Essex Police Dispatch - issue 134
Essex Police Weekly Update
News 15 January to 21 January
Chief Constable meets with Home Secretary as crime continues to fall across Essex
Essex Police Chief Constable meets Home secretary to discuss how force continues to drive down crime despite the increased demand on policing.
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Billericay: Two arrested following drugs warrant
Our officers arrested two people in the early hours of this morning, as part of an ongoing efforts to tackling drug related criminality in Essex.
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Colchester: Operation to tackle speeding
Officers from Colchester Community Policing Team carried out a proactive operation on 20 January in the City Centre in a bid to target dangerous driving offences.
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Maldon: Woman charged as part of aggravated burglary investigation
A woman has been charged as part of an ongoing investigation into an aggravated burglary in Maldon earlier this month.
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Multiple arrests facilitated by Operational Support Group
Dozens of arrests have been made across the county over the past 24 hours, including nine by our Operational Support Group.
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Braintree: Survivor of sexual abuse encourages others to come forward
A survivor of sexual abuse has said how she wants to encourage others to report to police, after a man was jailed for offences against her.
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Hadleigh: Burglary arrest
Officers have responded to information from the public and arrested a man following a burglary in Hadleigh.
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Canvey Island: Four arrests during road safety operation
Six vehicles were also seized.
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Stansted Airport: Child exploitation awareness to taxi drivers
106 taxis, Ubers, and private hire vehicles were stopped at Stansted Airport and provided information from the Children’s Society.
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Braintree/Chelmsford: Dispersal orders over car meet
The order was in place between 6pm Friday 19 January until 6am on Sunday 21 January.
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Rayleigh: Man jailed five days after breaching CBO
Stefan Jaworksi had only been released from prison five days earlier.
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Three more arrests as we keep you safe
Our Operational Support Group made arrests in connection with human trafficking and modern slavery and domestic offences.
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Southend: Anti-social behaviour drops by 49% across the district
People in Southend reported 1,705 fewer offences in 2023.
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Brightlingsea: Arsonist jailed for vehicle fire spree
Arsonist started fires in vans and cars in Brightlingsea on Wednesday 16 August after drinking throughout the evening at a pub.
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Colchester: Shoplifter jailed for breaching criminal behaviour order
He had committed five shop thefts in seven days.
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Clacton: Dealer convicted thanks to 'overwhelming' evidence
A thorough investigation by an officer with Clacton’s Community Policing Team secured a conviction and sentence.
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Officers arrest 36 people for shoplifting in the last week
Seventeen have been charged with offences and five tested positive for Class A drugs.
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Volunteer police officers contribute over 2,000 extra hours of high visibility patrols
More than 2,000 hours volunteered by our Special Constables over the Christmas and New Year period, to keep you safe.
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Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 22 January
10.30am to 11.30am
The Council Offices, Victoria Place, Brightlingsea.
10.30am to 11.30am
The Council Offices, Victoria Place, Brightlingsea.
11am to 12pm
Knightswick Shopping Centre, Foksville Road, Canvey Island, SS8 7AD
11am to 12pm
Poppies Cafe, Downtowner, Irvon Hill Road, Wickford SS12 0AQ
2pm to 3pm
Morrisons, Northwick Road Northwick Retail Park, Canvey Island SS8 0SW
3pm to 4pm
Residents Meeting, Norman Harris House, Queensway, Southend
Tuesday 23 January
10am to 11am
St Peters Church, Claughton Way, Brentwood
11am to 12pm
Residents Meeting, Pembridge Court, Riviera Drive, Southend
12pm to 1pm
Cafe @ The Square, Cluny Square, Southend
1pm to 2pm
St Lukes Community Hub, Cluny Square, Southend
2pm to 3pm
Hadleigh library, 180 London Road, South Benfleet
2pm to 3pm
