From 28/02/03 TO 09/05/03 In the Birkby/Fartown area there have been

•44 house burglaries (including attempted)•3 Arson attack•22 interference’s with motor vehicles•18 thefts from a motor vehicle•16 Cars stolen•4 thefts (other)•3 robberies

If you have any information about these crimes then please get in touch with the police by calling

Non emergencies - 0845 6060606In an emergency please dial 999

You can contact our Community beat officers on 436729Or email them

PC Neil Moorhouse - rm423@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

PC Dave Collet - dc437@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

Or, you can always come and let me know of anything suspicious you see in the Neighbourhood and I will pass this on. I am at number ??????.

The Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter

March/April 03

Please try and make the next NHW meeting, It is becoming more and more important to join together as a community to fight crime issues together. Details of the next meeting will be sent to you all shortly. What’s an hour of your time when it could save you becoming a victim of crime.

I still can only see a few NHW stickers in your windows, if you have lost your pack and require some more, please come and see me at number 38 and I will order some more packs. It really helps if we let people know we are a NHW area.

Please keep a look out for a white Ford Escort registration E789 TWW.Occupants may be involved in house burglaries where cars are being stolen.Vehicle cruising Prince Wood Lane area of Birkby early hours 30th Aprilcontaining three white males, early 20's with short hair.

A white Peugeot 309 reg H887 XJX containing two males, was seen driving slowlyup and down Cambourne Drive at Fixby on 2.3.03.The vehicle is described as having a tow bar fitted and the boot being held down by a piece of string.The vehicle contained two men - the driver in his late 20's with shaven head and the passenger being in his late 20's with long dark hair.The vehicle is believed to hail from the Bradford Area and should be borne inmind in view of the recent increase in House Burglary in your areawhere car keys and subsequently the cars have been stolen.

COMPLACENCY AND GUT FEELING.

The vast majority of Crime is committed by the opportunist thief/burglar.

Contrary to popular belief, where the public often feel that a burglar commits a crime after he has done his homework and to use the phrase ‘

cased the joint ‘, the opposite is the norm.

Usually the thief/burglar is not a local person. He/she will enter an area and look for certain tell tale signs which will give him/her the impression that

there is nobody at home.These include :-

• milk on the doorstep •newspapers in the letter box •post/parcels on the doorstep

•notes left on the door•dustbin liners left in the dustbin lid•no lights during the early evening

•no cars on the driveway or in the garage.

The thief/burglar will then target the house and to confirm his suspicions that there is nobody at home, he/she will knock on the door. If YOU surprise the would be thief/burglar, he/she will appear agitated and come up with a

multitude of excuses :-

Do you know where Mrs So & So lives, Do you know the way to Sheepridge, Have you got a drink of water, Do you want to buy any dusters, Have you

any scrap, Do you want your drive tarmacing, your drains or gutters cleaned. Plus a host of other excuses. All people who come to your door with any of these excuses are a potential threat, and more importantly if

you are not in, they may be.

Entry is gained by the easy method. Please remember, always keep your doors and windows locked. Keep your doors locked at all times, whether

you are in or out. Always keep garage doors and sheds closed and locked. Complacency is the thief/burglars biggest ally.

If YOU get a gut feeling that something is not quite right, invariably YOU will be right. At this stage PLEASE ring for the Police. If You get it wrong it does

not matter. It is better to get it wrong then do nothing at all.

A bit of useful information Just in case you lose your mobile or it gets stolen,key in the following digits on your phone NOW:

* # 0 6 #

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is your Mobile phone's serial number and is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.

Should your phone get stolen, contact your service provider andgive them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the Sim card your phone will be totally useless.

You might not get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.

All the service providers are or have promised to offer this facility.

If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobilePhones!

ALSO:

Remember to Post Code your Mobile Phone. Remove the battery case, take out the battery and add your Post Code and House Number to the inside of the casing using, your UV pen..REMINDERS:

Phones get stolen by;Leaving them on tables next to you in a pub. In a handbag being carried in the open position and on the top of everything else.Left in vehicles, daytime and overnight.Left downstairs when you retire to bed and is stolen in a burglary, or left in the kitchen and subject to a sneak-in type of burglary which in mid summer rises to 44% of total burglaries.

Make sure your house or flat is secure . Always secure outside doors. Fit barrel locks top and bottom. If you have to use a key, keep it nearby – you may need to get out quickly in the event of fire.

If other people such as previous tenants could still have keys that fit, change the locks. Don’t give keys to workmen or tradesmen, as they can easily make copies.

If you wake to hear the sound of an intruder, only you can decide how best to handle the situation. You may want to lie quietly to avoid attracting attention to yourself, in the hope that they will leave. Or you may feel more confident if you switch on the lights and make a lot of noise by moving about. Even if you’re on your own, call out loudly to an imaginary companion – most burglars will flee empty-handed rather than risking a confrontation. Ring the police as soon as it’s safe for you to do so. A telephone extension in your bedroom will make you feel more secure as it allows you to call the police immediately, without alerting the intruder.

Draw your curtains after dark and if you think there is a prowler outside – dial 999

Use only your surname and initials in the telephone directory and on the doorplate. That way a stranger won’t know if a man or a woman lives there.

If you see signs of a break-in at your home, like a smashed window or open door, don’t go in. Go to a neighbour and call the police.

If you are selling your home, don’t show people around on your own. Ask your estate agent to send a representative with anyone who wants to view your house.

When you answer the phone, simply say ‘hello’; don’t give your number. If the caller claims to have a wrong number, ask him or her to repeat the number required. Never reveal any information about yourself to a stranger and never say you are alone in the house.

If you receive an abusive or threatening phone call, put the receiver down beside the phone, and walk away. Come back a few minutes later and replace the receiver; don’t listen to see if the caller is still there. Don’t say anything – an emotional reaction is just what the caller wants. This allows the caller to say what he or she wants to say, without causing distress to you. If the calls continue, tell the police and the operator and keep a record of the date, time and content of each phone call. This may help the authorities trace the caller