The Community Safety Newsletter aims to keep Buckinghamshire residents, businesses and partner agencies informed about what the Community Safety Team has recently been involved in, crime prevention advice, information on awareness raising campaigns and upcoming events.
Newsletter Content:
1. Extension of Street Warden Scheme to Aylesbury
2. Meet the Team (please see the photograph of 4 officers. Derek R)
3. Prevent Projects
4. Relaunch of the Buckinghamshire Safe Place Scheme
5. Thames Valley Police – Tackling Knife Crime across Buckinghamshire
6. Domestic Homicide Review Learning Events
7. Think Before You Dial
8. Victims First Connect Programme
9. Serious Violence
10. Keyless Car Theft
11. National Hate Crime Awareness Week
12. Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards: Business Against Scams online sessions – Farming Industry
13. Anti-Slavery Day
14. Clocks Go Back
15. Halloween
16. Fireworks
17. Police.UK
18. Coronavirus Information
19. Social Media
20. Useful Contact Details
Extension of Street Warden Scheme to Aylesbury
Following the successful introduction of Street Wardens in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Council is extending its scheme to include two new wardens for Aylesbury, jointly funded by the Aylesbury Community Board.
The concept of Street Wardens has been around since 2001 when the Government introduced the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme. The intention was ‘to harness the contribution others working in the community, such as street wardens and security staff, could make to the fight against crime and disorder.’ The purpose of any Street Warden scheme is usually to reduce crime and disorder and link together all parts of the community, acting as a highly visible reassuring presence.
As well as deterring crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) our wardens act as ambassadors to our towns, principally working in our town centres to welcome and reassure visitors, residents and those who work there.
The Wardens are extensively trained, and this includes Safeguarding, Emergency First Aid, Conflict Management, CCTV (SIA Licence), Radio Communications and Naloxone training.
The recruitment phase has been carried out and we are looking forward to welcoming our new Aylesbury Street Wardens at the end of September.
Meet the Team (please see the photograph of 4 officers. Derek R)
Prevent Projects
With the easing of lockdown measures, the Prevent team have been working on engaging with communities to raise awareness on radicalisation and safeguarding.
In response to community needs the following projects will be delivered and funded by the Home Office Prevent Strategy:
Nicola Benyahia – Nicola is a qualified counsellor and currently runs an organisation called Families for Life, which supports families affected by violence and radicalisation. As a mother whose son, Rasheed Benyahia, travelled to join ISIS and was sadly killed in 2015, Nicola shares her own story while delivering training on spotting the signs of radicalisation and how to access support. This is particularly important as the first to notice differences in behaviour of those vulnerable to radicalization, tend to be family members. https://familiesforlife.org.uk
Parent Zone – This organisation provides specialist training, advice and knowledge to parents on keeping their children safe online. This is particularly important for children in an increasingly digital world, especially as online activity has risen during the pandemic. Parents will be trained on how to respond to digital risks to allow their children to make the most of the online world.
Wycombe Youth Action (WYA) – WYA work with vulnerable young people in promoting critical thinking, challenging stereotypes while developing their skills and confidence. This is done through group sessions as well as one-to-one mentoring with young people and often involves creative arts such as graffiti and rap music to reduce social exclusion. These sessions give young people the chance to directly engage with a trained youth worker who understands the impact of radicalisation on young people, their families and wider community. www.wycombeyouthaction.co.uk
For further information on the above projects please contact Lily Syed, Prevent Project Officer: lily.syed@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Relaunch of the Buckinghamshire Safe Place Scheme
The Safe Place Scheme was first launched in Buckinghamshire in 2012 and has built a network of suitable venues and businesses, such as local shops and libraries, where anyone can go for help and assistance if they find themselves in need while out and about in our local communities.
Having access to a ‘Safe Place’ offers vulnerable members of our communities who are feeling confused, scared or upset somewhere they can go to ask for help. They may simply need directions or may wish to make a telephone call to someone they trust, either to collect them or advise them of what they need to do.
Following on from this difficult last year, understandably some members of our communities will be nervous about going out and about. We hope that re-launching the scheme this September, with increased membership, will provide reassurance so that vulnerable people can lead independent lives and feel more confident while out in Buckinghamshire.
To help identify which premises are a ‘Safe Place’ a sticker with the image below will be displayed in the shop/ business window. Anyone in need can approach a member of staff and ask for help or assistance.
For further information on the scheme, please email: safeplace@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Thames Valley Police – Tackling Knife Crime across Buckinghamshire
The national campaign ‘Operation Sceptre’ shows the policing commitment to tackling serious violence along with partner agencies. The initiative aims to reduce knife crime by disrupting the supply of knives available and targeting those carrying weapons. Operation Sceptre takes place twice a year and supports the work Thames Valley Police carry out all year round to keep people safe within their communities.
Targeted engagement, operations and education activities take place across the Thames Valley in order to inform young people to walk away from harm in dangerous situations and that by carrying knives they would be putting both themselves and those around them at risk.
