News 15 July to 21 July
 "Crime is falling - but we need the right funding to keep it going down"
“Crime is continuing to fall in Essex – and we’ll be able to keep it going down if we have the right funding” – that’s the message from our Chief Constable.
The latest figures show there were more than 10,200 fewer crimes reported in Essex in the year to the end of June than the previous 12 months, a continuation of a trend which has seen crime fall in the county of the last few years.
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said:
“We’ve had consistent funding in recent years thanks to the people of Essex, and the Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner, meaning we’ve been able to grow the force and consistently bring crime down.
“There were more than 10,000 fewer crimes reported in the last year with fewer violent, sexual and domestic offences, and fewer repeat victims of domestic abuse.
“We’re starting to turn the tide of vehicle crime, we’re solving more vehicle theft cases, and we’re recovering hundreds of vehicles worth millions of pounds.
“Knife crime is falling and we’re seeing fewer people robbed. Although there is no complacency. Every person hurt or life lost is a tragedy.
“Our specialist team which investigates online child abuse is the most effective in the country and our DA teams are breaking the cycle of domestic abuse and changing people’s behaviour.
“In the last fortnight we’ve secured 52 charges for shoplifting.
“And just this month we’ve seen a 71 year-old man was jailed for eight years for attempted murder, Gavin Plumb brought to justice for his plot against Holly Willoughby, a drug dealer jailed for more than three years, and a man put away for stealing laptops from Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow during the Covid pandemic.
“This is all work that has real impact on people’s lives.
“To have a prosperous society, you need to have a safe society and I’m committed to keeping that work going - but we can only do so if we have the resources.”
Loughton: Burglar caught after quick response pleads guilty
A man arrested after officers responded within five minutes to reports of a break-in at a home in Loughton has pleaded guilty to burglary.
We were called to reports of an incident in process in the town at just before 3.30pm on Wednesday 17 July.
Officers were on the scene within five minutes of the call coming through to us and a man was arrested.
It is alleged that property to the value of around £25,000 had been taken.
 Essex Police officer receives Queen’s Commendation for Bravery
An Essex Police officer has been presented with the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery following an horrific knife attack at his home.
The officer was stabbed 11 times on his doorstep by a man, who had tracked him down after becoming fixated with him and launching a harassment campaign on social media.
The officer received his award from Essex Lord-Lieutenant Jennifer Tolhurst, watched proudly by his wife, Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington and Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst.
Mrs Tolhurst told him she was ‘particularly privileged and honoured to be able to present the late Queen’s Commendation for Bravery’ as the Monarch’s personal representative in Essex.
Stanford-le-Hope: Man arrested following assault
A man has been arrested following an assault in Stanford-le-Hope.
Officers were called to Margarets Avenue at around 3.45pm on Friday 19 July to reports of a man being attacked by a group of four men.
Officers attended and found a man with injuries to his hand, head and elbow.
He has been taken to hospital for treatment.
A 23 year-old man from Stanford-le-Hope has been arrested on suspicion of GBH with intent and he is currently in custody.
A murder investigation was launched following a serious incident in Westcliff last week.
Officers were called to Hamlet Court Road shortly before 6pm on 18 July following reports of two people being seriously assaulted.
One man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Another man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.
Thurrock: Investigation after train station incident
We investigated a serious incident at Chafford Hundred train station which was reported to us by a number of members of the public at about 8.15pm on Thursday 18 July.
Initial reports suggested a group of people had been involved in a fight, some of whom had been armed, and that a number of people had been stabbed.
Two people have subsequently been located with injuries which are thankfully not considered to be life-threatening.
At this stage, no arrests have been made and we’re pursuing a number of targeted lines of enquiry.
Although the investigation is in its early stages, we believe this to be an isolated incident, with no wider threat to the public.
We have taken witness statements from a number of people at the scene, and we would ask anyone who has not yet spoken to us to about the incident to please come forward.
 Ricky Tibble
Clacton: Shoplifter banned from shops across Tendring district
A Clacton man has been banned from certain stores across the Tendring district for five years.
Ricky Tibble, 44, of North Road, was made the subject of a criminal behaviour order at Chelmsford Crown Court on 15 July 2024.
Under the terms of the order, Tibble was prohibited from entering Co-op, Boots, Farm Foods and Marks & Spencer stores across Tendring.
 Southend: “We’re keeping the city safe by taking a hard line on troublemakers"
The policing of Southend seafront this summer is succeeding in limiting unruly behaviour and maintaining the city’s family-friendly atmosphere, says Superintendent Leigh Norris, who leads Operation Union.
The operation, which is now in its fourth year, sees officers conducting dedicated patrols of the busiest areas of Southend and Old Leigh between the end of May and beginning of September. They are there to help the public, provide a visible deterrent, and diffuse any potential flashpoints.
So far this year, officers on Union patrols have made 63 arrests for offences including possession of drugs, theft, and assault.
