Police budget proposed by Police & Crime Commissioner
Last week the Police & Crime Commissioner met with the Chief Constable and agreed the proposal for next year's police budget.
Amid continuing financial pressures the Government has allowed PCCs to increase council tax by up to £1 a month for the average council tax payer. A consultation run over December and January showed that nearly 85% of people who responded were in favour of the increase to support Thames Valley Police.
Despite concerns raised online ahead of the budget setting the Chief Constable confirmed that no decisions had been made to disband either the Thames Valley mounted section or the dogs unit.
The key headlines from last week's meeting were:
- Council tax increase of just £1/month to protect front line policing
- More funding to protect vulnerable people & tackle child sexual exploitation
- Confirmation no decisions made to disband the mounted section or the dogs unit.
A poignant farewell to PC James Dixon
Hundreds of friends and colleagues gather in Pangbourne this month to pay their last respects to PC James Dixon, known to his friends as "Dixie". I never had the good fortune to meet Dixie, but it was clear from the tributes paid by friends and family what an incredible man he was and how dedicated he was to serving the public as a police officer.
His tragic death is a reminder of the constant risks that police officers take in keeping the rest of us safe, and the great debt of gratitude we have to all of those who seek to put others before themselves.
Banking Protocol to launch in Thames Valley
In partnership with UK Finance, leading financial institutions and Trading Standards, Thames Valley Police is launching the Banking Protocol within the force area from Monday 5 February.
The Banking Protocol is already up and running in a number of other force areas. From March to the end of November 2017 over £11,444,438 in prevented fraud and 116 arrests can be directly attributed to the Banking Protocol, with 1,437 emergency calls placed and responded to. The average prevention per call equates to £7,964. Of those figures, just over £2.4million in prevented fraud and
The Banking Protocol starts when a member of bank staff becomes suspicious of the circumstances surrounding a customer request or transaction. If they feel a fraud could be being committed, they will attempt to keep the victim with them and call 999 to inform the police.
The Banking Protocol is aimed at the most common fraud types in which these instances occur which include romance scams, rogue trader offences and courier fraud.
Nominations open for the 2018 Community Policing Awards
Nominations are open for this year’s Community Policing Awards.
The Community Policing Awards take place each year at a ceremony held at Eynsham Hall near Witney in Oxfordshire, in May. This ceremony is now in its seventeenth year and provides an opportunity to recognise and nominate the work of officers, staff and volunteers who have made the greatest contribution to their community over the past year.
Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond in their role? Someone who you believe should be recognised for their hard work and efforts over the last year? Could you provide an example of how they have exceeded what is expected of them?
There are seven categories:
1. Community Police Officer 2018
2. Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) 2018
3. Special Constable 2018
4. Diversity Champion 2018
5. Cadet 2018
6. Volunteer 2018
7. Community Volunteer 2018
Nominations close on Monday 26 February, to nominate for any of these awards, please visit TVP's website to fill out the designated forms.
Stronghold campaign - Working to tackle drugs offences
An on-going operational response to reduce the impact of drug using and dealing in Oxford city centre is taking place.
Officers will carry out a series of high visibility targeted patrols aimed at disrupting offending and reassuring local residents.
Supported by extra officers and working alongside Oxford City Council, neighbourhood teams will seek to identify and arrest offenders.
At key locations a range of measures such as improving lighting, installing CCTV and cutting back foliage will also be considered. Officers on reassurance patrols will continue to engage with residents to gather intelligence and understand concerns.
As part of Operation Stronghold over £2.6m cash has been seized, along with 16kg of drugs and prison sentences totaling 902 year, including 1 life sentence, have been handed out.
Compensation to be paid to 71 fraud victims
A confiscation order has been made against four men, who used sham car engine manufacturing companies to defraud customers.
The companies, First Choice Engines and Exchange Engines, which were operated by the Dockerills on Perth Industrial Estate in Perth Avenue, Slough, purported to offer ‘high quality engine remanufacturing services’. Using the sham companies, the defendants systematically defrauded its customers and used a highly polished website to give customers the impression they were a professional business to gain their trust.
