In this month’s newsletter you will read about how we are continuing to tackle issues important to you.
Parking at school times continues to be a concern and is putting our children at risk, please do not park on the zig-zag lines and be considerate where you do park.
We are also continuing our school visits to educate our young community on how they can keep themselves safe as well as getting to know their local policing team.
Please continue to report any issues you have to us via the options at the bottom of this newsletter and look out for your local Policing and Communities Together (PACT) survey if you would like to raise anything to us via the survey.
Sergeant Dave MacDonald
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You said, we did - parking issues
Following complaints received in September 2022 from local residents about the parking situation around St. James Junior School, Whitehaven we have taken a number of actions to address the issues.
The issues have been drivers parking on yellow lines, blocking pavements and driveways.
We have worked closely with the school and partner agencies to lessen the problem.
Some of the activities officers have conducted include;
- Joint patrols with council parking enforcement officers to educate drivers, and issue tickets where appropriate.
- Road safety talks to pupils.
- Letters to parents encouraging more considerate parking.
St. James' has also been successful in acquiring new parking advisory banners, signs and traffic cones for display outside the school.
Overall this has helped to alleviate the problems around the school and lessen reports of inconsiderate parking.
Along with the school officers we will continue to monitor the situation and take further action if required.
Community engagement at the Warm Wellness Hub
During the past month or so we have been continuing to attend the Warm Hub at the United Reformed Church.
On Monday 13 February, PCSOs Mark Fishpool and Kallum White were in attendance with PC Heidi McCulla visiting the following week.
Heidi had the pleasure of meeting the organisers and volunteers, learning about the different support agencies available and chatted to so many people attending from all different walks of life.
It was very humbling to see everyone working together and hosting such a valuable community event.
This is a safe secure space, open to all, every Monday from 10am-2pm where local residents can get a warm cuppa, meal, chat with others and engage in various activities such as crafts/art. Various agencies are on hand each week to offer support and advice to attendees.
It was a great opportunity for us to engage with the local community and find out some of the issues that are currently affecting you.
We hope to see you there again in the near future!
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School parking Moor Row School
On 2 February, PCSO Hollie Huck and PC Sarah Pickering-Smith attended Moor Row Primary School after complaints were received about parking on the zig-zag lines.
One vehicle was parked in such position and words of advice given and moved away from area.
Parking inconsiderately such as on double lines or zig-zags causes a safety issue for the children and puts them at serious risk.
We are asking people to please take consideration about where they are parking at drop off and pick up times.
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Patrols
PC Heidi McCulla and PCSO Paul Booth were out on foot patrol on 26 February.
We post on out social media channels when we are out and about so that if we are in your area you can come and speak to us.
As you can see from comments on the picture we have had some good feedback from the community.
If you see us come and say hello!
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Vehicle Interference
Following on from the recent vehicle inferences in Whitehaven, PCSO Mark Fishpool conducted hi-visibility patrols on the evening of 2 February in the Bransty area before moving on to Hillcrest/Hensingham.
Remember to be vigilant to this type of crime and check your car is locked
Parents - do you know where your children are?
Whitehaven town centre
We are appealing to parents following a spike in anti-social behaviour from school-aged children in the town centre area.
Abuse, missile-throwing and other anti-social behaviour from school-aged children in the town centre area have become a problem affecting the quality of life of residents.
We understand that during the holiday periods, children will want to meet up with their friends however they need to be aware of the consequences of their actions and keep themselves safe.
On 22 February, there was several reports made to police off a large group of children acting in an anti-social manner – throwing traffic cones in the carriageway – not only causing a nuisance but those cones serve a purpose of protecting areas of work in the road network.
We do not want to unnecessarily criminalise children. Success is getting a young person to understand the impact of their actions and prevent them from doing so again.
Please be aware where your children are, what they are doing and who they are with.
If you suspect your child was in the town centre area as part of this large group which is reported to be around 30 strong, please educate them on their behaviour as this can lead to low level criminality.
The reports were that the group are putting themselves at risk by not taking care when in or crossing the carriageway.
Flatt Walks
On 5 February, we received multiple reports of young people throwing items at cars in the area of Flatt Walks, Whitehaven, this behaviour will not be tolerated and places the community in danger. This has and can also cause damage to vehicles.
The area has been identified as a priority are with officers conducting patrols to disrupt and identify those involved.
We would encourage anyone who has witnessed any incidents or can identify those involved to please get in touch.
Woodhouse
We have received report of incidents of stones being thrown at properties, garden jumping and ringing door bells/kicking doors.
We have identified one young person who has admitted responsibility for smashing a window.
