Local News

I have been with Sussex Police for the past two and a bit years now, working on the neighbourhood policing team (NPT), at Hailsham as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). Across July I have been meeting with key contacts within the communities of Willingdon, Jevington and Longman areas.

NPT have had a re structure of our work recently, meaning that each Parish area has a ‘named’ PCSO. We still deal with different reports across the whole of Wealden, however the area PCSO will be responsible for linking in with council members and schools within their specified area.

I am lucky enough to have been allocated the quaint and picturesque areas as mentioned above and have already spent a good amount of time getting to know these areas better. Sergeant Hover (new to the NPT role), PCSO McCallum (who has the areas of East Dean, Friston and Cuckmere Valley) attended some meetings alongside myself. I have already met with both schools and met with some of the pupils. I have also linked in with the neighbourhood watch and community speed watch members of Willingdon and Jevington, as well as the Clerks for all areas. Overall, crime is low for all areas. During our Operation Blitz (ASB targeted patrols Friday and Saturday between 18:00-00:00) we received 0 reports for the area, which is great news. Over the coming month I will to continue with my community engagement and get to know some more of my community stakeholders.

-PCSO Joseph.

Dear residents,

Please find attached to this alert the latest Wealden Police Community Newsletter, encompassing the months of March to June.

This latest newsletter includes a snapshot of the most recent activities across the Wealden district, including patrol updates, patrol results, crime data, crime prevention advice, updates from your Wealden Neighbourhood Policing senior officers and more...

Local businesses, or community hubs, please feel free to print copies for your shops/venues, the newsletter is also embedded with hyperlinks so that it can be read and shared digitally.

Thank you - Wealden Neighbourhood Policing Team 2021

Action Fraud scam watch

Did you know scams cost the UK economy £5-£10 Billion a year, with over 50% of people over 65 having already been targeted by scams; and only 5% of all scams reported?

Action Fraud’s top tips

Although fraud and cybercrime comes in many forms, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself.

Follow Action Frauds’ personal safety checklist to keep you and those around you safe from fraud, including the latest advice around remaining vigilant against ticket/concert fraud, as lockdown restrictions begin to ease here.

Help us keep Sussex safe

If you saw or heard anything, or have any information about any incident in this message or the attached newsletter, please contact us online, or call 101.

Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

You can also visit our website at www.sussex.police.uk where you can find our easy to use online forms to report all non-emergencies to us.

You can also find police advice to keep you safe and help you understand the law, and also browse our crime prevention pages for first-hand knowledge, industry best practices and practical crime prevention advice from officers and specialist teams all across the police.

Have you ever had a policing question that doesn't actually require direct police involvement to answer?

Ask the Police is a great online source of information for the most frequently asked policing questions, visit www.askthe.police.uk/ for more information.

Your local teams

You can find now find details of your local PCSO and your local Neighbourhood Policing Teams here.

Follow your local Police team on social media, click below:

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We are pleased to share with you our June newsletter – click here to view it or download it below.

Neighbourhood Watch Week (5th – 11th June) is almost upon us and with so many online and face-to-face ways to LISTEN. TALK. DO! with your community - how will you be joining in? Will you have having a Covid-19 safe Big Lunch? Will you be booking onto a crime prevention webinar? Find out more in the newsletter and drop a quick email to enquiries@ourwatch.org.uk to let us know what you have planned!

Thank you to everyone who shared our PROTECT YOUR POOCH campaign – to watch the very informative recorded webinar follow the link in the  newsletter.

For anyone who has a spare few minutes please take a moment to complete our Insights Survey (details below) and share the below with all you contacts – whether they are Neighbourhood Watch supporters or not. All the feedback we receive is so valuable to us.‍

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH ANNUAL INSIGHTS SURVEY - CLOSING SOON‍

A key part of our strategy is to promote the perception of Neighbourhood Watch as “neighbours watching out for each other, building safer and more inclusive communities”. To do this effectively, we need to better understand the current public perception of Neighbourhood Watch by members and non-members alike.

