Pre-Christmas Priorities for Cheshire Police

It may be of interest for you to know that various parts of this newsletter are published in a variety of locations. It is now being reproduced in a number of magazines which are distributed free of charge to most households as well as being forwarded to Home watch coordinators and many Parish councils. It is also circulated via the Alert website which contains a great deal of useful and up to date information about current crime issues and crime prevention advice.

Predictably, but necessarily, my main theme this month is to urge everyone to be mindful of criminal activity which targets the Christmas season. Burglars will target addresses which appear empty or which may contain items of value. Please therefore make efforts to make your house appear occupied and keep presents and car keys out of sight. (Register with the Alert website for more security tips.) Also, pay particular attention to your bank statements and credit card / personal identity security, to prevent fraudulent purchases under your name. Most importantly however, please make sure that you enjoy the festive season in a safe and enjoyable manner – if you are having a drink, leave the car at home and pre-arrange your return transportation, to prevent any temptation later on when your judgment may be clouded!

Local priorities for December 2014
ASB -Drink related antisocial behavior can often be an issue in village center's at this time of year. Additional patrols are being targeted towards these areas during those hours prone to such incidents, to deter and prevent trouble.
BURGLARIES – Local officers will be targeting those residential areas which are identified as being vulnerable to seasonal burglaries. Security advice is being promoted via a variety of media formats.
ROAD SAFETY - The difficulty in finding a taxi at this time of year may tempt some people to risk getting behind the wheel of their car when they have drunk too much. All officers will be particularly mindful of drink drivers at ALL times of day and will stop any vehicle if drunk driving is suspected.

Tarvin Local News

• 23/11/14 a number of Tarvin residents have been concerned over the deployment of the Police helicopter in Tarvin overnight. I can confirm the helicopter was deployed to assist with a search for 2 offenders who had been in a police pursuit from Merseyside into Cheshire in a stolen BMW vehicle taken in a burglary from the Little Sutton area a few days before. The vehicle was recovered on Tarporley Road, Tarvin and 2 males from the Liverpool area were arrested nearby on foot trying to leave the area. I appreciate the noise from the helicopter can cause disruption however it has proved to be a vital method of searching vast areas very efficiently and on this occasion provided an excellent result and the recovery of a high value car.

• 07/11/14 I have had a report of a bogus caller in Pitts Close, Tarvin claiming to be collecting milk money on behalf of the local dairy. If you are approached in similar circumstances let us know on 101.

• 14/11/14 a local motorist was issued with a fixed penalty notice for no Mot in Tarvin. Please remember to keep an eye on your vehicle document dates etc. as it might be an unwelcome additional expense if caught out with an expired MOT.

• 18/11/2014 a prized valuable breeding duck was stolen from a rural property in Clotton Common. The duck was last seen secured in its hutch and unknown offenders appear to have gone to some considerable effort to steal the duck overnight. If you keep similar livestock please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to us straight away.

• I would like to appeal to the farming community particularly during the current wet weather to take responsibility for clearing public roads and footpaths of mud left behind when accessing / working on farmland. I have had to call out the highways team on a number of occasions to road sweep due to agricultural machinery leaving roads in a dangerous condition in Ashton Hayes and Hoofield. In most cases highways will do their own enquiries to identify landowners responsible and who will be billed for their services. Please clean up mud on the road as soon as possible to ensure the safety of others is not overlooked. If a road collision occurs owing to the presence of mud left on the road from your activity you may be liable to answer to insurance companies dealing with accident claims.

• 22/11/14 a vehicle crashed and overturned on Willington road due to driver error. No persons were injured.

And finally December is upon us; historically we see a rise in the amount of drink drive related incidents on our rural roads. If you drink and drive our officers will look forward to meeting you. We have a number of vacancies at our 'Guest House' at Blacon Custody Facility which does not have 5 stars on trip advisor. To avoid being one of our 'guests' please do not drink and drive. It is a selfish crime and in some cases can drastically ruin innocent people's lives at the cost of a taxi ride.

Constable 3548 Steve Trow. Western Rural Policing Team. Mickle Trafford Police Station. Telephone 101.