Essex Police Dispatch - issue 96
Essex Police Weekly Update
This week: Hare coursing incidents and keeping rural communities safe, crime crackdown in Chelmsford, national Stalking Awareness Week, appeals, arrests, charges and convictions plus crime and fraud advice.
News 23 April to 30 April
Hare coursing incidents drop by 50% in Essex
Incidents of hare coursing in Essex have dropped by half in the past year as word gets out that hare coursers are not welcome in our county. Read more.
Southend: Woman supported in attempted rape investigation
Detectives are investigating an assault in Southend which they’re treating as an attempted rape. Read more.
Tendring: Man charged with assaulting officers
A man is due to appear in court today having been charged with assaulting two of our officers during an incident in West Street Harwich on Saturday. Read more.
Harlow: Sex offender jailed following work by specialist officers
Specialist detectives have praised the bravery of the victim of a dangerous sex offender after her attacker was jailed for ten years. Read more.
Maldon: Pair jailed following extensive investigation
Two offenders who tortured a man across an hours-long ordeal have been jailed for a combined 24 years thanks to an extensive investigation carried out by our detectives. Read more.
Basildon: Rural Engagement Team recover stolen vehicles
Eagle-eyed rural engagement officers tracked down a quad bike in Wickford just two days after it was reported stolen. Read more.
Op Community: Cracking down on e-scooters and cycling on Southend High Street
The Southend Community Policing Team have been out educating the public about the terms of the Public Space Protection Order and issuing fines for breaches. Read more.
Braintree: Man admits exposing himself
A man admitted outraging public decency following investigations into someone exposing themselves in the Braintree area. Read more.
Colchester: Man found guilty of non-recent sexual abuse
Thanks to the work of specialist officers, a man has been found guilty of the non-recent sexual abuse of three victims, dating back to the 1980s. Read more.
Chelmsford: Man charged with murder
38-year-old man charged with murder after woman in her 30s was found unresponsive by officers at an address on Rothmans Avenue, Chelmsford, on Wednesday 26 April. Read more.
Evening of reflection, remembrance and unity with Dr Stuart Lawrence
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington and colleagues hosted an evening of reflection, remembrance, and unity featuring a keynote address from Dr Lawrence. Read more.
Thurrock: Incident on Long Lane
Officers have eliminated a black van as part of their investigation into Wednesday 26 April's incident on Long Lane, Grays, but continue to appeal for witnesses and information. Read more.
Epping Forest : Appeal following fatal collision
Detectives are appealing for information following a fatal collision on Epping New Road around 4.15pm on Sunday 16 April, where a woman sadly died. Read more.
Colchester: Man jailed after city centre attack
The parents of a man who sustained serious injuries after being assaulted while on a night out in Colchester have thanked officers for their “tireless” work after his attacker was jailed for more than five years. Read more.
Thurrock: Incident on Long Lane
Officers are appealing for information following reports that a man in a black van tried to bring a girl into his vehicle at around 7.15am, Wednesday 26 April on Long Lane Grays. Read more.
How we are helping to keep our rural communities safe
During the past 12 months, our rural engagement officers have secured some significant results, in and out of court. Read more.
Braintree: Man jailed for targeted assault
Detectives have secured justice for the victim of a terrifying ordeal after a man forced his way into his home in Halstead before attempting to stab him. Read more.
Maldon: Man arrested following assault
We were called shortly before 3.50pm on Monday 24 April to Regatta Way, Maldon, to reports of a disturbance. Read more.
Chelmsford: Combatting criminal activity in city centre
The Chelmsford Community Policing Team made five arrests on the first day of an operation launched to crack down on bike theft and associated crimes.
More then one in five bike thefts in the county take place in Chelmsford, with the racks at the train station, Tindal Square, the Riverside leisure centre and the junction of Bellmead and Central Park being particular targets.
A team of officers, some in plain clothes and a number on bikes, were on patrol across the city to look out for suspicious behaviour. They were assisted by a PC working alongside two council CCTV operators to monitor activity remotely. Read more.
Thurrock: Further arrest following aggravated burglary
A fourth person has been arrested in connection with an aggravated burglary in Grays last month. Read more.