A confiscation order in the sum of £225,000 was granted from which compensation will be repaid to 71 victims, from assets owned by the four defendants. Also, three vehicles were ordered to be forfeited and returned to their lawful owners.
The victims included members of the public from across the country, small businesses and a charity which assists homeless former soldiers.
Accredited Financial Investigator of Thames Valley Police’s Economic Crime Unit, Claire Upton, said: “The men exploited their customers by inflating the charges to repair their vehicles and then intimidated them when customers tried to get their vehicle back.
“Many customers lost their vehicles as they were unable to pay the higher price or were informed their vehicle was beyond economic repair when on three occasions this was false.”
New Year’s Resolutions - get involved in policing in your community
Thames Valley Police is asking members of the public to get involved in policing in their community as part of their New Year’s Resolutions.
The force will be promoting its Active Communities campaign, to encourage more people to get active and involved in policing matters and issues affecting communities in Thames Valley.
TVP are marking this fortnight of activity by releasing a new video about how members of the public can get involved in Community Forums as well as launching a brand new specialist volunteering opportunity for those interested in Fraud Prevention.
Below are just a few ways people can get active in their community:
- Community Forums are open to all members of the public and held both online and in person at times to suit everyone. They let people have their say on what matters most to them, enabling the public and police to work together to solve local issues.
- Independent Advisory Groups (IAG) exist in each local police area. Meeting four times a year (usually in the evening) the groups are made up of, and chaired by independent members of the public, supported by officers from local policing teams. IAG members represent their communities, sharing their views on policing issues affecting local people and challenging them when necessary.
- Fraud Prevention Volunteers work closely alongside officers and staff to help raise awareness and understanding of fraud and cyber related crime, arranging and attending events as well as offering advice and guidance to both members of the public and businesses. TVP is looking for people that could spare just a few hours a month to use their existing knowledge and experience in this area to help us tackle this crime.
- Cadet Leaders help inspire and support our young Police Cadets, developing their skills and confidence. They assist with weekly meetings as well as supporting activities and events in the local community. Cadet Leaders need to be over 18 and able to commit to one evening a week with some additional hours when required.
Applications for all of the above positions can be made via the TVP website.
Hidden Harm Campaign
Our Hidden Harm campaign aims to raise awareness of abuse happening in the heart of our communities across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Hidden Harm is the undetected and unreported abuse of a person or people. Abuse can happen in lots of ways, it doesn’t have to be physical. People can also be abused emotionally, psychologically and financially.
Over 18 months we will be bringing a number of different abuse-related crimes into the spotlight, encouraging members of the public to spot the signs and report their concerns. This will include:
- Modern slavery
- Child abuse
- Honour based abuse
- Forced marriage
- Female genital mutilation
- Domestic abuse
- Hate crime
The message at the heart of our campaign is simple – Open your eyes to abuse. It could be happening in your community so if you suspect it, report it. We all have a role to play in keeping people safe from harm. Information we receive from members of the public is vital to ensuring we identify these crimes, protect victims and bring offenders to justice.
If you think someone you know may be a victim of abuse please contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
For advice on what to do and how to get help if you’ve been a victim of crime visit the Victims First website.
Rural crime focus
Find out about the different types of rural crime and how best to protect against becoming a victim.
Rural crime can take many different forms including burglary, robbery, theft, criminal damage, fly tipping, poaching and hare coursing. We are continuing to work with local residents, businesses and partners to raise awareness of crime prevention techniques while developing problem solving solutions to tackle rural crime.
There are often fewer witnesses to rural crimes and greater opportunities for criminals to target isolated properties and businesses. The impact of these crimes can also be greater, with people feeling more vulnerable due to their remote location.
Visit Thames Valley Police's Rural Crime page to find out how to protect yourself from this type of crime. Our Rural Crime and Wildlife Officers can also offer help and advice about rural issues. You can find out how to contact them by clicking on the Rural Crime Contacts link on the right hand side of the page.
