Essex Police Dispatch - issue 189
Essex Police Weekly Update
News 3 February to 9 February
Detective Superintendent Natalia Ross is on a Mission to Tackle Sexual Violence
For Detective Superintendent Natalia Ross, a career in policing wasn’t always the plan. As a teenager, she imagined herself joining the army drawn to the structure and discipline it offered. But a teacher at college suggested she try volunteering with the police for a week; an experience that changed the course of her life.
"I had a really challenging and difficult childhood" Natalia explains. "We had very little and I struggled through my school years, so I thought the army would be a good career route for me. But my teacher convinced me the police were worth a try."
“I was hooked from day one,” she recalls. “Seeing how officers interacted with people, experiencing the fast-paced nature of the job—I knew instantly this was where I belonged.”
Now, with 22 years of service, Natalia is a leading force in Crime and Public Protection, working relentlessly to combat some of the most serious offences, including rape, serious sexual offences, and child abuse. As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week highlights the ongoing need to support survivors and bring offenders to justice, Natalia’s work remains at the forefront of this fight.
Harlow: Man carrying knife arrested following town centre stop search
Officers responding to reports of a man showing off a knife in Harlow tracked him down and arrested him within seven minutes.
Following calls from the public, officers set out on foot and found him in the town centre.
Bodyworn of the incident shows the man getting handcuffed and then telling officers he’s carrying a knife which is recovered from under his coat.
Benfleet: Proactive work by officers puts two drug dealers behind bars
Proactive work by officers in Benfleet has ensured two men involved in dealing Class A drugs in the county are now serving time behind bars.
Officers stopped and searched a man on Thursday 10 October last year as part of proactive patrolling in the area of Parkfields and Queensmere.
They found a number of small bags believed to contain Class A drugs and Mirgen Morina from West London was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.
Officers also searched an address connected to the 21-year-old and found £4,500 in cash and suspected Class A drugs.
Thurrock: reducing vehicle crime across the district
This weekend, our officers have been tackling crime and anti-social behaviour across Thurrock as usual.
As well as responding to emergencies, they have also been patrolling the area to deter crime.
Vehicle crime is a particular focus at the moment even though 2024 saw a 13% drop in reported offences compared with the previous year.
But Sergeant Adam Priest, of Thurrock Community Policing Team, says there will be no let-up in either high-visibility patrols or patrols in unmarked cars.
Braintree: Final 'Miami' drug line leader jailed
The final leading member of the ‘Miami’ drug line has been jailed for seven years thanks to the commitment of our detectives.
Our investigation into this drug supply network was driven by Operation Raptor and Operation Orochi – specialist teams dedicated to tackling county lines gangs.
It began with a single text message advertising the sale of Class A drugs in the Braintree district.
This message proved to be the starting point in identifying the key players in the drug line, 27-year-old Fidel Barbosa and 31-year-old Shelton Alexander.
Alexander was arrested in a search of his home in Romford Road, London in October 2023.
A ‘Miami’ drug line phone, an estimated 28g of crack cocaine and heroin and around £2,500 in cash were seized.
Alexander admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, as well as possessing criminal property.
He was jailed for five years and six months at Chelmsford Crown Court in November 2023.
Burglar sentenced following quick arrest by local officers
Officers alerted to reports of a burglary at a remote location in Braintree were at the scene of the incident within 20 minutes and then arrested the fleeing suspect within the hour.
On Saturday 22 June last year, a woman called 999 just before 8.30pm and told our call handler she had heard a loud noise and seen a man breaking into a house in Great Bardfield. She also said the man was holding a knife.
Officers, guided by colleagues in the National Police Air Service helicopter, searched the area and Christopher Searle was located travelling in a van in Coggeshall Road, Braintree.
He was promptly arrested and taken into custody. The 32-year-old told officers that he wasn’t a burglar and said that he was “being chased” and that “someone was trying to kill him”.
Searle admitted being at the location and said he had taken hallucinogenic drugs and believed people were chasing him and added he was trying to get some car keys so he could escape.
Essex Police precept approved
Chief Constable BJ Harrington will increase the visibility of Essex Police officers patrolling, responding to emergencies, and investigating crime in local communities.
Proposal made possible following £100m of extra Government funding announced on 31st January and is subject to Home Office grant approval in April;
Essex Police and Crime Panel approved the Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner’s precept increase following the Police & Crime Panel meeting at County Hall in Chelmsford on 4 February.
The Essex Police Fire & Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst’s update is on the PFCC's website.
DS Hayley Lambert and her team's fight against domestic abuse
As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week reminds us of the urgent need to support survivors and prevent harm, few people understand the battle better than Detective Sergeant (DS) Hayley Lambert.
For over two decades, she has dedicated her career to protecting the vulnerable, holding offenders accountable, and leading a team committed to stopping domestic abuse before it becomes fatal.
