News
Croydon Trading Standards - Clinical Bulletin
Alert – Jequirity bean bracelets
We have received an alert regarding the sale of the following bracelets that have been on sale at
the Eden Project in Cornwall and at another 36 retailers across the UK, urging customers to
return the red and black bracelets made from the Jequirity bean, the deadly seed of the plant
abrus precatorious. It contains the toxin abrin, a controlled substance under the Terrorism Act,
that if swallowed can kill in doses of just 3 micrograms. Abrin is chemically similar to ricin, a
chemical warfare agent. People who have bought the bracelets are being urged to bag them and
then wash their hands and avoid touching their eyes. The Eden Project alone sold 2,800
bracelets over a year.
MESSAGE FROM THE BOROUGH COMMANDER - PICKING UP THE PACE
We are now in the home straight for this financial year.
With eight weeks left until April, we must all be fully focused on our performance - in two key areas in particular; arresting offenders and reducing burglary, robbery and antisocial behaviour.
The term performance management may make you think of senior officers picking over graphs and statistics, looking at trends and not really having much to do with the day-to-day business of policing.
However, performance management does have a very real connect with policing and can be boiled down into three basic themes;
- Getting the simple things right
- Arresting suspects
- Treating our victims in a way you would expect to be treated yourself in that situation
In simple terms it is about arresting offenders and getting the evidence to convict them. It is about us having fewer victims of crime in Croydon and making sure that the victims we deal with feel that we are doing a good job and getting a top quality service from us.
All of the things that we measure, from IMEI and NMPR checks, through to looking at the number of detections or outstanding suspects, contribute to our overall goals of reducing crime and improving confidence and satisfaction of our victims and communities in Croydon.
Arresting our outstanding offenders
In the next two months, I want everyone on the case of our wanted offenders in order to bring this number right down. This will help increase our detections, take offenders off the streets of Croydon and help to reduce crime as well.
Reducing robbery, burglary and ASB
Robbery, burglary and ASB have been priorities for some time, and it is sometimes easy to lose focus and direction when they have been an issue for as long as they have been.
What we must remember is that the impact these crimes have on the communities and the victims is extremely great - therefore we must not lose focus on dealing with them effectively.
Having the right people, in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things is something that I strongly believe in. Operational officers can expect to be briefed and tasked according to the latest intelligence in order to tackle these issues.
What I then expect is quality tasking returns from all officers showing that we are having an impact.
The real impact of performance
As many of you will know by now, I take a very personal interest in our performance and I look into the detail. You may wonder why there is such a focus on the figures, but it is all about people - the communities we serve, the offenders we arrest, the victims of crime we deal with and those we prevent from becoming victims.
Let me be clear: we are about having fewer victims of crime and making sure those who are victims get the best possible service from us. When put into that perspective, it is absolutely right that these are the areas we must focus our attention on.
David Musker
Croydon Police Borough Commander
A MESSAGE FROM THE HOME OFFICE
The national, police non-emergency telephone number 101 has now been adopted by every police force in England and Wales. It provides the public with one easy to remember number for contacting local police wherever they are in the country.
While 999 is a well-recognised number used to report emergencies, the 2010 British Crime Survey found only 54% of the public know how to contact their local police if they want to talk to them about policing, crime or anti-social behaviour. The introduction of the 101 number will help communities keep their neighbourhoods safe by giving them one easy way to contact local police forces to report non-emergency crime and disorder or to speak to local officers.
Calls to 101 cost 15 pence, no matter how long you are on the phone, this applies to both landlines and mobile phones. For the first time, everyone calling the police for non-emergency matters will know exactly how much the call will cost them and will be assured of equal access whether they are on a pay-as-you-go mobile or a home landline.
The public should continue to call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened.
Police warn residents about distraction burglaries:
Police in Croydon are reminding residents to remain vigilant and to take some basic steps to avoid falling victim to artifice or distraction burglary after two separate incidents yesterday (26 January 2012).