Please take a moment to complete our survey and share this link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FPPJ22X with your friends and colleagues - even those who are not Neighbourhood Watch members so we can obtain as broad a range of views from as diverse a range of people as possible.

Speed checks in Wannock and Polegate

This week PCs and PCSOs from your Wealden Neighbourhood Policing Teams have been out across various locations on the district, including Wannock and Polegate, conducting vehicle safety checks, and conducting speed checks in areas which have seen a high rate of reporting.

During the week, officers have recorded a number of vehicles exceeding the limit in the locations monitored, drivers who were stopped will either be reported to our Operation Crackdown department, or will have been given words of advice at the roadside.

You are the eyes and ears of your communities, if speeding is an issue in your area please report it to us, all reports help to direct our patrols where we are needed the most and can take appropriate action to respond to your concerns.

You can report it to us online, or to our Operation Crackdown Team by searching 'Operation Crackdown Sussex' online. We will continue to conduct these checks, along with partners and volunteers from Community Speedwatch groups, to enforce and to educate drivers, and help to reduce the numbers of those killed or seriously injured across the Wealden District.

Rural Crime prevention advice and patrols

Whilst on patrol in your neigh-bourhood, officers for Wannock visited a small holding looking after animals, to share valuable crime prevention advice and tips to help protect their property.

Animal/farm owners crime prevention advice and tips:

•Check your livestock and the security of boundary fencing regularly - If they're making more noise than usual this could mean something has disturbed them.

•Make regular checks of the fields where animals are kept to check that fences haven’t been breached and that no one else is in the field with them

•Use ear tags, horn brands, freeze marking or tattooing to make your animals more easily identifiable

•Keep your hedges, fences and gates in good repair: field gate hinges should have capping hinges so they can't be removed easily; cattle grids should be removable and locked out of position when they're not in use; use locking posts to obstruct large openings to yards

Rural crime is an issue for large areas of the country, but it tends to go unreported. It can impact on insurance premiums, food prices and damage local communities.

It can be hard to know whether something is a crime and whether to contact the police or another charity or organisation. If you're unsure a crime is classed as a rural crime, please let us know, we’d rather hear from you and determine that ourselves.

Arrests this week

As we head into the weekend, the safety and welfare of our local communities remains our top priority.

A number of arrests have already been made this week across the Wealden districts, for various offences including, ABH, drink driving, drug driving, stalking and drug possession.

If you see or hear anything we need to know about over the weekend, let us know..

If your call is not urgent and can be reported through our 101 or website services, we ask you to do so in order to release the pressure on our emergency lines and resources - our online services offer you the option to self-report, which will be then be prioritised and actioned. All emergencies, crime in action, or where there is a threat to life, always call 999.

Police crack down on catalytic converter thefts during week of action

Police in Sussex carried out a week of action focusing on the theft of catalytic converters.
Catalytic converters are stolen for the precious metals they contain. These metals have surged in value recently, leading to more offences committed by organised crime networks.

Sussex Police took part in a national week of action, from April 19 – 25, with a focus on awareness, education, enforcement and intelligence gathering.

Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Teams carried out 21 visits to scrap metal dealers to identify and develop information on who is buying and selling the parts, and to check everyone was operating with the appropriate licences. They also visited seven catalytic converter buyers, paid four visits to vehicle dismantlers and stopped 15 mobile collectors.

A number of scrap metal dealers also signed up to a database used by police and partners to gather and share intelligence around catalytic converter thefts.

Two stolen catalytic converters were recovered during the week, as well as a van full of scrap metal.

Three people were also arrested - one man on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle and fraud by false representation; and one man on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle. They have both been released on conditional bail while enquiries continue.

A third man was arrested on suspicion of attempted theft from a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, failing to stop, and possession of a Class A drug. He has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

A fourth man attended a voluntary police interview in relation to five counts of theft from a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving with no insurance and failing to stop. He has also been released under investigation.

During the week, 250 car owners also took advantage of free catalytic converter property marking carried out in partnership by garages and police across the county.

