Dorset Police – Lay Observer Scheme

The Lay Observer Scheme is an opportunity for members of the public to join officers whilst out on patrol and to gain an insight into how the police and partner agencies work to protect communities from threat, risk and harm.

Dorset Police is welcoming more people to take part in the scheme. It is important for the police to understand the communities that they are serving and also for local people to see the kind of incidents police are called to as part of their day-to-day duties.

The scheme has traditionally been used by people who already work closely with the police in their line of work or people who would like a greater understanding of policing before they pursue a career in the service. However, Dorset Police would now like to extend this more widely to other members of the public.

Your chance to join us on patrol

If you are 18 years old or over and have ever wondered what a day in the life of a patrol officer is like, this is your opportunity to experience the problem solving and relationship building work which officers conduct on a daily basis, as well as witnessing response to calls, encounters with the public, and any arrests that are made.

We cannot guarantee what kinds of incidents officers with observers will attend, but you may encounter officers dealing with shop theft, victims and offenders of burglary, vehicle crime, drug warrants and people being stopped and searched.

The Stop and Search procedure may not occur on every occasion when an observer is present, but where it does, it is carried out only in specific circumstances.

The police will not Stop and Search somebody for the benefit of the lay observer. This would likely render the search unlawful and it would be completely against the intention and ethics of the Stop and Search reforms.

Our Stop-Search approach and other street encounters

In April 2015, Dorset Police signed up to the Home Office’s Best Use of Stop and Search Scheme.

The Lay Observer Scheme is open to people who wish to find out more about why and how Stop and Search works. They would also see how this differs to Stop and Account, which is when officers stop someone in a public place and asks them to account for themselves. The individual does not have to answer the officer and can walk away if they choose. The police can also stop a vehicle and ask the driver for their documents, which is different to Stop and Search.

Officers have various ways in which they conduct these kind of activities, which are known as ‘street encounters’. Police officers may Stop and Search someone if they have reasonable grounds to believe they may be able to assist with a police matter. If an individual does not cooperate, they may be arrested.

It is important for the public to be able to see that the police conduct their work around street encounters professionally.

We would particularly welcome observer applications from young people and people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, as these groups are involved in a proportionately high number of encounters, yet often don’t take part in the observer scheme.

The Stop and Search procedure may not occur on every occasion when an observer is present, as it is only carried out in specific circumstances. The police will not Stop and Search somebody for the benefit of the observer, as this would likely make the search unlawful and would be completely against ethics of the Stop and Search reforms.

Feedback will be sought from observers about their time with officers, so that two-way learning can take place.

What do you have to do?

If you are interested in joining an officer on patrol, please click on the link at the bottom of this email and complete the application form.

Observers have to be security vetted, due to the information they may become aware of or what they may see during the observation. This can sometimes take a number of weeks. A member of staff will contact you and inform you of the outcome of the vetting and what happens next.

Scheme participants must also attend a safety briefing prior to going out on patrol. They will have to follow the instructions of the officer they’re accompanying at all times and wear a high visibility observer jacket.

Feedback will be sought from observers about their time with officers, so that two-way learning can take place.

Get involved
If you would like to join officers on a patrol, please complete an application form and return it to your local police station, addressing it to The Governance Team, Bournemouth Police Station or email it to StopSearch@Dorset.pnn.police.uk

For the form follow the link to, ​http://dorset.police.uk/docs/Lay%20Observersation%20Scheme%20Application%20Form.doc

or visit ​http://dorset.police.uk/default.aspx?page=9049 to find out more.

Let us know your thoughts on Twitter by using the hash tag ‪#YourView

Dorset Police – Horsewatch Event 19th December 2015

SATURDAY 19th DECEMBER 2015 10am to 3pm

The North Dorset Horsewatch team will be at Eccliffe Equestrian Mini Open Day in Gillingham.

Come along, meet the team, bring any tack that may require marking and have a chat about security. You can also arrange a time for us to come to you if required for larger amounts of tack marking.

We’re fairly sure there will be coffee and mince pies available and lots of fun for all the family!

Looking forward to seeing you there.

North Dorset Horsewatch
PCSO 5370 Levy and PCSO 6268 Hann

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Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner Newsletter December 2015

WELCOME

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL NEWSLETTER

We’ve had a fantastic few months since my last newsletter and I wanted to update you on what my team and I have been up to.

On November 25th we welcomed Mr Osborne’s unexpected statement that there would be no cuts to policing, but it in no way means that I can, or am willing to, rest. The fight to give Dorset the budget to deliver an effective and efficient force continues.  Please look out for my council tax consultation which will be launched in the new year.