Officers have also conducted 197 stop searches, 83 of which have led to the discovery of illegal items. One man was arrested after being found in possession of 30 wraps of a class A drug. More than 50 searches led to the discovery of cannabis.
Union officers work in collaboration with Southend-on-Sea City Council, the British Transport Police (BTP), the c2c railway, Greater Anglia and seafront businesses to make sure that anyone who comes to the city and causes trouble is swiftly and decisively dealt with.
Activity on the trainlines and roads into the city is closely monitored by BTP and Essex Highways, and the council’s CCTV team and community safety officers have their eyes on the streets watching out for watching for anyone acting suspiciously.
 (l-r) Sgt Trevor Arnold and Sgt Liz Reschwamm of Op Grip with PC Alex Plakhtienko of the Business Crime Team.
Basildon: Community hub opens in Eastgate Shopping Centre
A new community hub where the public can meet their local police officers and representatives from other public services and local charities opened in Basildon’s Eastgate Shopping Centre on Saturday 20 July.
The hub is located opposite the centre’s food court and operates from Friday to Monday until the first weekend in September.
The aim of the hub is to provide a highly visible police presence in an area of high footfall to help build stronger relationships with residents and businesses, as well as being a place people can access information and advice from a variety of partners including the NHS and Basildon Council.
Other organisations who will have a presence in the hub include drug and alcohol charity Open Road, Essex Fire and Rescue, employability charity Signpost, and Active Essex.
Personal robbery in Essex down 17 per cent in last three months
The new figures from April to June this year compared with the same period last year were revealed as the force continues its work to reduce personal robbery across the county.
The biggest decrease was in Rochford, with a drop of 75 per cent. Southend and Castle Point in the south of the county have also seen significant reductions of 37 per cent and 45 per cent respectively.
Epping Forest District has seen a reduction of 36 per cent, while Chelmsford saw a 35 per cent reduction and Thurrock recorded a 45 per cent drop when compared to the same three months last year.
Combating high-harm crime like robbery is a priority for Essex Police with the force tackling it in several ways including high visibility patrols in hotspot areas and partnership working in local communities where crime prevention advice is shared to help them reduce their risk of becoming a victim.
The new figures cement a 10 per cent reduction in reports of personal robbery in the last 12 months, with 145 fewer offences compared to last year and a 20 per cent reduction compared to five years ago.
 Chacko Abraham Thenakarayil
Chelmsford: 71-year-old man sentenced to eight years for attempted murder
A man has been jailed for attempting to murder his son-in-law, after assaulting him with a meat cleaver in Chelmsford last year.
Chacko Abraham Thenakarayil, 71 of Hornbeam Gardens, Chelmsford appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday 17 July where he was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of attempted murder.
Thenakarayil was arrested on Saturday, 6 May 2023 following a report of a man being seriously assaulted inside a property at Hornbeam Gardens in Chelmsford.
The victim was sat at the dining table in the house, with his three-year old daughter sat next to him, when his father-in -law Thenakaryil approached him from behind carrying a meat cleaver.
Thenakaryil then assaulted the victim on the back of the head with the cleaver, resulting in serious injuries. The victim managed to turn around and remove the cleaver from Thenakaryil, who then grabbed a knife and attempted to stab him. The victim managed to run from the house and call to the neighbours for help.
When neighbours came to help, they found Thenakaryil inside the house holding a third knife which the victim bravely removed from him. Thenakaryil implied to witnesses that he intended to kill his son-in-law saying to witnesses “I’m not finished.”
The victim was taken to hospital after losing around 500ml of blood and sustaining a fracture to his skull.
After being charged, the jury found Thenakaryil guilty of attempted murder following a two-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, which concluded on Wednesday, 26 June.
 “Our hard work is starting to pay off, vehicle thefts have fallen.”
Tackling vehicle crime is a force priority, and as a result of our hard work, we’re starting to see a fall in vehicles being stolen and solving more vehicle crimes.
In the last three months, 130 fewer vehicles were stolen between April to June, a fall of 8.5% compared to the same period last year. In Thurrock specifically we’ve seen a fall in the number of vehicles stolen in the last 12 months.
Officers secure 52 charges for shoplifting across Essex
Twenty-nine people have been charged with a total of 52 counts of shoplifting in Essex during the past fortnight.
Four were also charged with assaulting retail workers.
A total of 45 people were arrested for shop theft* in Essex between 1 & 14 July 2024: 15 across the Southend district, 11 in each of the Chelmsford and Tendring districts; and eight across Thurrock.
Our officers have made 98 arrests for shop theft in the past four weeks. Between 1 January and 14 July 2024, that figure rises to 775.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 22 July
10am to 12pm
Scam awareness, NatWest Bank, 10 Station Road, Clacton on Sea.
