Dear Resident

I hope this message finds you all well. Please find below some updates specific to Lordswood and Walderslade. I have sent this message to not just residents in this ward, but also Princes Park, as I’m aware that many use the shops of neighbouring wards or travel through etc so also wish to be kept updated.

Egging incidents/Anti social behaviour – 

I am aware several reports were received, mainly at the start of last month, concerning eggs being thrown at passing vehicles, particularly around Albermarle Road. From attending stores in the area, reviewing CCTV then speaking with local schools, a number of the children were identified and their parents were spoken to. I could not evidence which child in particular did the incidents, only their presence in the likely groups involved, hence this is how it has been dealt with but I am pleased to see that there have been no further reports since then. Several stores also removed eggs from their shelves to prevent them from being easily stolen and then used in ASB so their assistance is much appreciated.

I have also met with your local councillors to continue the discussion around the lack of street lighting by Ballens Road Play Park (to the rear of St Benedict’s School) and options to try and reduce this being a hotspot for ASB. It’s right that this is assessed properly and all options considered. Should I get any further updates regarding this I will let you know.

Off road/Nuisance vehicles – 

Following the seizure of a motorbike previously used in crime and ASB at the start of last month, I have since dealt with another rider, issuing a s59 warning to them. Whilst there have been no further reports of them or their bike being out, should they choose to ignore the warning their bike will also be seized. I have also conducted a number of enquiries into another rider that has been riding recklessly around the area and shops by Kestrel Road, which has resulted in them being identified, receiving a s59 warning, a fine for breaching the Public Space Protection Order and they will be interviewed for several driving offences.

Whilst we do not publicise the dates in advance (for obvious reasons) of our days of action, where we have multiple departments to assist with dealing with this issue, alongside off road vehicles ourselves and the use of a drone, they are continuing throughout the coming months and so please do continue reporting when and where the issues are. This assists us in identifying where to target at what times.

Trends – 

Sometimes when looking at calls received per ward, it’s easy to see a trend in crimes reported, whether that’s an increase in burglaries, fraud, thefts of motor vehicles or reports of ASB. Aside from those mentioned above, I have not noticed anything of significant concern recently, but would like to take this opportunity to let you know of some that generally can increase this time of year and ways in which you can reduce the chances of becoming a victim.

One of the biggest we see is an increase in thefts of parcels and burglaries, particularly as we approach Christmas. Of course as people start ordering items to their addresses, thieves know that sometimes these will be left outside awaiting the resident returning home. If you are ordering items, please ensure you have a safe place set up and that’s reflected on the relevant apps. If you’re due to be out when a parcel is expected, speak to a trusted neighbour to see if it can be delivered there and again update this on the app/delivery instructions or rearrange for it to be delivered when you will be home. What is also a significant giveaway that a house has new, somewhat expensive, items is packaging left in obvious places such as bins (or around a bin because the box doesn’t fit in there). The best advice for this is to either keep the packaging inside until the day that relevant recycling/bin collections are coming, then put outside on that day, or to take these to recycling points, away from your address.

Another general trend we might see is offences relating to Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG offences) which tends to be in line with darker evenings. The advice is relevant for all though and if you’re not already aware of the HollieGuard app, please please please take the time to look it up and get it downloaded on your phones. You can find out full information about the app by clicking here > Hollie Guard – Personal Safety App < but in short, there are a number of things you can do including:

“Alert” - By simply holding down the hexagon button for 3-6 seconds, this sets off an alert and activates the phone’s camera, sending a message and recording to your pre-defined emergency contacts. With Hollie Guard Extra, these Alerts are sent to a 24/7 police-approved monitoring centre too.

“Journey” - Allows users to set a start and end point. The app then automatically monitors your journey and alerts your nominated contacts once you safely arrive or trigger an Alert.

“Evidence Gathering” - When raising an Alert, Hollie Guard can automatically start your smartphone’s camera and microphone to capture real-time evidence of the situation around you. Your emergency contacts can access this evidence real-time, as well as being saved in the cloud for later use.

If you do have anything you wish to bring to my attention regarding issues in the area, please feel free to reply and let me know. I will be arranging further local surgeries in the coming weeks and will advertise these in advance once they are set up.

Last thing - please feel free to ‘rate’ this message or provide feedback to help shape further local messages going forward.

Kind regards

Rob

PC Goble

Beat officer for Lordswood and Walderslade