As part of the campaign, Aylesbury have introduced their first year-round knife bank situated at Southcourt Baptist Church, Penn Road. The knife bank is funded by Thames Valley Police and managed by Aylesbury South Neighbourhood Policing Team. Within the first two weeks, 25 knives of all types were deposited, and a steady stream continues, with all weapons being destroyed.
Southcourt Baptist Church also oversees Bridge the Gap Foodbank, the Treehouse Pre-School and community mentoring schemes, as well as having a series of outreach and care programmes to help combat weapon-related crime.
Domestic Homicide Review Learning Events
Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) have been a statutory requirement since 13 April 2011. A DHR is a multi-agency ’lessons learned‘ review and is conducted if someone dies as a result of domestic violence and abuse, whether by suicide or directly killed by another person. To maximise learning the Safer Bucks Board organises two DHR learning events per year, for frontline professionals and those who sit on DHR panels. The second in our series of events was delivered virtually on 23 June 2021 to 170 attendees and centered around domestic abuse and Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse (BAED) victims.
Guest speakers included Payzee Mahmod (Iranian & Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation) whose sister Banaz was murdered on the orders of her family in a so called ’honour‘ killing, Dorett Jones (Genesis Consultancy), Waheeda Islam (Nour) and Elizabeth Jimenez-Yanez (Step Up Migrant Women, Latin American Women’s Rights Service).
The event feedback was hugely positive, and our next learning event will take place in December, with the focus on domestic abuse and male victims.
Think Before You Dial
During the summer months there is often an increase in the number of people getting in touch with the police to report a crime. Between July and September, Thames Valley Police are running the ‘Think Before You Dial’ campaign.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of online reporting. We should all be familiar with using 999 for emergencies when a life is in danger or for when a crime is occurring, and with using 101 for non-emergency incidents. However, you can also report non-emergencies online.
The online reporting service is not automated; each report is dealt with by an experienced Thames Valley Police call handler – the same police team who answer your calls.
Online reporting allows you the freedom to report at a time that is convenient for you. It means you can spend some time writing in your own words exactly what happened and there is no need to wait for a call handler to become available to take your call. Reporting a crime can be a difficult process, so the online reporting service is designed to make it a little easier and more convenient for you.
Victims First Connect Programme
Victims First Connect allows organisations and professionals working in communities to help victims of crime by learning more about the services available to victims, how to signpost people to support or process a referral for support on their behalf. They will also be able to support victims or witnesses of hate crimes by making a report to the police.
Victims First are working with organisations such as community and family centres, colleges, Citizens Advice Bureaus, universities, GP surgeries and libraries to raise awareness of the support available to victims of crime. The scheme is structured into two different tiers which will provide different levels of information and support. Organisations can decide what level of support they would like to offer, which could be as simple as displaying a Victims First poster.
For further details on how to get involved or for training opportunities please visit: Victims First Connect
Serious Violence
The Government has made tackling serious violence a top priority; in April 2018 it set out a new Serious Violence Strategy and in 2019 created Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) across the UK. Thames Valley Police lead our local VRU, which covers Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire.
Using a multi-agency partnership approach, we work with our key partners e.g. NHS, Police, Youth Offending Service and Department of Work and Pensions to prevent and reduce serious violence. In line with our priorities set out in the Safer Buckinghamshire Plan, we aim to reduce serious violence, protect our communities and support victims of serious violence.
One of our key objectives is early intervention and adopting a ‘holistic’ approach, particularly with young people, to prevent and safeguard people from becoming (for example) involved in knife crime which is often associated with County Line drug activities. We do this by raising awareness and working with schools, youth clubs and community boards to provide mentoring, youth services, diversionary activities and well-being support.
Keeping our communities safe and protecting them from harm is everyone’s responsibility. We want to build good relationships with our local communities by working together to keep our young people safe. You can help do this by getting involved with supporting our young people by volunteering; the Community Impact website is a good place to start.
Getting involved in Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is also a way of helping to keep your streets safer. For further details please visit the national NHW website which also contains useful information on safeguarding – spotting the signs.
To report a safeguarding concern or suspicious activity, please contact Thames Valley Police.
Keyless Car Theft
There has been a recent increase in keyless car thefts, particularly of Range Rovers. If you own a keyless vehicle, please read the following information to find out what security measures you can put in place to protect your vehicle and to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
National Hate Crime Awareness Week
National Hate Crime Awareness Week is taking place from 9 – 16 October 2021. We will be supporting the campaign by sharing a variety of information, such as what is a hate crime, support services and how to report such incidents.
A hate crime is defined as 'Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender.'
A hate incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.
If you have been a victim of a hate crime you must remember that it is not your fault. You do not have to live with this form of abuse, and it is important to report such incidents as soon as possible. Speaking up can be difficult, but by reporting a hate crime you may be able to prevent it from happening again to you or to someone else. Keeping people safe from harm is everyone's responsibility. To report a hate crime, please see our ‘Useful Contacts’ section at the end of our newsletter.
Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards: Business Against Scams online sessions – Farming Industry
In the last year there has been a 66% increase in scams, with farmers being particularly vulnerable due to isolation in the workplace due to the pandemic and Brexit uncertainty, causing financial loss and stress.
Bucks & Surrey Trading Standards are offering free webinars with the aim of helping farmers learn how they can protect themselves from frauds and scams. The webinars are also an opportunity to discuss any problems and issues arising from these topics in a confidential manner. Sarah Reeve, Bucks and Surrey Trading Standards officer and representatives from the Farming Community Network will be present at the webinars to provide advice with regards to animal health and welfare, pastoral and practical help.
To book your FREE place visit: Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards Events | Eventbrite
Tuesday 12 October - 6.30pm
Tuesday 26 October - 12.30pm
Thursday 11 November - 6.30pm
For further information on the Farming Community Network visit:
The Farming Community Network | Facebook
The Farming Community Network | Twitter
The Farming Community Network | LinkedIn
Anti-Slavery Day
Monday 18 October marks Anti-Slavery Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery. Unfortunately, slavery is still widely prevalent in our society, and could be happening right under your nose, in your street or neighbourhood. It’s a hidden crime happening in plain sight across the UK. The Global Slavery Index estimates that Britain is home to around 136,000 victims of modern slavery, far surpassing the government’s own statistics.
Modern Slavery has many forms, from being forced to carry out manual tasks such as domestic work or labouring for little or no money to criminal and sexual exploitation. Many victims are often trafficked and are forced to live in fear in squalid conditions under the constant threat of violence and intimidation.
You could be closer to Modern Slavery than you think! Download the Unseen UK App today to play your part in ending modern slavery. The app provides a simple guide to recognising the signs and you can easily pinpoint the suspected locations and connect to the Modern Slavery Helpline.
If you suspect something, please contact one of the teams below:
Bucks Safeguarding Adults Team - 0800 137 915
Bucks Emergency Duty Team (out of hours) - 0800 999 7677
First Response Team - 01296 383 962
Modern Slavery Helpline - 08000 121 700 – Online reporting form
In an emergency always dial 999
Clocks Go Back
With the clocks going back on 31 October our homes will be in darkness in the afternoon – a gift for opportunist burglars. Unfortunately, burglars see the longer winter nights as an opportunity to increase their criminal activities, so to avoid becoming a victim of burglary we are encouraging residents to look at their home security and take some simple, yet effective steps to protect their homes:
Use a timer switch to turn on lights and a radio to give the impression someone is home.
Keep valuables and other electronic equipment such as laptops out of sight.
Security mark valuables with a UV pen and register them with Immobilise.
Double-lock UPVC doors or use dead locks on solid doors.
Keep all spare keys, including car keys, away from the front door and out of sight to avoid them being ‘fished’ through the letter box.
Keep windows locked with the key and keep it out of sight.
Don’t leave the packaging boxes from expensive new TVs or game consoles outside by your bin, this will just act as advertising what goodies you have inside your home.
Halloween
In preparation for Halloween we have created a downloadable poster which you can display in your window to say that you do not welcome trick or treaters. Halloween is a night of innocent fun for many youngsters, but for elderly and vulnerable residents having an unexpected caller can be distressing and frightening.
Download your Halloween poster now; alternatively you can collect copies from Buckinghamshire Council’s Reception areas.
Fireworks
Over the next few months we will see an increase in firework displays. If you are planning to have fireworks in your garden, please follow the advice below and visit Bucks Fire & Rescue for further guidance.
Please also be considerate and let your neighbours know. Not everyone enjoys fireworks and unexpected loud bangs can cause great distress to both animals and humans.
Police.UK
Police.UK is the national website for policing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The website is full of information, such as crime reduction advice and support services for those affected by crime. The Police website also provides local area information - you can explore the latest crime statistics, see your Neighbourhood Policing Team and find out what's being done to tackle crime.
Coronavirus Information
For information on the coronavirus, vaccinations, rapid testing, service changes and details on how to access support across Buckinghamshire please visit: Bucks Coronavirus information
Social Media
Follow us on our social media channels for the latest key messages and crime reduction advice:
Community Safety Twitter: @Bucks_Safety
Communities Facebook: @bcccomunities
Nextdoor: @Buckinghamshire Council
Useful Contact Details
Below is a list of contact details for local and national services:
Community Safety -Aylesbury Area
01296 585 858
communitysafety.av@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Community Safety - Chiltern Area
01494 586 535
communitysafety.csb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Community Safety - South Bucks Area
01494 586 535
communitysafety.csb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Community Safety - Wycombe Area
01494 421 117
communitysafety.wyc@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Action Fraud
0300 123 2040
Action Fraud Website
Crime Stoppers
0800 555 111
Crime Stoppers Website
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
0808 2000 247
National Domestic Abuse Helpline Website
Modern Slavery Helpline
08000 121 700
Modern Slavery Helpline Website
Thames Valley Police
101/ 999
Thames Valley Police Website
Victims First
0300 1234 148
Victims First Website