A wider group of 11 children, aged between 10 and 14, have been identified as also being part of the problem. We are in the process of speaking with them all individually.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School - Internet Safety day
On 7 February, PCSO Colette Harrison and PCSO Brianner Burgess attended St Mary’s School, Kells, to take part in Internet Safety Day and to launch the Schools Internet Safety competition.
We were kindly invited by teachers to return to the school after half term break to judge the entries and pick the winners.
We also gave a talk on anti-social behaviour to years five and six.
All the pupils were happy to engage and it was lovely to see so many smiley faces, many thanks to the school for inviting us 
Not just neighbourhood policing
PC Heidi McCulla and PC Sarah Pickering-Smith are not just community beat officers but are also public order trained.
On 13 and 14 February they were at our HQ in Penrith completing their annual refresher training.
This is an additional skill that can see them deployed all across the country as well as within Cumbria to a variety of different disorderly situations.
Vigilance over scam calls
Police are asking people to remain vigilant following a handful of scam phone calls to people in Cumbria in recent days from fraudsters.
The scams fit the pattern of what are known as “courier frauds”, where fraudsters pretend to be officials such as police officers, HMRC officials or bank fraud teams.
The scam differs slightly from call to call. But the fraudsters often request bank details, money to be sent electronically, cash to be withdrawn at the bank for collection or expensive items to be bought for collection at a later time.
Officers are asking anyone who has been victim to such a scam to come forward.
If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that your bank and the police would:
- Never ask you for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone.
- Never ask you to withdraw money and send it to them via a courier, taxi, bank transfer or by any other means.
- Never ask you to send your bank cards or any other personal property to them via courier, taxi or by any other means.
- If you have any doubts about the identity of the person that you are speaking with, please put the phone down and attend the bank or police station in person, wherever possible, to discuss the call you have received, or call a trusted number for the bank or police using a different telephone than the one that you have been contacted on.
We ask that the public please share this information with any vulnerable friends or family.
If you think you have been the victim of a fraud you can report this to police on 101 and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 – or by visiting their website at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
 Bike security marking
Interested in getting your bicycle security marked.
For a low cost of £5 per bike with free registration on Bike Registers database contact PCSO Mark Fishpool by emailing 101emails@cumbria.police.uk to arrange an appointment.
Join us!
Have you ever thought about being a police officer?
Could you be make a real difference to people in Cumbria and help keep them safe?
Recruitment is open now. We are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to apply now to join our teams.
For more information on the role of a police officer and the numerous entry routes, please visit www.cumbria.police.uk/careers.
 We are now taking applications for Special Constables
The Special Constabulary is a voluntary body, whose officers form a vital part of the police family, working alongside their regular colleagues to police the communities of Cumbria. Specials perform a variety of police duties to support regular officers with the day-to-day policing of Cumbria.
People become a Special Constable for a variety of reasons. Some people have free time and have a desire to give something back to their community, some people are very happy in their present job but want something totally different in their spare time, some people may have wanted to work in the police but for different reasons they have gone down a different career path. Specials have the same powers as regular officers, wear the same uniform and carry the same equipment as regular officers.
In all these circumstances the Special Constabulary gives you the opportunity to have a second career. This is a great opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and gain experience in a wide range of policing duties.
For more information on being a Special Constable - click here
Apply here
Your local officers
Want to know who your local officers are?
Simply go to our website - www.cumbria.police.uk
Scroll down the home page and you can browse different areas to see who your local team are - or enter your postcode.
Not only will you be able to find out who your named local officers and PCSOs are, you will also be able to view our local policing priorities and details of any meetings or events we will be attending.
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In other news
Cumbria Constabulary committed to national Race Action Plan
Following the release of The Police Race Action Plan Feedback Survey Findings, Cumbria Constabulary’s Chief Constable Michelle Skeer has today ( 13 Feb ) reaffirmed the force’s commitment to improving policing for black people.
The national Race Action Plan, published in May 2022, set out challenging targets for forces to meet. The public survey which followed, sought to gain views from members of the public, individual police officers and staff, and representatives from policing and other organisations to share their thoughts on the plan. Read more here.
Arrests made in week of action by Cumbria’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit
Three people have been arrested at various locations around the county following a week of action by Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit.
Detectives also seized 19 digital devices suspected to contain indecent images of children and made contact with a number of potential victims to ensure their safety.
The team undertook numerous enquiries with key witnesses and carried out a further suspect interview.
Officers in the specialised unit work all-year-round to deal with online offending and to help and safeguard those at risk of being exploited. Read more here.
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