Loughton Residents Association

LRA


Crime in Loughton

More on police and security.

Fly-tipping
If you see fly-tipping happening in the District, and can do so without risking a confrontation, please take a photo of the vehicle concerned, showing its number-plate, and email it to Tony Ellis.

New Police non-emergency number
‘101’ has now been adopted by every police force in England and Wales as their non-emergency number, for you to report non-emergency crime and disorder or to speak to local officers, wherever you are in the country. Calls to ‘101’ will cost 15p per call, no matter how long you are on the phone – this applies to both landlines and mobile phones. You should continue to call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened. More.

The police call number for mainland Europe is 112 – this can also be used in the UK to contact local police.

Local public meetings with the police: go to Essex Police, put in your postcode and then click on "events".

CCTV
The 29 out-of-date cameras in The Broadway will be replaced by 62 new CCTV cameras; there will be cameras in De Vere Road, the covered passage leading to Barrington Road and Burton Road and the car parks. Some will revolve and some will be static. All will record 24 hours x 365 days and will be able to record in the dark as well. Installation is planned to start next May and will take 8 to 12 weeks. The cost will be around £100,000.
Note, there are already 6 cameras in the Pyrles Lane Shopping Parade and some new cameras have been placed in Borders Lane Parade

Noise in Loughton Station car-park
We have had reports of youngsters hanging around with vehicles in the evenings – this is of course often harmless. However, a couple of years ago action had to be taken to stop noise (which continued into the small hours) and dangerous driving in the Sainsbury’s car-park, and we would not want this to start again in the area. If you see or hear anything of this sort in the station car-park, please do report it there and then (999 for emergencies, 101 for other matters) so the police can take action, and can build up a picture of the problem if one exists.

Essex Police

  • High Road Police Station
    As we expected, the change in the hours of the 24-hour “front desk” has been brought forward from the initial proposal (next April). It will now only be open between 12 midday and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and not at all on Sundays and Bank Holidays. There is a phone link at the front door to the Essex Police call centre. (Note that the Neighbourhood Policing teams will still be based at the station, and their numbers are meant to be increasing).

    Note: over the years LRA has fought hard to keep Loughton police station as a “charging” station, manned 24 hours a day, and the base for police activity in the area. Because of the cost of bringing the three cells up to current Home Office standards, they have been closed – officers now have to take suspects to Harlow or even Brentwood. Neighbourhood policing teams continue to be based in Loughton, but the “response” teams are based in Chigwell. Further cuts will have to be made, and it may be that the reduction in front counter service is less objectionable than some of the possible alternatives – the problem being that at present we do not have a complete picture. Comments to contact@loughtonresidents.co.uk please.

  • Wheelie Bins. Essex County Fire & Rescue Service recently had to deal with a serious fire that started from a wheelie bin stored against the plastic cladding of a house. Where possible, avoid siting bins close to your anything inflammable; also avoid putting them near gates or fences where they could be used to help burglars gain easy access to the rear of your property (we know that with two bins to store, this can be easier said than done!)

  • Future local policing structures
    Future local policing structures came under the spotlight at the September 6th meeting of the District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

  • National Police Non-emergency Telephone Number: you can now contact Essex Police on non-emergency matters by calling 101. Other forces will also be joining this service throughout the year.

Do your neighbours have a key? Do you have a burglar alarm?

  • It’s a good idea to let the police know each year who your key-holders are – download the form. You can also give the police permission to board up doors or windows in the event of an incident which leaves your premises insecure and vulnerable (they cannot do this without your say-so in advance).
  • If you have an audible alarm, you should also tell the council each year – download the form


Crime prevention advice:

Local car thefts and burglaries
Recently the Epping Forest District has suffered an unusually large number of overnight house burglaries. At most of these incidents the residents car was the target of the intruders and both high and low value vehicles, including a Porsche, have been stolen. The method the burglars normally use is to gain entry to the house by ‘popping’ the front door open, finding the car keys and then stealing the car. To help keep your car:

• If you have a upvc exterior door make sure you deadlock it before going to bed
• If your vehicle is parked on your driveway and you have gates, lock the gates before you go to bed
• If you have no gates consider extending a chain across the entrance and padlocking that in place
• Halford’s sell a wheel clamp for about £8
• Hide your car keys in an unusual location. If the thieves don’t find them in the first 30 seconds they normally give up and leave
• Double-lock your front door or use your burglar alarm (if you have one) to isolate the ground floor of your house when you go upstairs to bed

Avoiding problems

  • don't leave front or back doors, or accessible windows, unlocked -it only takes a moment for a burglar to get in, and they may not be worried about you being there
  • don't leave cars or vans unlocked on the drive or on the roadway,
  • don’t leave car keys (or house keys) near a door or window, visible from outside
  • don't leave ladders or tools around where thieves can use them
  • don't use your mobile phone in crowded areas.

Do report anything suspicious immediately - 999 for emergencies, 07968 354021* for the local beat police, 000 333 4444 for the Essex control centre (please write these by your phone or put them in the memory); take vehicle numbers and descriptions
*this is carried by the duty officer 24 hours a day; if there's no answer please leave a message.