Domestic abuse is defined as an incident or a pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour. This can present itself in many forms, including coercive control; psychological and emotional abuse; physical or sexual abuse; financial or economic abuse; harassment and stalking and online/ digital abuse.
As this epidemic grows and adapts, so must the resilience and strength of DS Lambert's team - to tackle this crime head on.
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Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 10 February
9am to 11am
Morrisons Cafe, Limebrook Way, Maldon
9:30am to 12pm
Epping Market, High Street, Epping
10am to 11am
CVST, Harwich Hub, 276 High Street, Dovercourt
11am to 1pm
Brentwood High Street,
5pm to 6pm
Starbucks, Sheepen Road, Colchester
Tuesday 11 February
7am to 9am
Rayleigh Train Station, Station Road Rayleigh Essex SS6 7HJ
10am to 11am
Morrison's Supermarket, Centenary Way, Little Clacton
10:30am to 11:30am
Thurrock Council cafe, Civic Offices, High Street, Grays
11am to 12pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
11am to 12pm
Havens, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff
Wednesday 12 February
10am to 12pm
Loughton Library, Traps Hill, Loughton
10am to 12pm
Walton Community Forum, 61 High Street, Walton on Naze.
10am to 11am
McDonalds, Hartley Brook Road, Clacton on Sea
10am to 2pm
Safe to go Stow Hub, 28 The Stow, Harlow, Essex
10am to 11am
Baby & Toddler Group, Holland Library, Public Hall, Frinton Road, Holland on Sea
11am to 12pm
Mothers Kitchen, Felmores End, Pitsea
Thursday 13 February
10am to 11am
Asda Supermarket, Bull Hill Road, Clacton on Sea
10:30am to 11:30am
Christ Church, Ireton Road, Colchester
11am to 12pm
Orleto Lounge, 2 East Square, Basildon SS14 1HS
11am to 12pm
The Brooklands Community Shop, 12 Brooklands Gardens, Jaywick
11am to 12:30pm
Heybridge Parish Council, Plantation Hall, Colchester Road, Maldon, Essex
2pm to 3pm
Hadleigh Library, 180 London Road Hadleigh, Benfleet
Friday 14 February
11am to 12pm
Old School Community Cafe, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Chadwell St Mary Information Centre, Brentwood Road
3:30pm to 4:30pm
Bulphan Village Hall, Church Road
3:30pm to 4:30pm
Costa Coffee, T Grove Brook Park West, Clacton on Sea
4:30pm to 5:30pm
Runnymede Leisure Centre, Kiln Road, Benfleet
Saturday 15 February
9am to 10am
Chelmsford Park Run, Central Park, Chelmsford
9am to 9:30am
Ugley Village Hall, Cambridge Road
10am to 10:30am
Manuden Community Centre, David Collins Drive
10am to 11am
Quadrant Department Store, 220 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford
10am to 11am
The Martello Lounge, The Promenade, Clacton on Sea
10am to 11am
Officers will be joined by Councillor Pierre Oxley at Bianca's Coffee House & Gift Shop, 59 High Street, Walton on Naze.
11:30am to 12pm
Henham Community Shop, High Street
1pm to 2pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
2pm to 2:30pm
Elsenham Recreation Ground, Elsenham
3:30pm to 4pm
Tesco Express, Cambridge Road, Stansted
4pm to 5pm
Morrisons, 175 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
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Keeping your child safe online is not always an easy task. New technology, regular updates or upgrades can change how things work, sometimes making it difficult to keep up.
So, to help, we have put together some simple things you can do to make your child’s online devices safer.
Be fraud smart
Anyone could be a victim of Romance Fraud
Fraudsters will go to great lengths to gain your trust to manipulate you to believe you are in a genuine relationship.
Stay alert when a stranger flirts!
Verify photos: Use a reverse image search to ensure the photos are real.
Be suspicious: If they start asking for money, especially if you haven't met in person.
Talk to others: Speak to your friends or family - don't keep them a secret.
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Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
This week we remember
Walter Reeve
Walter Reeve joined Essex County Constabulary on 22 September 1890. His first posting was to Southend and after moves all over the county, he settled in Coggeshall with his wife and seven children. Shortly before 6pm one winter evening, Walter Reeve left his house on duty to walk into Kelvedon to serve some notices and make a point. He should have been home by midnight, and when he failed to return the alarm was raised. His body was later found in full uniform in the River Blackwater at Little Coggeshall, near a point where there were no guard rails. There were no signs of violence, and the coroner recorded an open verdict.
Felix Owen Warboys Pauley
Felix Pauley served with Essex County Constabulary from 26 April 1937. After posting to Romford and on mobile patrols at HQ and Clacton, he joined the R.A.F. on 29 September 1941. He was killed on an air operations on Wednesday 16 February 1944 which serving as Air Bomber with 106 Squadron. His Lancaster crashed on the way back from an operation in Berlin. Four crew, including Felix, died in the crash.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.