Catalytic converters can be forensically marked using special liquids with a unique code detectable under a UV light. This can make it harder for thieves to dispose of stolen catalytic converters, and can lead to the detection of crime and reunite people with their property.

Detective Chief Inspector Jo Grantham said: “Thefts of catalytic converters can not only have a serious financial impact on victims, but also an emotional impact as it can affect their day-to-day activity and livelihoods.

“This is an issue we take extremely seriously and this week of action is just a snapshot of the work we do to try and tackle the problem.

“We continue to gather information around thefts, and encourage people to report any offences or suspicious behaviour to us to help us build that intelligence.

“We also ask people to take a look at the advice and consider steps they can take to protect their vehicles.”

Police are encouraging car owners to:

• Protect your car by asking your dealer if they can give you any advice on locks or guards that are approved by the vehicle manufacturer and tested to Sold Secure Gold.
• Mark your catalytic converter with a forensic marker and register your converter to make it harder for thieves to dispose of.
• Park your car somewhere well-lit and overlooked, among as many cars as possible. Try to park so the converter can't be easily reached - close to a wall or fence. Try not to park at the end of the row if there are free spaces.

To report a crime or any suspicious activity, please contact us online or by calling 101. Alternatively, information can be passed to police anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Burglary Summary

A business address off Downash Road, Hailsham reported a burglary overnight on the 6th May. The property was accessed and a shipping container containing various tools was broken into by force. Various power tools were stolen. (441 of 07/05 relates)

An attempted burglary was reported on the 7th May at a property off Rotherfield Lane, Mayfield. Unknown suspects have gained entry to the grounds and an attempt to steal a quadbike was made, fortunately nothing was stolen. (657 of 07/05 relates)

A burglary was reported overnight on the 7th May at a property off Coggins Mill Lane, Mayfield. Unknown suspects have smashed rear windows of the property to gain entry. Personal items including jewellery was targeted. Scenes of crime officers have been called to the location. (471 of 08/05 relates)

A male was seen taking items, and attempting to enter neighbouring properties off Bell Lane, Flectching around 2pm on the 9th May. Once confronted the male made off, he was described as a white male - medium build - 5ft 11 - ginger curly hair - green tracksuit with black gilet over the top. CCTV has been passed to the police for investigations. (637 of 09/05 relates)

An attempted burglary was reported at a property off Upper Horsebridge, Hailsham on the 11th May. Rear windows to the property have been found smashed, although no entry has been gained. (0952 of 11/05 relates)

We continue to encourage residents to please report suspicious activity, your reports help to build a picture of local crime in your area, and allow us to direct our patrols to areas most affected.

We would also encourage business owners to review their current security measures, check for insecurities, any locks or bolts damaged following the wet weather?

For a range of crime prevention advice, support and tips to keep you and your property safe can be found here.

If you have been the victim of a burglary, please report online, or by calling 101 – always dial 999 in an emergency/burglary in action.

Action Fraud scam watch

Did you know scams cost the UK economy £5-£10 Billion a year, with over 50% of people over 65 having already been targeted by scams; and only 5% of all scams reported?

Action Fraud’s top tips

Although fraud and cybercrime comes in many forms, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself.

Follow Action Frauds’ personal safety checklist to keep you and those around you safe from fraud here.

Help us keep Sussex safe

If you saw or heard anything, or have any information about any incident in this message please contact us online, or call 101, quoting the reference number provided.

Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

You can also visit our website at www.sussex.police.uk where you can find our easy to use online forms to report all non-emergencies to us.

You can also find police advice to keep you safe and help you understand the law, and also browse our crime prevention pages for first-hand knowledge, industry best practices and practical crime prevention advice from officers and specialist teams all across the police.

Have you ever had a policing question that doesn't actually require direct police involvement to answer?

Ask the Police is a great online source of information for the most frequently asked policing questions, visit www.askthe.police.uk/ for more information.

Your local teams

You can find now find details of your local PCSO and your local Neighbourhood Policing Teams here.

Follow your local Police team on social media, click below:

Facebook

Twitter