11am to 12pm
Costa Coffee, 2 Victoria Road, Buckhurst Hill
1pm to 2pm
Miracle House, Silver island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
Tuesday 23 July
2pm to 2:30pm
Rural Coffee Caravan, Bures Common
Wednesday 24 July
10:30am to 11:30am
Chelmsford Library, Chelmsford County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford
Thursday 25 July
9am to 3pm
999 Community event, Riverside Park, Burnham-on-Crouch CM0 8HS
10am to 11am
Alton Garden Centre, Arterial Road, Pitsea SS12 9JG
11am to 1pm
Dementia Cafe, Saint Cuthbert's Catholic Church, Chapel Rd, Burnham-on-Crouch
11am to 12pm
Leigh Community Centre, Elm Road, Leigh,
11am to 1pm
John Burrows Park, Rectory Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
1pm to 2pm
The Beacon Centre, Drake Road, Chafford Hundred
Friday 26 July
10:30am to 11:30am
Harwich Market, Dovercourt High Street, Dovercourt.
Saturday 27 July
9am to 10am
Parkrun, Central Park, Chelmsford
10am to 12pm
Rayne coffee morning, Rayne village hall
10am to 12pm
Walton food bank, Standley Road, Walton on Naze.
10am to 11am
14 High Street, Southminster, CM0 7AA
10:30am to 11:30am
Manningtree Market, Marketplace, Manningtree.
12pm to 1pm
Cafe on the Water & Gift Shop, Giffords Lane, Downham, Chelmsford
Sunday 28 July
10am to 10:30am
Belchamp Walter Village Hall
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
 Protect your keyless car from thieves
Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture it's signal. Your car could be stolen within 10 seconds.
 Read our tips on how to keep your vehicle safe:
- When at home keep your car key (and the spare) well away from the car.
- Put the keys in a screened or signal-blocking pouch, such as a Faraday Bag and check if the bag or pouch is still working every few months.
- Re-programme your keys if you buy a second hand car.
- Turn off wireless signals on your fob when it's not being used.
Action Fraud is urging the public to continue reporting phishy emails
The reports have led to more than 329,000 websites addresses being removed by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, launched a national phishing awareness campaign in June, as reporting reached its highest level since the Suspicious Email Reporting Service launched. New data shows a rise of 44% year-on-year, with almost 11,611,400 reports made in 2023, up from 8,074,200 reports in 2022.
Alongside emails, there has also been a huge number of text messages reported to 7726. In March 2024, more than 60,000 malicious websites were removed as a result of being reported using 7726. This is a free service, offered by mobile network providers, allowing customers to forward suspicious text messages and help the removal of malicious URLs from messages.
 Join our team
Contact Centre Officers
Would you know what to do if you answered a 999 call to someone asking for help?
Regardless of your answer, you wouldn’t be expected to – that’s our job. Our Contact Centre Officers are trained to confidently and effectively deal with an emergency call.
Our Contact Management Centre is the heart of Essex Police. It’s is the first point of contact for those who need us.
Every year in Essex, we answer more than a quarter of a million calls to 999 and around half-a-million calls to our 101 service. Dispatching officers to those in need, our Contact Management Centre operates 365 days-a-year, seven-days-a-week, 24-hours a day.
Our Contact Centre officers are trained to work quickly under pressure. They are taught the skills to remain calm, even in the most challenging of situations. While reassuring the caller, they gather as much information as they can to help determine the response needed. This is integral in keeping both the public, and our police officers, safe. Their skills and professionalism mean we can continue to help people, keep our communities safe and catch criminals.
Visit our website for all police staff adverts, job descriptions and application forms.
 This week we remember
Robert Curry
Robert Curry served with Essex County Constabulary from February 5, 1936 after serving in the army and as a nurse at Severalls Mental Hospital in Colchester.
Robert was recalled to the army on December 1 1939. He died on Monday July 24 1944, whilst serving as a Warrant Officer with Corps of Military Police. He was aged 32.
Frederick John Boyce
Fred Boyce served with Essex County Constabulary from April 1, 1914. On May 24, 1915, he enlisted at Hornchurch with the 23rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers.
Fred saw little front line action and spent much of his time in training and battle preparation. The 2nd Division moved to the Somme region in readiness for the major offensive that was to commence on July 1 1916.
On July 28 Delville Wood was cleared but later the Germans mounted counter attacks and it was not till September 3 that the wood was finally secured.
Frederick Boyce was one of the many who lost their life in 'Devil's Wood.' His body, if ever recovered, was never identified and his memory is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing on the Somme at Thiepval. He died on July 27, 196.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.
 Obituaries
Alan Clothier
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Alan Clothier who retired as a Constable in 2007 and served at Rayleigh, Canvey, Colchester, Mistley and Stanway Traffic
He passed away on the 19 June 2024 aged 72 years.
Gordon Nisbet
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Gordon Nisbet who retired as an Inspector in 1995 and served at Colchester, Chelmsford, Basildon, Grays, Braintree, Headquarters & Training School.
He passed away on 28 June 2024 aged 79 years.
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