The Winter solstice is always a very busy period, no less for the criminals themselves, so here are a few tips for the dark days of December.

Be aware whilst shopping that pickpockets love crowds, so keep wallets and purses out of sight and inside your coat, keep handbags closed and do not carry too many bags at once, this can limit your reaction if approached. Be particularly vigilant on public transport.

Keep items out of view in your car, if going back and forth with shopping try not to leave the boot open. It is important to lock your vehicle doors even whilst travelling.

If you have bought valuable items make sure that your home contents insurance covers them and it is recommended that these are not on show inside your home. If venturing out try to leave at least one light on and consider using a timing device. You might even leave a radio on at a quiet level suggesting that you there is still someone indoors. Boroughwatch can supply timing devices to you at a very reasonable price, just phone the office. Cancel milk and papers if you are going away and ask a neighbour to push post or papers through the letterbox. Unplug inessential appliances as an anti fire precaution.

Do also dispose securely of letters containing financial details such as credit card bills and bank statements. Adopting these methods can lower your chances of becoming a victim of identity fraud.
 

Identity theft is an increasing problem and one that it is hard to realise that you have become a victim until it is too late. Fraudsters will often pay other criminals well for items retrieved from household waste. They are looking for any correspondence with credit card, bank details or any other document containing your full name, date of birth etc. From this they can make bogus credit card applications and spend on your credit. There is of course a very simple solution. Either use a paper shredder or tear any such documents into very small pieces before throwing away. You would be surprised what details of your life your trash can provide.

Theft in the mail of cheques and cheque books is another crime that is becoming common in Barnet. Before it reaches you the criminal will carefully open the envelope and remove a couple of cheques from either the centre or the back of the book. Sometimes the complete book is stolen. Again you only learn that you have become a victim when it is too late. You should report this to The Post Office, this can be done by contacting police who will inform The Post Office Investigation Branch, whose responsibility this is to investigate each occurrence. To prevent this, it is best to arrange personal collection from your bank. Call Barnet BoroughWatch on 020-8733 4409 for advice.

This is a multi-agency group that works to make Barnet the safest Borough in London. Included are Police, Fire Service, Health, Middlesex University and the Barnet Voluntary Council. It's work is geared around these main strategic objectives : Young people, Anti-Social Behaviour and Quality of Life, Making People Safe and reducing property crime. It has already delivered a number of successful projects such as:

Anti- graffiti kits, since their launch in July 2003 more than 230 kits have been distributed to residents and community groups.

The exhibition trailer attends community events and festivals in areas that have been identified as crime hotspots

The feedback has been very positive.

Third Party Reporting sites now number 26, they are spread across the borough and enable residents to report hate crime in community locations other than at police stations. For further details contact Carles Miralles, communication officer on 020 8733 5856.

There is an excellent web-site produced by the Home Office where you can enter your postcode and interrogate the database for recorded crime statistics in your area. This for the 2002 to 2003 period.

Visit www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sta_index.htm#crime

Follow the links and enter your postcode when asked. Click 'on-line tool and enter your postcode in the box top right. The figures are broken down into sections on burglary, car crime, assaults etc. Although this will not give you individual streets you can obtain the number of offences per thousand of population.

Take a good look around your home as well as outside in your car or bike store. Consider all the things that you would be sorry to lose and find hard to replace. Then mark them. Property marking is easy and can be applied by either permanent or invisible marking, by engraving and by UV marking. Electrical items can be UV marked or engraved. Valuable items should be photographed.

Would you like to know more? We have at BoroughWatch 3 brand new property marking kits; these will be lent to watches on request. Contact BoroughWatch for details. The kits can be obtained free of charge for a limited period and only for the benefit of recognised watch members.

Cheque Book thefts

You will remember that in the Spring issue we highlighted the growing problem of cheque theft and subsequent fraud. The problem still persists in parts of the Borough. At a recent NHW meeting of the 20 people present 16 had been victims of this crime.

Naturally we have been monitoring the situation as it develops and have obtained from Detective Chief Inspector Keith Surtees the following. "I am fully aware of this ongoing problem in The NW11 area. I would like to assure residents that Barnet Police are taking this matter extremely seriously. We are obviously dealing with individual incidents in isolation but have a very complex protracted investigation to get on with and I assure you that is exactly what we are doing. I will update victims and residents as soon as I can, with any progress on this matter.

It is worth repeating steps you can take. Examine your cheque book for any removed cheques including the stub. Regularly check for unauthorised payments on your account. If possible arrange collection from your bank.

If fraudulent applications have been made in your account, contact the following organisations to have incorrect information removed.

Contact CIFAS on 0870 0102091. They will earmark your name and address, which means that if anyone tries to apply for something using your name it will automatically be double checked.  

Unwanted vehicles can now be disposed of free of charge. We probably all agree that abandoned and unwanted cars or other vehicles are a particular nuisance and send a negative signal about the neighbourhood. The Borough of Barnet now undertakes to remove obviously abandoned vehicles within 24-48 hours, and it is our experience that they do achieve this goal. Of course they need your help in locating these vehicles and you may telephone The Abandoned Vehicles Desk on the phone number 020-8359 4600. Previously if you wanted your vehicle removed either because it was mechanically unreliable or had failed its MOT test, a fee of £30 was payable to the council. These costs are now covered by central government. This allows Barnet to remove them for you totally free of charge. If you do wish to have your vehicle removed by a third party, do be very careful to whom you pass it to. We are hearing reports of former owners being sent Congestion Charge fees and summonses for parking tickets made out to their olf vehicle. Again the number you need is Unwanted Vehicles 020-8359 7399.

Bringing Community Policing back to you. What it means to you. Barnet Borough Police are rolling out a scheme that will take place throughout The Metropolitan Police area. It is called "Safer Neighbourhoods" and will, we are told, bring back community policing to residents. We at BoroughWatch welcome any initiative that delivers this. Of course only time will tell. The plan calls for each ward within the Borough to have its own dedicated team of officers who we are promised will not be taken away to perform duties elsewhere. Each team will consist of a police sergeant, two constables and 3 police community support officers (PCSOs).