News 22 May to 28 May
 Local Policing Team work with teams across the force to tackle crime and keep you safe
Colchester Local Policing Team arrested three people and seized two knives as they worked hard to target criminals and keep the district safe.
In an operation that ran on Friday 17 May, local officers were joined by colleagues in Operational Support Group, North Roads Policing, Dogs Unit, and pilots from NPAS and Drones, sharing specialist skills, expertise and support.
On the night, officers recovered a cloned vehicle that refused to stop and sped off from officers, driving dangerously. The driver attempted to run off after the Nissan Juke entered a ditch but was arrested after Police Dog Lando picked up a track, aiding the recovery of two discarded knives. Enquiries showed the car had been stolen a day earlier.
Colchester officer recognised for life saving actions
A police officer who stood beneath a teenager and broke her fall when she fell from a bridge over a busy A road has won an Essex Police Federation Bravery Award.
PC Sam Owen will now join colleagues from across the county at the prestigious Awards event in April where a winner for the National Police Bravery Awards will be announced.
It was in October 2023, Essex Police received numerous calls about a 14-year-old girl in school uniform who was standing on the edge of a bridge above the A12. One of the callers was the mother of an off-duty officer. She informed him about the girl, and he made his way to the bridge and started to engage with the girl, who was highly distressed. Another off-duty officer happened to be passing as he was driving home and he also stopped to try and assist. By this time, officers had put a roadblock in place on the A12 northbound to prevent traffic from passing underneath the bridge.When PC Owen and a colleague arrived at the scene, they found the girl hanging precariously over the bridge. Thinking quickly, one officer ran onto the southbound A12 to stop oncoming traffic, before running up the embankment to talk to the girl. PC Owen stood directly underneath the bridge, while trying to reassure the girl.
Officers tackle illegal car meet
Officers tackling a large illegal car meet in Colchester issued more than 100 fines for breaching a Public Space Protection Order.
They also made three arrests as they looked to clamp down on dangerous driving practices.
On Saturday 18 May, Roads Policing officers dispersed a large illegal car meet in an industrial car park in Colchester, to protect the nearby community from anti-social driving and to ensure road safety.
The team were supported by officers from the Colchester Local Policing Team and Community Policing Team as they worked together to deter in excess of 1,000 people in attendance, intent on taking part in dangerous driving and those spectating the anti-social driving displays.
As part of our road safety responsibilities, we are committed to tackling illegal car meets and ensuring public safety across our county.
We will not tolerate these large-scale meetings and will use all powers available to us to tackle the issue.
Seven arrests as fourth death linked to drugs is investigated
Officers investigating the supply of Class A drugs linked to three deaths in Colchester can now confirm a fourth has been identified.
We were called by ambulance service colleagues shortly before 7am on Thursday 23 May, after a man had taken ill inside a property in central Colchester.
Emergency services arrived and, sadly, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.
We are now connecting this death to the use of Class A drugs in the city. In each instance, those tragically affected came to harm in private places.
As part of the ongoing investigation – which encompasses the four deaths and a number of non-fatal overdose incidents – seven people have now been arrested, with five charges secured.
Two men were arrested in planned warrants onThursday 23 May. They are the sixth and seventh arrests.
A 30-year-old man from southeast London, was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
An 18-year-old man was also arrested in east London.
In both cases, a number of significant items were seized from the premises.
On Friday 24 May, George Morrison, 30, of Croydon Road, London, SE20, and Joshua Walker, 18, of Hamilton Road, London, E15, have both been charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
 Drug line leader exploited teenage boy
A drug dealer who exploited a teenage boy to sell heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Colchester has been jailed after he was caught red-handed by our officers.
Upon his arrest, Tommy Minton, 20, was found to be carrying drugs, cash and the mobile phone used to run the ‘Cody’ drug line.
Specialist drugs officers with our Operation Raptor team had long been building intelligence against the ‘Cody’ line, which was run by Minton and operated between January and October 2023.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Saturday 1 June 10:30am to 4:30pm
Colchester Police Station Open Day, Butt Road
Sunday 2 June 4pm to 7pm
Bike marking - Leisure World Colchester, Cowdray Avenue
Wednesday 5 June 12pm to 1pm
Senior citizens lunch - Highwoods community Centre
Thursday 6 June 10am to 11am
Marks and Spencer , Staine Park , Stanway
Thursday 6 June 10:30am to 11:30am
Community 360, Long Wyre Street
Thursday 6 June 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Tiptree Tea Rooms, Wilkin And Sons Ltd, Factory Hill, Tiptree, Colchester
 CCTV
By using well-defined boundaries as a basis, CCTV can be a valuable tool. However, it doesn’t prevent a crime from being committed and does have limitations.
CCTV linked to a smartphone will alert you to someone crossing your boundary.
Most importantly, CCTV is no substitute for good quality physical security such as secure doors and windows.
Some cameras work by day and by night, and record when they detect movement. Some can be remotely viewed from a smartphone.
Position cameras where they are best able to obtain good quality facial images. Could you recognise or identify someone from the footage?
There is legislation for home CCTV use, so always seek advice from an accredited installer first to ensure your system complies with the law.
Place signage up warning that CCTV is in use.
Be fraud smart
Your bank will never call you and ask you to withdraw/ transfer money to secure or check an issue with your account.
 Have you got any tips for purchasing goods online and do they only apply when bought in the UK?
Buying and selling items on the internet is quick, easy and offers a wide range of choice. Here are a few simple steps to follow to ensure you stay safe whilst shopping online:
- Always buy from a reputable site, read through their terms and conditions and always remember to log out when you have finished.
- If using an internet auction site, check the seller's reputation and take time to read the guides issued by them.
- If goods are advertised substantially cheaper than elsewhere, be careful as it may not be genuine.
- If buying from a private seller make sure you have full contact details and not just an email and mobile phone number.
- Be wary of sending cash and money order. It is advisable when paying over £100 to use a credit card as it offers the best protection in case anything goes wrong.
- When entering payment details make sure the website is secure; a small padlock should appear at the bottom of the screen and the URL should read https://- the 's' stands for secure.
- Consider using an online payment option such as PayPal.
Never pay by direct bank transfer.
- Avoid using public wi-fi when online shopping, hackers can intercept passwords and credit card details.
Action Fraud is the UK's national fraud reporting centre; if you come across something suspicious when shopping online or something seems too good to be true, you can report it via their website. Additionally, the UK European Consumer Centre (UKECC) provides free and impartial advice for anyone who experiences problems when purchasing goods in other European countries. Please see links to this and Action Fraud in the related information section.
|
