CommunitySafe.gov.uk

The Ravensbury team in partnership with Ward Panel members has agreed on the following Ward priorities: • Anti Social behaviour in general • Anti Social behaviour by motorists • School Truancy Anti Social Behaviour in General Ravensbury Safer Neighbourhoods Team is continuing to monitor the issue of Anti Social Behaviour on the ward and Morden Town Centre and have directed patrols accordingly. By working closely with other Safer Neighborhood Teams, the Town Centre has seen an increase in patrols at specified times. On Wednesday 10th February 2010 a member of staff from a shop in Morden Town Centre reported an incident of shoplifting directly to PCSO Dickson. The suspects were pointed out to PCSO Dickson who immediately called for assistance from PC Poku and PC Wallace. The suspects were identified and two men were arrested for shoplifting and a women arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal and further arrested as she was shown wanted after a warrant for her arrest had been issued by South Western Magistrates Court. Anti Social Behaviour by motorists Ravensbury Safer Neighbourhood Team is continuing to deal proactively with offending motorists and issue fixed penalty notices to drivers. Each offender can expect to receive three penalty points on their driving licence as well as a sixty pound penalty fine. The team have issued thirteen endorsable tickets for driving offences since the last update. Truancy During School hours the team proactively patrol the ward and obtained details of youths caught truanting. The youths concerned are then returned to school and the Schools Officer and Educational Welfare Officer updates accordingly. This is proving to be a very successful way of dealing with school truancy. Telephone scams Bogus calls designed to convince you to hand over your credit card or bank details are a real problem. Be cautious. If you are contacted by telephone and told that you have won a prize, think for a minute: did you enter any competitions? Odds are you didn't. The vast majority of the times, these calls are scams, originating from abroad and designed to convince you to give over personal details such as your bank account number or credit card information. If this happens to you, just hang up the phone. If you ever do win, you will never be asked for personal details, nor would you ever have to pay anything in order to collect your winnings - that's a sure sign that something is wrong. Many people have been taken in by these scams, and some have lost a great deal of their savings. Don't be one of them. • never give out personal details over the phone • always ask for more information • be sure you know who you're talking to • ask for the callers contact details and tell them you will call back when a relative or friend can be with you • dial 1471 following the call and take down the details • if the calls continue contact your telephone supplier • if the calls become threatening or abusive contact the police. DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME In the second of seven planned vehicle crime reduction interventions under the ‘Drive out Vehicle Crime’ campaign, Ravensbury SNT are handing out free security screws to motorists for securing number plates. Merton Police and Safer Merton are advising motorists to secure their number plates using security fixings to prevent them from being stolen. Once fitted, they cannot be removed using a normal screwdriver. There has been a significant increase in the theft of vehicle number plates across the borough in the last few years. The theft of a vehicle number plate may appear to be a minor crime but it is an inconvenience and causes a financial cost to the car owner. In some cases stolen plates are then used to facilitate further offences. The use of security fixings can prevent your number plate from being stolen. Merton Police are also investigating all such reports and speaking to all victims of this type of crime to ascertain the circumstances behind the theft. If reports are found to be false to avoid parking fines and congestion charging then robust action will be taken against those making that report. Security screws are available free of charge via the Ravensbury Safer Neighbourhood Team. For any further information please contact Ravensbury Safer Neighbourhood Team either via e-mail Ravensbury.SNT@met.police.uk or telephone 0208 721 2725. If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what your local safer Neighbourhood Team is up to please contact them direct or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk. The next Drop-in surgery will be Saturday 27/02/2010 between 1300-1500 hrs at Morden Hall Park outside the café area. If you would like to pose any questions, share information or have any concerns or issues please feel free to contact us: Tel 0208 721 2725 E mail address Ravensbury.SNT@met.police.uk