Hadleigh library, 180 London Road, Hadleigh Benfleet
2pm to 3pm
Hadleigh library, 180 London Road, Benfleet
2.30pm to 3.30pm
Stebbing Community Shop, High Street
3pm to 4.30pm
Witham Town Hall, Heritage Suite
Wednesday 24 January
10am to 12pm
Bush Fair Shopping Hatch, Harlow
10am to 12pm
St Thomas Church, St Thomas Road, Brentwood
10.30am to 11.30am
W Howard & Son Funeral Directors,
32 High Road Orsett
11am to 12pm
Costa Coffee, 2 Victoria Road, Buckhurst Hill
Thursday 25 January
11am to 1pm
Morrisons, 175 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
11am to 1pm
Morrisons 175 London Road, Hadleigh
11am to 1pm
Morrisons, 175 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
1pm to 2pm
Duchy Barn Dedham , Unit 1/Birchwood Farm, Birchwood Rd, Colchester
1pm to 2pm
Duchy Barn , Royal Square, Dedham
5pm to 6pm
Mcdonalds, 266 Eastern Avenue, Southchurch
Friday 26 January
8.30am to 10.30am
Touchpoint, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted
10am to 11.30am
Takeley Community Cafe, Dunmow Road, Takeley
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Lime Close Hall, South Ockendon
2pm to 3pm
Co-op, Church Road, Stansted
2pm to 3pm
Parade of shops Bridgewater Drive, Westcliff
3.30pm to 4.30pm
Bulphan Village Hall, Church Road
3.30pm to 4.30pm
Bulphan Village hall, Church Road
3.30pm to 4.30pm
Cambridge Square Gardens, The Bowling Green Pavilion, Cambridge Road, Southend
4pm to 5pm
Co-op, White Street, Great Dunmow
7.30pm to 9pm
Navestock Village Hall, Navestockside, Brentwood,
Saturday 27 January
10am to 12pm
The Council Offices, The Watershed Chapel Road, Burnham-On-Crouch CM0 8JA
10.30am to 11.30am
Saint Peter And St. Paul, Orsett Road, Horndon on The Hill
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
Keep burglars out of your property
Burglars don’t want to be seen or heard by a neighbour or passer-by because they will feel exposed and identifiable.
Keep it visible
Don’t keep your property hidden from prying eyes behind overgrown bushes, trees, high fences or walls. In reality, all that this serves to do is make it easier for a burglar to get close to a home unnoticed, and provide somewhere to hide while carrying out a burglary or theft from the property.
Lower fences at the front around one-metre high are preferable to high fences as they allow for a clear view over the top and don’t provide cover for anyone wishing to hide.
At the rear and sides, taller fencing is recommended to prevent easy access.
Trellis, thorny plants, or a suitable anti-climb topping such as plastic spikes make it difficult for anyone climbing over a fence or gate.
Planting prickly or barbed shrubbery along boundaries and fence lines acts as an effective natural barrier.
Gravel driveways and paths will make sure you hear anyone approach.
Reporting fraud
If you’re the victim of a scam, fraud or online crime you can report it to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are a few types of fraud that should be reported elsewhere:
You can report scams, fraud and online crime (cybercrime) to Action Fraud, except you should report:
business or personal tax fraud to HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)
To report one of these please follow the links above.
Join our team
Police staff jobs
Operational Lawyer £48,966
Forensic Support Officer £23,646
Head of Strategic Analysis £58,521
Kennel Assistant £22,101
Detention Officers £26,334 to £30,424
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
This week we remember
Thomas Simmons
Inspector Thomas Simmons joined the Essex County Constabulary on 11 September 1865. He was promoted to Sergeant in November 1877 and later became a second-class inspector in Romford.
On 20 January 1885 Thomas harnessed his white horse and trap and, accompanied by Police Constable 107 Alfred Marden, set out to tour his section. They encountered three known criminals on the road and one of them shot Inspector Simmons. He collapsed after a short pursuit and despite the best efforts of two surgeons, he died four days later on 24 January, 1885.
John 'Bil' William Towers
On 22 January 1941, John Towers was a War Reserve Police Constable and was sent with his colleague PC Pyman from Grays police station to Hangman's Wood in Little Thurrock to help collect the body of a suicide victim in a three-wheeled hand-bier. They collected the body and were on route to Grays mortuary in the pitch dark due to the wartime blackout. A lorry hit the bier and John sustained head and body injuries. He later became unconscious died from pneumonia on 26 January 1941.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.
Obituaries
Bob Storey
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Bob Storey who retired as a Superintendent in 1985 and served at Colchester, Basildon, Clacton on Sea, Harlow and Chelmsford. He passed away on the 31 December 2023 aged 94 years.