News 4 September to 10 September
 A young boy tests the strength of our public order protective wear
The Southend Police and Partners Open Day once again proved popular as families flocked to the police station to get a look behind the scenes and meet their local officers.
Now in its second year, the event featured tours of Southend’s custody suite, public order demonstrations and lots of interactive fun with our crime scene investigators, Marine Unit, Rural Engagement Team and more.
Alongside our officers were teams from the East of England Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard, Essex County Fire and Rescue, the RNLI, the Safer Essex Roads Partnership, St John Ambulance, the drug and alcohol charity Open Road and the council’s community safety team.
A delivery driver has been arrested in Southend after officers stopped a man and found more than 80 wraps of suspected Class A drugs and £2,000 in cash.
Two officers from Southend local policing team were patrolling the city yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 4 September when, acting on intelligence, they stopped a food delivery driver in Salisbury Avenue.
When officers searched the man, they located the suspected Class A drugs and cash. All were seized.
 Jailed: Adam Valli
A man, who shot his friend after getting into an argument over a lift home has been sentenced to 28-years in prison after being found guilty of attempted murder.
Adam Valli, 23 of Derifall Close, London appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday, 9 September where he was sentenced after being found guilty of attempting to murder his friend in Shoebury last May.
The sentencing concludes an investigation by Essex and Kent Serious Crime Directorate which was launched on 14 May 2023. Essex Police received a report shortly after 2am from a member of the public who witnessed a man being shot on Frobisher Way in Shoeburyness.
Incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) have dropped by 13% across the county in the past 12 months – the third consecutive yearly decrease in offending.
There were 2,312 fewer offences reported in the year to the end of July as every district in the county saw a reduction.
Essex is one of ten forces taking part in a pilot scheme that has seen dedicated patrols by police and community partners in known ASB hotspots thanks to funding secured by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
Hotspot patrolling, under the banner Operation Dial, has been taking place since July 2023 and in its first phase led to 101 arrests, 387 stop and searches, and the issuing of 112 fixed penalty notices (FPNs).
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Thursday 12 September 10am to 11am
Centre Place, Prospect Close, Southend
Thursday 12 September 5pm to 6pm
Cluny Square Hub, 1 Cluny Square, Southend
Friday 13 September 10am to 11am
Southend Christian Fellowship Plaza, 600 Southchurch Road
Friday 13 September 5pm to 6pm
Leigh Train Station, Belton Way, Leigh
Saturday 14 September 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Lidl, 85 London Road, Southend
Tuesday 17 September 11am to 12pm
Havens, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff
Wednesday 18 September 3pm to 4pm
Cliffs Pavillion, Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea
Thursday 19 September 11am to 12pm
Leigh Library, Broadway West, Leigh
Saturday 21 September 11am to 12pm
Lidl, Woodgrange Drive, Southend
Saturday 21 September 12pm to 1pm
Havens, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff
Sunday 22 September 10am to 11am
Tesco, Southchurch Avenue, Southend
Tuesday 24 September 5pm to 6pm
Cliffs Pavillion, Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea
 Crime prevention advice
A thorny problem
Small changes to your garden could help make your home more secure.
Trellis, thorny plants, or a suitable anti-climb topping such as plastic spikes make it difficult for anyone climbing over a fence or gate whilst minimising injury.
Be fraud smart
Criminals use fake emails pretending to be from online retailers to gain access to your details.
Informing you your account has been locked and asking you to follow an 'identification process' by clicking on a link.
Which will take you to a phishing website that has been made to look authentic with the logos and other images but has been designed to steal your login credentials.
You can always check a message like this is genuine by visiting the site directly and not clicking on any links provided.
 What is a postal scam?
A postal scam is a letter sent with the sole intention of gaining money through deception. Scam mail is mass produced and made to look like a personal letter or important document, to trick the recipient into sending cash, making money transfers or disclosing personal information.
Here are common types of postal scams to be aware of:
Lotteries and prize draws
These are two of the most common scams. Victims are told they have won a fantastic prize or large amount of cash but are asked to send some sort of fee to release it. A genuine lottery won't ever ask you to pay a fee to collect your winnings.
Psychics and clairvoyants
Scammers claiming to be able to see into the future, say they have information about your impending fate and you must pay them to find out what it is.
Parcel delivery scam
A card is posted through the victim's door stating that a delivery service was unable to deliver a parcel and that they need to contact the service by phone on the number provided on the card. This is usually a premium rate number with a long recorded message, causing the victim to receive an expensive phone bill.
Pyramid schemes
A scammer advertises an investment scheme and claims it offers extraordinary profits for little or no risk. You are required to pay a fee to enter the scheme and get financial rewards for recruiting friends or family to also enter the scheme. In reality the product you are investing in is usually worthless or non-existent and your money is not invested but simply passed on to the scammers.
Here are some steps to prevent you from falling victim to postal scams:
- Never respond to scam letters, as you are likely to get more if you do.
- Be wary of anyone who writes to you out of the blue, claiming that you have won something or can earn high rewards for a low investment.
- Does the letter contain bad spelling or grammar? If so, it's likely to be a scam.
- If a letter claims to be from a genuine source, contact the relevant organisation using details from their website and not those provided in the correspondence.
- Are they asking you for money? Always start from the position that any request for money is suspicious unless proven otherwise. Don't send any money.
- If you have received scam post and you are worried, talk to someone you trust, such as a friend or family member.
Although many people feel embarrassed about falling for a scam, it is nothing to be ashamed of, and you should not be worried about reporting it. Many people fall victim to scams, and fraudsters have a range of techniques to trick people and are trying new scams all the time.
If you believe you have fallen victim to a postal scam you can report the incident to Action Fraud, please see the link in related information.
Postal scams can also be reported to Royal Mail, who run a joint initiative with Trading Standards to investigate reports of scam mail.
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