Over the summer, we’ve met thousands of residents at events such as the Bournemouth air show and the Dorset County show where you’ve been sharing your views on policing and crime. You can read more about the results of our consultation on page three. We also held our first joint Dorset Police Youth Awards which recognised some outstanding achievements of young people in Dorset who go above and beyond to improve the safety of their local communities.

Have you ever wondered how the police use their powers? A special observer scheme has been launched where you can apply to go out on patrol with officers to understand more about what they do and the challenges they face. Find out more information inside my newsletter.

As always, please do get in touch to raise any issues regarding policing, crime and community safety you may have in your area.

You can follow me on twitter @PCCDorset or like our Facebook page ‘Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner’. My website provides a strong platform to feedback on what we’re doing and I would encourage you to visit the site regularly and share your views. We look forward to hearing from you.

Martyn Underhill
Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner

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Dorset Police Alert – Damage to vehicles in Hod View, Stourpaine

We have a report of criminal damage to motor vehicle in Hod View Stourpaine, this has occurred sometime Tuesday 8th December 2000hrs and Wednesday 9th December 0715hrs, the offenders have damaged three tyres.
crime occurrence number 55150144659
Any information please contact Dorset Police 101 or crime stoppers 0800 555 111
Many thanks

Blandford SNT

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Dorset Police – Don’t Be A Christmas Burglary Statistic

Reports of burglary usually increase over the festive period, but in 2014/15, Dorset bucked a five year trend.

Officers are hoping that a combined effort between the police and the public will help combat Christmas burglary in the county, for a second year running.

In December 2014, there were 128 reports of dwelling (residential property) burglary compared to an average of 178 offences for the same month over the previous five years. This equates to two fewer victims of burglary per day throughout December.

In January 2015, Dorset Police received 87 reports of dwelling burglary. The five year average for the first month in the year is 168 offences, equating to three fewer victims per day for the month.

Although officers are pleased that there were fewer reports last Christmas compared to the previous five years, the public should still be wary of how their property and vehicles can be vulnerable to being burgled.

Every year, police forces across the country warn residents to remove valuable items from view and to lock windows and doors, but burglars still commit crime, which is why Dorset Police is stepping up its campaign to deter thieves and protect the public.

Officers from the Force’s Priority Crime Team (PCT) are working alongside colleagues from neighbourhood policing, Integrated Offender Management (IOM) and other specialist teams, to increase patrols in vulnerable areas, engage with known offenders and target handlers of stolen goods and reduce crime.

Thieves know that people buy more products over the festive season, especially electrical goods, so if they successfully gain entry into a property, they can walk away with hundreds of pounds worth of items in just a few seconds.

Detective Inspector (DI) Andy Dilworth, of Bournemouth’s Priority Crime Team is urging the public to make it difficult for burglars to be successful. He said: “Help us continue to reduce burglary offences in Dorset by making it hard for offenders to target and gain entry into your property.

“Simple crime prevention techniques, such as ensuring valuable and electrical items including tablets, laptops and mobile phones, are not left on display and locking windows and doors when you leave your property will help reduce the chance of you being burgled.

“When your property is empty, give the impression that it’s occupied, by using a light timer switch, drawing the curtains and cancelling milk and newspaper deliveries if you’re going away for a period of time.

“If you are visiting family and friends over the festive period, please let your neighbours and friends know, but don’t put it on social media, as this is an advertisement to burglars that your home is empty.”

Vehicles, as-well as residential property, are also susceptible to being targeted by thieves, if reasonable precautions aren’t taken.

DI Dilworth continued: “It only takes a few seconds for a criminal to decide whether to break-in to a vehicle, so don’t let it be you they target.

“Make sure you always remove bags, particularly Christmas shopping, from view when you’re parked up and remove satellite navigation devices, loose change, mobile phones from view and make sure the inside pockets of doors are clear.

“Don’t be complacent. If you see someone acting suspiciously in your area, please call us on 101 or if a crime is in progress, dial 999.

“If you have information about someone handling or receiving stolen goods and you don’t want to report it to the police, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, free and anonymously.

“Don’t let thieves ruin your Christmas.”

