A lawman with a Gun

A lawman with a gun rode into town today. It was not the first time. In fact he has been making regular visits.

Contrary to the image those words conjure up he was not a US Marshall - and he was armed with a speed gun.

Several times in the last few weeks this lawman has found a discrete position albeit wearing high visibility clothes and proceeds to checks vehicle’s speed as they travel through the village.

He checks 100 vehicles in a session and that can take hours because of the stops. Out of those 100 he expects around 10 to be exceeding the speed limit.

You may well be wondering to yourselves how much attention some of the motorists travelling through the village are paying if they don’t spot an officer dressed in fluorescent yellow, or do but don’t moderate their speed.

If a speeder is detected, depending on how badly they exceed the limit, the driver might be issued a ticket receiving a fine and getting points on their licence, or be required to take speed awareness advice.

It is not just speeders that get stopped. Recently a car and a motor cycle have been seized by the police during these checks because they were uninsured.

Now I know what you're thinking. "Did he get in 100 checks or 0nly 99?".

Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as he has a whole book full of speeding tickets and the fine can just blow your mind you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" - Well, do ya, punk?

Crime Prevention

Help the Police to help you prevent burglary

Essex Police continues to crack down on burglary. We really do understand just how financially costly and emotionally devastating for victims and their families such crimes can be. We see it first hand.

Remember though, by taking just a few simple measures you can dramatically reduce the chances of it happening to you.

Most burglaries tend to be opportunistic, rather than planned. So if your home does not look secure, seems unlived in, or provides unobserved access, it could be at risk. Understanding what burglars look for when choosing their target will help you identify weak spots in your home's security.

Top Tips:

• Mark or etch your property with your postcode, house, or flat number or the first three letters of your house name.
• Do not leave your car keys or ID documents near doors, letterbox or windows.
• Always check who’s at the door and don’t open it if you feel anxious.
• Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes.
• Keep your valuables out of sight.
• Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home.
• Install a visible burglar alarm. Your Police Crime Reduction Officer will be able to advise.
• Always keep sheds and outbuildings locked.
• Cancel milk or other deliveries if you will be away for days or weeks at a time.

How does a burglar's mind work?

Burglary, on the whole, is an opportunist crime. A burglar will select his target because it offers him the best opportunity to carry out his crime undetected and with the fewest number of obstacles in his
way. A building that presents itself as unoccupied and insecure is far more likely to be targeted than one which is properly secured:

• Side gates open
• Accessible windows open
• Ladders left out, allowing access to otherwise inaccessible windows
• Garden tools available to force entry
• Untrimmed hedges or high fences preventing natural surveillance particularly from the front

Each of these makes access to the building far simpler and is an clear sign to the prospective burglar that it's well worth a second look.

Residents of multi occupancy dwellings or flats should be mindful never to grant entry to people via an entry phone system, if they do not know them, and to be cautious of people seeking to 'tailgate' them into buildings.

How can they tell if you are in or not?

• Milk bottles or parcels on the doorstep
• Newspapers and mail in the letter box
• Unlit houses after dark
• All windows shut in very hot weather

These are signs telling the burglar that he is unlikely to be disturbed in the course of his work. Naturally, circumstances may arise when such situations may be unavoidable. If we can take measures that tell the burglar that this building is too difficult or too risky a target, he will hopefully move on.

Tony Ellis - QR Contact Details

Tony Ellis

Crime Reduction Officer

Epping Forest Police

0300 3334444 ext. 319383

Tony.Ellis@essex.pnn.police.uk