News 24 July to 30 July
 Feel unsafe? Think of 'Common Place'
Our Teams have been out day and night, working to keep you safe, whilst engaging our communities to gain a better understanding of the things that matter to YOU.
But if there is an area that causes you to feel unsafe, you can let us know via ‘Common Place’.
Common Place is a service where you can tell us about public places where you have felt or feel unsafe.
This could be because of environmental issues, such as, street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, like, being followed or verbally abused.
Please note: ‘Common Place’ is not for reporting crime, to do this, you can follow the Essex Police link here
Benfleet: Woman arrested for drink driving
A 46 year old woman from Basildon was arrested on 28 July after providing a positive breath test at the roadside in Benfleet.
She was arrested for being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle and in custody provided an evidential sample nearly 4 times the legal limit.
She has been charged and will appear at court in August.
Appeal: Police appeal for witnesses to a serious assault in Benfleet
Officers investigating a serious assault in Benfleet earlier this month are appealing for witnesses.
On Saturday, 6 July at around 9:30pm, the victim was at the Hoy and Helmet pub in Benfleet when he was assaulted by having a plate thrown at his head.
The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries which are not believed to be life-changing.
The suspect is described as a white woman in her late 20s with brown hair.
Detective Constable Emma Taylor said:
“We believe that prior to the assault, the victim had been involved in a disagreement with the suspect around her feeding pizza to a dog belonging to another member of the public.
“The dog was a Cane Corso and we are keen to speak with the owner of this dog, who we believe can assist with our investigation.
“The victim sustained serious cuts to his head which required gluing at hospital and was also verbally abused, with the suspect reportedly shouting homophobic abuse.”
Investigating officers are continuing enquiries and appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this assault to contact us by clicking on this link or calling 101.
Please quote incident 42/103724/24
 Benfleet: Vehicle stolen and recovered within 9 hours
This motor vehicle, a black Ford Kuga registration number EJ22XOL, was stolen from Benfleet on the 28 July, however we found it in Basildon 9 hours later. It has been forensically recovered.
If you witnessed this vehicle being driven between 10.30pm on 27 July and 6pm on 28 July, please contact us by visiting this link or by calling 101.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Tuesday 6 August 11am to 12pm
Morrisons, Hadleigh
Tuesday 6 August 2pm to 3pm
Sainsburys, Rayleigh Weir
Wednesday 7 August 11am to 12pm
Jilly beans cafe, Furtherwick Road, Canvey Island
All events are subject to change due to demand, changes will be published on social media page.
 Protecting your sheds and outbuildings
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.
Visit our website on hints and tips on how to protect your property.
Be fraud smart
We have had several reports of rogue trader activity in the Benfleet area, 'traders' knocking on doors and stating that a roof tile or chimney needs repairing. There are many variations of this type of scam, however they all start with the same method - knocking on your door.
Follow these basic rules to protect yourself from becoming a victim:
1. Do not let anyone into your home
2. Call a friend or neighbour if you feel uncomfortable
3. Call Police if you feel threatened on 101 (999 in an emergency)
4. Don't be rushed into making any decision - get more than one quote
5. Check the validity of the trader - are they registered at companies house?
Unfortunately there are unscrupulous 'traders' out there who take advantage of the elderly and vulnerable and will often over charge for a simple job or not do the job at all and still demand a hefty sum of cash. They will 'insist' on cash only and will sometimes take the victim to a bank to withdraw cash, advising them to tell the cashiers it is for home improvements.
We work with financial institutions who will notify us immediately if they suspect one of their customers is being scammed in this way.
 Do the Police need a reason to stop me whilst driving?
No, the police do not need any reason to stop any person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle or riding a pedal cycle on a road. The police can then require that you provide your name, date of birth (in certain circumstances), driving licence, insurance and MoT certificates. Failure to comply with any of these requirements is an offence.
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