POLICE GUIDANCE

  • Always keep your doors and windows shut and locked where possible, even if you’re in your property
  • Use a light switch timer
  • Keep shopping bags out of view, whether in the car or in the window of your house
  • If you’re going away over the festive season, ask a friend or neighbour to park on your driveway and make sure any post is put through your letter box properly
  • Cancel deliveries of milk newspapers or any other regular delivery items
  • Fit a burglar alarm and make sure it’s set when property is unoccupied
  • Do not leave car, door or window keys on view. Never leave keys within reach of a letterbox or a window
  • Register valuable property at http://www.immobilise.com or keep an inventory including description, serial number and photograph of each item
  • Ask your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme to keep an eye on your home while you are away
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Categorised as Crimewatch

Dorset Police Alert – Elderly Targeted By Fake Police Officers

There has been a recent series of incidents whereby fraudsters either phone or attend the home address of elderly members of the public, claiming to be police officers.

The fake officer/s will claim that they are investigating a fraud which they believe the elderly person to be a victim of. The fake officer/s will then request the bank cards and personal identification numbers (PIN) of the victim and claim these are needed for investigation purposes. If the first contact was made by a phone call, the fake officer/s will tell the victim that someone will be over to collect the evidence. In one case the victim was instructed to attend their local bank and withdraw all of the money from their account. The suspect was left alone in the victim’s house whilst the victim carried out the instructions.

Protect Yourself

  • Before letting anyone into your home who claims to be from any law enforcement agency, ask to see their identity card and check it by calling 101.
  • Ask if they can attend at a pre-arranged time when a family member or friend can also be present.
  • If you receive a phone call from a police officer,  ask for their name and force and tell them you will call them back. Wait a few minutes and then use 101 to call them back through their force’s switchboard and verify their identity.
  • The Police will never ask for your PIN or passwords. Do not give this information to anyone.
  • The Police will never request that you withdraw/transfer any money to them.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.

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Dorset Police Alert – Don’t Let Burglars Pocket Your Christmas Presents

It’s not just law abiding citizens who like to do their Christmas shopping at this time of year – burglars do too. Leaving your property in the dark whilst doing late night shopping could encourage thieves to break into your home and tick off items on their own Christmas lists.

Every year Christmas spirit encapsulates the hearts of the nation, but it’s important for people to remember to keep their items from view of a potential thief, whether it’s in their vehicles or in their homes, police officials say.

Crime Prevention Officer, Debbie Oldfield, said: “Consumers who choose to shop after darkness has fallen should think about their home security prior to leaving their property, as a dark, unoccupied home can entice burglars to try their luck.

“Taking simple precautions such as using timer switches to activate lights and radios, ensuring that your house alarm is set and not removing valuables from windows and doors, all help deter an opportunist burglar.

“If you are ordering items off the internet make sure you have delivery arrangements in place so parcels are not left on the doorstep or in easy accessible areas.

“Being burgled at any time of year causes misery for the victim, but replacing windows or broken doors, liaising with the insurance companies and buying new Christmas presents, can really add to an often already stressful experience.”

Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) regularly run community engagement events in the run up to Christmas and provide crime prevention advice to the public.

Officers also increase patrols in vulnerable areas across Dorset and target prolific offenders.

Ms Oldfield believes working as a community could help reduce burglary. She added: “By working with your neighbours you can make it a safer place to live and you can all look out for suspicious people in the area.

“Consider joining a neighbourhood watch group or start one up of your own if there isn’t one in place.

“If you think someone is acting suspiciously, call the police on 101, or if a crime is in progress, dial the emergency number 999.

“If you are aware of someone handling stolen goods or involved in criminal activity, please call the police. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers, an independent charity, for free on 0800 555 111. You will remain anonymous and could be eligible of a reward.”

POLICE GUIDANCE

  • Always keep your doors and windows shut and locked where possible, even if you’re in your property
  • Use a light switch timer
  • ​Keep shopping bags out of view, whether in the car or in the window of your house
  • If you’re going away over the festive season, ask a friend or neighbour to park on your driveway and make sure any post is put through your letter box properly
  • Cancel deliveries of milk newspapers or any other regular delivery items
  • Fit a burglar alarm and make sure it’s set
  • Do not leave car, door or window keys on view. Never leave keys within reach of a letterbox or a window.
  • Register valuable property at http://www.immobilise.com or keep an inventory including description, serial number and photograph of each item
  • Ask your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme to keep an eye on your home while you are away
Published
Categorised as Crimewatch

Dorset Police – Report of theft

Dorset Police have had a report of theft from North Barn farm, Winterbourne Stickland, this has occurred Tuesday 24th November 1630hrs and Wednesday 25th November 0500hr. the offenders have stolen 5 gas bottles
crime occurrence number 55150135524
any information please contact Dorset Police 101 or crime stoppers 0800 555 111
many thanks

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