Officers were called to Brighton Road, South Croydon yesterday at approximately 15:00hrs and arrested a man on suspicion of artifice burglary. Derek Tweddle (d.o.b.15/01/1968) of no fixed abode was later charged with burglary and is due to appear at Camberwell Magistrates Court (via virtual court) today (27 January).
In a separate incident, at approximately 16:00hrs at an address in the Osbourne Road area, Thornton Heath, two men who have reportedly told the resident that there was a problem with the water supply. The victim - a woman in her 70s - has let the men into her home and whilst one of the suspects was in the kitchen with the victim, it is believed that the other has gone upstairs and stolen approximately £700 in cash before both men have made off.
The first suspect is described as a white man in his mid-20s, approximately 5ft 9ins tall and of slim build. He is said to have been wearing a white shirt and light coloured trousers and white trainers and had an Irish accent.
The second suspect is described as a white man in his 40s and approximately 5ft 9ins tall. He is said to have been wearing a green shirt and light coloured trousers.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Croydon Burglary Squad on 020 8649 1336 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police are reminding residents to always check the identification of visitors, and not to answer the door or let cold callers into your address.
Detective Sergeant Simon French from Croydon Burglary Squad said:
“If you are not sure of who is at the door, then the safest option is not to answer at all. In general we would advise all residents to not answer the door to cold callers, always check I.D. and credentials carefully and call the organisation they claim to be from to verify their identity - even if they claim to be police.
If they do nothave any proper identification and you are unsure that they are genuine callers, then refuse to let them into your home. Genuine callers will always be happy to wait while you verify who they are.”
Residents are advised to:
• Not open the door to cold callers or unexpected guests
• Carefully check the identification of all callers before allowing them into your home, even if they have previously made an appointment
• If you are unsure of the identity of the caller, contact the organisation they claim to be from (using a number from a public phone book or the company’s website) to confirm the caller is who they say - remember genuine callers will be happy to wait.
• Alternatively, ask them to make an appointment to come back when a friend or relative is available to be with you. A genuine caller will understand.
• If you see somebody acting suspiciously in your neighbourhood, call 999.
For further crime prevention information visit www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention or contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods team.
WHAT CAN NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH MEMBERS DO ABOUT METAL THEFT?
This is a matter for everybody in the community, but Neighbourhood Watch and Home Watch can lead the way.
Firstly, we all need to be alert to the situation and keep watch for vans and trucks driving around our streets looking for the opportunity to steal metal, and reporting the details to the local police or Crimestoppers (0800 555 111). No item of intelligence is ever too small; it might be the final piece of the jigsaw and in some cases there might even be the possibility of gaining a reward.
Secondly, be aware of workmen removing metal items in the street. The thieves are using uniforms, stolen vans etc. One witness recently reported that they did not look like real workmen - they were working too fast.
Thirdly, members also need to be on the lookout for unlicensed venues where stolen metal is cleaned up, often by burning of the covering and where the identifying marks are removed, before being taken to the licensed dealers. The police and local authorities need to know.
Finally, members who live in the vicinity of licensed and unlicensed sites must be alert to vehicles turning up outside the normal working hours. Again details should be passed to the local police.
- This is a problem that affects us all and can lead to deaths.
- Keep a watch out for suspicious vehicles and workmen.
- Pass ALL information to the police or Crimestoppers as soon as possible.
- Sign the online petition for a change in the legislation.
Some of you may have received this notice.
There is some doubt as to the motives of these collectors. There is an official Mr Recycle website and the telephone number quoted on the notice is different. Also the logo is different. Additionally, they state they are registered with the Environment Agency but there is no registered number. The official Mr Recycle collects all household items, not just metal as this collector is requesting. There is a spelling mistake in the word 'nothing'.
Some of the items they state they will collect come under Special Waste Regulations.
Received a new mobile or other electrical item for Christmas
Help reduce crime by registering your new property at www.immobilise.com it only takes a couple of minutes and once you have registered you will have a better chance of getting your property back if it has been lost or stolen.
If any item of registered property is lost or stolen report it via your online account. This information is then made available nationally to all the UK Police services via their online systems. Remember a photograph of any unusual item will be of great help in identifying a stolen item.
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