Harlow Community Policing Team: October report

OFFICERS from Harlow Police have been out patrolling in different areas of the community doing checks on different shops and areas to make sure we are all following the new government rules around face masks and rule of 6. We will be continuing these patrols as well as our day to day business in Harlow.

We know this will be tough for some people and we appreciate the sacrifices everyone’s been making to help keep us all safe.

Our approach has been, and will continue to be, engaging with the public, explaining the regulations, and encouraging people to do the right thing.

Where it is absolutely necessary, reasoned conversations have failed, and it’s right to do so, we will issue people with fines.

The compassion, resilience, and determination from the community to keep each other safe has been outstanding and is important to getting us through these unprecedented times.

Over the past month we have continued to tackle crime throughout Harlow and in the Town Centre. 

Officers from our Local Policing Team have been investigating a series of thefts from motor vehicles which have been happening within Harlow over the past few weeks. After completing some enquiries and speaking to victims, they were able to identify 2 suspects for the offences.

Both suspects who are male, one from East London and the other male from Harlow were arrested and interviewed for the offences. The male from East London was charged with 2 TFMV, 4 vehicle interference and possession cannabis to which he is now awaiting to attend court. The male from Harlow was charged with 2 TFMV, 4 vehicle interference and possession of a bladed article. The male was remanded into custody for court the following morning and there he was further remanded to attend court on 11^th November 2020. 

On 13^th October 2020 officers from the Community Policing Team (CPT) executed a warrant within the Harlow Common area. This was following reports and concerns from residents of a brothel being run from the area. The warrant was successful and 1 person was arrested and a another person engaged with our modern slavery team and will be working with victim care.

A number of warrants took place within Harlow, Nineteen people have been arrested and an estimate £100,000 seized during an operation targeting a network suspected of supplying cocaine to county lines drugs gangs in west #Essex, #Hertfordshire, #London, and #Suffolk. Weapons, cash and drugs were seized during dawn raids at 17 addresses in #Harlow and one in Suffolk this morning, Thursday 8 October. Today’s arrests are the culmination of a revised way of working for our proactive teams, targeting the leaders of such criminal networks. We continue to target the gangs and dealers who sell drugs on the streets. But we are also targeting the criminals who supply those groups. 

This is what we do best – target crime and keep you safe. It’s how we’re #protectingandservingEssex.

Crime Prevention:

Now that the nights are starting to draw in and its becoming darker earlier, Houses are more likely to be targeted and burgled. They will see that houses/properties are in darkness and see this as an opportunity to try and break into your house, before you return home from work.

There are things that you can do/use around your house to secure, protect and prevent your property being broken into. One of the things you can do is using timers on lights. This will give the perception of someone being in your house before you are getting home from work. 

Become a creature of habit

Try to get into the habit of following your own course of action when you lock up your home. This will ensure that you don’t forget anything. Here’s what we recommend you do before you go out:

· close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes

· double-lock any door

· make sure that any valuables are out of sight

· keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening

· never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways

· in the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on

· if you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night

· set your burglar alarm

· make sure the side gate is locked

· lock your shed or garage

· lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor

If you have any information about this type of crime you can report anonymously via crime stoppers, contact police through 101 or make us aware via e-mail HarlowCPT@essex.police.uk