Verwood

A member contacted his Co-ordinator about a problem with direct debits being taken out of their account. This related to a salesman who has called about transferring their utility supplier. The contract has been cancelled within the 7-day cooling off period. The Co-ordinator drafted letters for them and had the money refunded by the banks. He also wrote to the company and established that fraud had been committed and proceeded to help several other people on the same estate to recover their money. He also discovered that Hampshire Police had arrested three people for over 130 similar offences.

Blandford

A number of residents were continually having criminal damage done to their vehicles. The road is lined with Victorian Houses, having small, if any, driveways. The road Watch Contact took a co-ordinated approach, involving the whole road in addressing the problem. They all purchased security lights and one member purchased a CCTV security light from the Crime Prevention Panel. Another member, a qualified electrician, installed the security lights for each member.

The effect on reducing the crime is yet to be assessed, but it is an excellent example of a Watch scheme and their members working together in an attempt to resolve a problem.

Ferndown

A warrant was carried out at an address in Tricketts Cross and 4 x 8oz bars of cannabis resin and approximately £1000 cash were recovered. This was a joint Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and patrol operation. One man is under arrest on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and another still to be arrested (as at 22 July 09). Some of the intelligence came from NHW sources.

Walditch, Bridport

Following two calls (Sept 08) from HW members the police spoke to a Nottingham doorknocker. He was verbally very aggressive (shouting and swearing) to those that chose not to buy and members found him intimidating. The HW Co-ordinator in Burton Bradstock called the police to a similar incident, on the same day. The male was extremely abusive when it was pointed out the village was a Cold Calling control Zone and declined to take notice. Also in Walditch a man selling for a utility company was spoken to by the Police, after a call from HW and told to change his ways. Members found him pushy and giving misleading information. He was also causing annoyance by ignoring the "No Uninvited Traders Notices"

Charmouth. Dorchester

A member has reported work being carried out in the garden of an elderly person (April 08). Three men went before Dorchester Crown Court (Feb 09) over an allegation that they fraudulently charged a vulnerable man thousands of pounds for gardening work. The case was to return to the magistrates Court at a later date for committal proceedings to have it sent to a higher court (Bridport News 12.02.09).

Branksome Park, Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks

NHW, Poole

Free magazines were being left lodged in front garden gates or propped against a wall. If not promptly removed, it flags up to opportunist burglars the owner is out or away. Even after complaints to the distributor there was no improvement. The SNT was asked to raise the complaint with the Distribution Manager. Assurances were given that the distributors would be retrained.

A holiday flat owner told the NHW Co-ordinator it made her feel more comfortable to know there is an active NHW in the area, looking our for and reporting suspicious activity.

Child Okeford, Blandford

Following a Ringmaster message a bench that has been stolen was found abandoned by a member in Okeford Fitzpaine and returned to its owner.

West Moors, Ferndown

A young male on a moped was acting suspiciously and was reported to the Police. He had a petrol can strapped on his back and was arrested on suspicion of the theft of red diesel.

Flowerpots containing conifers were reported as stolen. Following a Ringmaster circulation they were identified as having been taken to another part of Ferndown in a vehicle and were neatly arranged outside someone's front door! They were returned to the owner.

Christchurch

A Home Watch contact reported to the SNT that someone was believed to be regularly drink driving. The vehicle was stopped one night following this information. The driver tested positive, was arrested and he was subsequently convicted. Home Watch received good publicity in the Christchurch Advertiser.

Verwood, East Dorset

A banner stolen from outside a playgroup was found in another part of Verwood and returned to the owner following a Ringmaster message.

Overcombe, Weymouth

A man was arrested at 4.30 am on 5 June 2008 on suspicion he was attempting to break into a car. This resulted from an observant watch member. He immediately alerted the Police with a good description and the offender was located and arrested.

Stanpit and Purewell, Christchurch

The Home Watch Area Co-ordinator received a call from a road Contact in respect of a couple of doorstep traders who were ignoring the "No Uninvited Doorstep Traders" signs that were prominent in all the properties. They continued banging on doors of some elderly residents, aged 85/90. The two males then started to be abusive to the Contact. The Contact immediately contacted the Area Co-ordinator, who contacted the local PCSO, who then called a mobile officer, who was in the vicinity within three minutes and started a street search, eventually catching up with the traders. Within 15 minutes on the original call the police stopped the two males.

Previous Sucesses

An elderly lady has a phone call from a 'charity' (it was allegedly Christian Aid in Christian Aid Week).They tried to get her to divulge her bank details in order to make a donation.She had seen one of the performances of 'Trickster / Scambusters' that was organised last year and did not allow herself to be conned. She contacted Homewatch and a visit from a PCSO was arranged as extra re-assurance. This elderly lady did all the right things because she had seen 'Trickster'

NHW members in Ferndown recently reported two men on the roof of a building opposite them in the middle the night - on police attendance they were arrested for stealing lead.
Christchurch Homewatch recovered a stolen moped due to prompt circulation of a message. The informant had been woken in the night by a youth he recognised trying to start a motorbike. Initially the Watch member thought it was the youth's own bike but then saw a Ringmaster message and realised he had witnessed theft of a scooter. He knew the youth, went to his garden and saw the bike in the process of being dismantled. The youth was arrested and the bike recovered within 24 hours of it being reported stolen.
In East Dorset, a Ringmaster message asking Watch members to look out for some suspects led to them being spotted in a lay by after they had broken into a car.
In East Dorset, a warning about distraction thefts prevented a member being a victim as she immediately locked her doors when an unkown man came to the front of the property. As she locked her rear doors, two men were seen in her back garden. The man calling at the front was well known for distraction thefts.

05/10/2009