries without the need of calling 101, therefore saving your time and any unnecessary expense. Call Protect This is a new service offered by BT called Call Protect and which is free. When you receive a call, you just dial 1572 and follow the instructions and hopefully this number will be barred in future. Its very easy to set up online through BT and can be done from your own computer to cover any landline – useful to help with elderly relatives who may not be so computer literate. Shed, Outbuilding and Garage Security Advice Many people take a great deal of trouble securing their houses and property within, however leave valuable property in a shed or outbuilding, which is either unlocked or so old and run down it proves no obstacle for a thief. Attached is a poster displaying more useful information and simple tips to make yourself secure; click on the image at left for full details. Ensure that your shed and outbuilding is in a good condition and if not take steps to improve it or don't leave valuable items inside. Once the fabric of the building is secure, you can then look to improve the physical security. Please can we advise you to consolidate all your valuable tools into one very secure place. This may mean bringing your power tools into your home when not in use. Please make a note of any serial numbers as this is crucial for us to reunite you with your stolen property. When we seize suspected stolen property, we need to prove where it has come from. We also suggest that you reverse all vehicles so that the rear doors face against walls or garages/outbuildings. If you discover that your shed or outbuilding has been broken into, please leave the scene untouched and call us on 101 soonest. This will help our Crime Scene Investigators look for fingerprints, footprints as well as any fibres or tool marks on point of entry such as locks and windows. This will give us the best chance of a positive outcome. We also suggest:

•

Put away all tools and lock them up. Remember these tools could be

used to break into your home. Don't leave ladders outside, or chain them up

if you have to.

•

Replace standard hinges with strap hinges secured by coach bolts or use

security screws (’clutch’ screws) on existing hinges.

•

Use good quality locks to secure your gates and doors

•

A tough pad bar (also called hasp and staple) fitted with a strong padlock

and secured with coach bolts is the most effective way of securing a door.

•

Some standard locks fitted to up-and-over garage doors are easily

overcome. A padlock with a hasp and staple fitted on each side is very

effective. Specialist locks for such doors are also available.

•

Double garage doors with a rim latch should be supplemented with a

mortice deadlock.

•

If the garage is attached to the main building ensure that connecting doors

are secure.

•

Install outside security lighting operated by either movement sensor or

photo-electric cell (Dusk till Dawn light).

•

Check that your household insurance covers theft from your garden and

outbuildings.

•

Mark your power tools with your postcode and house number or the first

two letters of your house name. Alternatively, permanently mark them by

scratching or painting: this will also reduce their value to the thief.

•

Fit a battery-operated alarm. These can cost less than you think.

•

Fit a window grille and/or frosted window film to stop a thief seeing into

your shed or garage.

•

Chain tools, cycles and other valuable equipment together using high

security chain or cable and a good quality padlock.

•

Photograph valuable and unusual garden ornaments and keep these in a

secure place.

Doorstep Crime

Doorstep crime - where criminals trick their way into peoples’ homes or con people to having work done - causes great distress to the victims who are often the most vulnerable members of society. Dorset Police sees a rise in such crimes through April to June, so we are asking the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activities. In no circumstances give your bank account details or Personal Identification Number (PIN) to anyone – over the phone or on your doorstep. Our message is simple; ‘be sure who is at your door’ and never accept work from anyone who tries to sell you services at your door. Never let anyone into your home if you don’t know them. There is a key message for householders – don’t be rushed into accepting a quote or believing scare-stories peddled by doorstep callers. Sit down, have a cup of tea and take some advice. Friends and neighbours can check things out, and our Buy with Confidence scheme will find you trusted and reliable traders. Crime Prevention Guidance: • If you are not sure who is at your door – don’t open it. • Remember to use your door chain if you have one before you open your front door to strangers. • Always check the identity of all visitors if they are not known to you before opening your door. • Always look up telephone numbers for yourself – do not accept numbers provided by callers as they could be bogus. • Beware of common tricks such as being asked to make a telephone call, wanting to retrieve a lost ball (even if it is a child) or being asked to check your water, gas or electric. If in doubt keep your door secure. • Always keep doors and windows secure – it is easy for strangers to enter the rear of your home when you are busy answering the front door to their accomplice. • Don’t keep large quantities of cash at home. Put it in a bank or Post Office account. • To find an approved trader, call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0345 404 05 06 or visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk. • If you think a friend or relative has been victimised call the police on 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.

TPS (Telephone Preference Service) Scam

The telephone preference service (TPS) is a valuable resource and is supported by the Dorset Police but instances have occurred where members of the public have registered on the TPS website and have later received a telephone call from a person who stated they are responding to the TPS registration and asking for a fee to complete the registration. This is a scam and you should not pass on your bank or credit card details. If you have been contacted by a person stating they are from the Telephone Preference Service and have paid money for this free service it is strongly advised that you report the incident to ACTION FRAUD on 0300 123 2040 as well as contacting your bank as soon as practical.

Silent phone calls

Police frequently receive reports from worried residents in relation to silent phone calls. The fear is that someone is just checking whether they are out. Police have investigated these calls in the past and there is nothing sinister to be concerned about. It is usually companies that telephone-sell goods using multiple dialling, which phones 20 lines simultaneously, and as soon as one person answers, all the other phone lines are cut. You can stop at least some these unsolicited calls easily by registering with the Telephone Preference Service. The number to stop these sales calls is 0845 070 0707.

Thefts from churches...

...particularly lead from roofs, are an increasing problem. There have been several incidents in West Dorset. Local awareness and identification of strangers is an invaluable defence. Buckland Newton has therefore joined the police initiative 'Church Watch', and those living around that part of the village are asked for their support. If you see anyone acting suspiciously around the Church, or anywhere in the village, the police would like to know straight away. Better a false alarm than missing a wrongdoing. Dorchester Police 01305 222222.

Scams: Don't get caught out

Scams – if you are scammed it is worth reporting as all the information is collated and investigated. You can report it on Action Fraud or 0300 1232040. Everyday tens of thousands of people across the UK open their post to find that they have apparently won money in a lottery or have a special parcel awaiting delivery on receipt of a delivery fee or following a premium rate telephone call. Many others receive phone calls telling them similar stories. DON'T BELIEVE THEM Watch out for these warning signs: • You must send a fee to make your claim • The company is based overseas or has a PO Box address 3H_ • You are asked for your credit or bank account details • You must call a premium rate telephone number (090...) • You must respond immediately to claim your prize It's an unsolicited letter, phone call or e-mail In short, never spend any money in response to these scams... Doorstep traders are similar so never allow anyone through the door without being sure who they are. IF IN DOUBT SHUT THEM OUT. You can always take their identity card and ring their employer to check them out There is a sticker available from Scamwise Southwest for use on a glass panel on or near the front door which tells unwanted visitors not to bother to ring or knock. If you would like one please ring them on 08454 04 05 06.