Braintree: Man jailed for Witham Road fatal collision
A 27-year-old man has been jailed for four years and eight months following a fatal collision in Cressing which resulted in the death of 25-year-old Jake Blease in September 2021. Read more.
National Stalking Awareness Week 2023
We're supporting our partners and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to highlight this year's National Stalking Awareness Week 2023, running between 24-28 April. Read more.
Tendring: Man jailed for serious injury collision
A 30-year-old man from Clacton has been jailed for three years after admitting causing a collision on Walton Road in Frinton on 23 July 2022, seriously injured several people. Read more.
Crime prevention advice
Keeping your shed or garage safe and secure
Many people don’t secure their shed or garage in the same way they do their homes - often using an easy-to-break lock or padlock to protect valuable contents such as a car, bike or lawnmower.
An opportunistic burglar will try a shed or garage first because they can find the tools they need to break into the main house.
Shed and outbuilding
First off, check that your insurance covers the contents of your shed or outbuildings from theft.
Take a look at your shed and consider how you would break in. It’s worth having a good padlock on the door with no exposed screws. Pay attention to hinges, as these are sometimes easily removable. If you have windows then these could be vulnerable unless they’re secured with wire mesh or grills. And keep it locked at all times.
Consider a battery-operated shed alarm. They look low key but they respond to movement or door contact with an extremely loud siren.
Be fraud smart
Scam Alert
People are being targeted by fraudsters over the phone pretending to be from your bank. They may ask you to confirm some easily obtainable basic details such as your full name and address to draw you into the scam.
You will be told that they have spotted a fraudulent payment on your card, or it needs to be replaced. They ask you to read out your PIN or type it on your phone keypad. Then they promise to arrange a courier to collect your bank card.
STOP!
Your bank will never call you to ask you to verify your personal details or PIN by phone. They would never offer to pick up your card by a courier.
Hang up if you get a call like this.
How to prevent your phone from being hacked
Getting hacked is no fun – it can lead to identity theft, general loss of privacy, and compromised bank accounts. You might not always notice that your phone has been hacked in the first place.
How to prevent your phone from getting hacked
Get a quality antivirus app. An antivirus with real-time protection will monitor the security of your phone at all times and will inform you about any potential threats.
Use a VPN when connected to public wifi networks, such as airports or cafes. Many hackers use unprotected wifi networks to execute man-in-the-middle attacks and hack into people’s devices. A reliable VPN will encrypt your traffic and prevent any hackers from tinkering with it.
Avoid downloading suspicious apps. Third-party apps from random websites and not the official stores often are malware disguised as legitimate applications. Never download apps from ads and untrustworthy sites.
Do not click on ads on torrenting and similar sites. These ads could contain links to malicious websites, or trigger downloading of malicious files onto your device.
Keep your phone updated. The OS updates always include critical security patches to keep your phone secure. If you miss these updates, the risk of your device becoming vulnerable to attacks increases.
Careers at Essex Police
Police Staff jobs
Crime Trainer £28,530 to £33,348
Closing date: 12 May 2023
EUC Field Operations Engineer £26,439 to £30,657
Closing date: 5 May 2023
Vetting Team Leader £28,530 to £30,375
Closing date: 5 May 2023
BSA Secretary £23,100 to £25,353
Closing date: 3 May 2023
Assistant Caseworker £21,432 to £22,677
Closing date: 2 May 2023
Detention Officer £21,135 to £23,406
Resolution Centre Investigator £28,299 to £32,754
Contact Handler (full time) £27,279 - £32,754
Contact Handler (part time) £16,103 per annum
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
This week we remember
Herbert Bert Edward Charles Pegrum
Herbert served with Southend Borough Constabulary from 23 June 1932. He enlisted with the Royal Horse Artillery in 1924 serving in Egypt until 1931. He then worked as a labourer, married and then joined the Southend Force.
He was mobilised to the army on 1 December 1939, transferred to the Corps of Military Police and died from lymphatic leukemia, at the West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth on Tuesday 6 May 1941.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.
Obituaries
John Alfred Ball
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague John Alfred Ball who retired as a Sergeant in 1999 and served at Corringham, Tilbury, & Motorcyclist at Laindon. He passed away on the 15th April 2023 aged 73 years.
No funeral service is taking place.