It’s funny how certain things get people‘s goat more than others.
While of course we are all concerned deeply about crimes like robbery and burglary, especially when it happens to us or someone we know, it’s the ‘lower level’ crimes, like antisocial behaviour and damage that drive people to call us every day with information to help us locate the culprits.
With our drink drive operation over the festive period we received a lot of calls into our control room and to Crimestoppers about motorists getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or driving while disqualified.
I would like to harness this proactivity from residents and encourage more people to pick up the phone with information about criminals and crime in your area, whether directly to our control room or anonymously through Crimestoppers.
We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has any information about burglars who target homes and domestic sheds and garages, and those who perpetuate these crimes by providing an outlet for these criminals to sell stolen goods.
If you notice anyone behaving suspiciously near to your or your neighbours’ homes or gardens, call us immediately. If you have been approached by someone to buy cheap goods, let us know. If you suspect someone is involved in crime, report them.
We want names, descriptions, dates, locations. The sooner you call us, the quicker we can react. Your calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence and your information, no matter how minor you may think it is, could prove vital.
In other news, we checked 23 waste carrier vehicles during a roadside operation in Central Avenue on 9th January.
In partnership with the local council, HMRC, and VOSA eight prohibitions were issued for vehicle defects, meaning they must be fixed before returning to the road, one motorist was fined for driving with bald tyres and one was reported to the DVLA for having no tax. Two others were suspected of illegally carrying waste and are being investigated.