Officers will be proactively engaging with residents in high harm hotspots across the county in the next 12 days to encourage them to surrender any potentially illegal knives.
On the first morning of deployments in Southend, more than 20 knives were voluntarily handed over to officers..
Hotspot patrolling zones are areas data analysis shows have a higher probability of a serious violent incident. Knife crime in Essex has fallen by 7% since the pandemic.
There are 15 hotspot zones in Essex and officers will be out encouraging people to surrender knives on the following days in September:
Essex Specials return from supporting French police
Ten of our volunteer Specials have returned from France after helping to police the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
They were part of the first overseas mutual aid deployment of UK Specials, representing our force with the eyes of the world on them.
Special Constable Leon Dias, who co-ordinated the deployment of Specials from Essex and other Eastern Region forces, says it was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the professionalism, expertise and skills of our volunteer police officers on an international stage.
Our Specials are volunteers and those who went to Paris all took a week’s annual leave from their day jobs, so their deployment had no impact on day-to-day operational policing in Essex.
Left to right: Qasir Afzal, Ballayat Sayeed and Kailash Gunaseelan
Loughton: Drug dealers who used 'stash car' jailed for 18 years
A dealer who brazenly tried to resurrect his convicted brother’s drug line has been jailed for more than seven years after an investigation led by our Serious and Organised Crime Unit.
More than 18 years in prison sentences have been secured against Ballayat Sayeed, 33, and two of his trusted lieutenants.
Essex Police had initially taken action against the ‘RAD’ drugs line in 2020, culminating in a 14-year prison sentence for its leader Arafat Sayeed.
Arafat had been convicted of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and possession of firearms.
From October 2021, it was established that his brother, Ballayat, had kickstarted the drug line once again, building up a large customer base in the trade of Class A and B drugs.
Officers traced bulk advertising messages sent out to customers on a regular basis until December 2022.
Ballayat Sayeed, of Cowley Road, Ilford, was the principal holder of the drugs line.
He entrusted Qasir Afzal, 41, of Howard Close, Waltham Abbey, as his man on the ground, responsible for resupplying, supplying drugs to runners and giving them instructions.
Another lieutenant Kailash Gunaseelan, 23, of Buntingbridge Road, Ilford, was also trusted to hold the drugs line phone.
Left to right: Lonnie Tranter, Lewis Slater and Peter Bartlett
Canvey: Operation takes down drug dealing group
Officers used a single phone number and a £20 drug deal as a starting point to take down an entire organised crime group supplying cocaine and cannabis across Canvey Island.
The culmination of this investigation has seen three drug dealers jailed for a total of more than 10 years.
The man at the top of the chain, 36-year-old Lonnie Tranter, of Third Walk, Canvey, supplied cocaine in bulk in exchange for a considerable profit.
He’s been jailed for five years, his assets have been frozen and proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act are underway against him.
Tranter supplied Lewis Slater, 31, of Fifth Avenue, Canvey, who ran cocaine and cannabis dealing lines with the assistance of 23-year-old Peter Bartlett, of Link Road, Canvey.
Westcliff: Justice for family of young girl assaulted by 'coward'
A man has been branded a ‘violent coward’ after he was sentenced for assaulting a young girl, leaving her with life-changing injuries.
Kiernan Hughes-Mason was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and child cruelty after the girl was found with serious injuries in Westcliff-on-Sea in January 2020.
The 32-year-old denied the charges against him, but was found unanimously guilty on 20 August following a trial at Basildon Crown Court.
On Tuesday 10 September Hughes-Mason was sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison.
Specialist counselling for people bereaved by suicide
Families affected by the death of a loved one who has taken their own life are offered referrals for specialist counselling, thanks to an arrangement between Essex Police and Essex County Council.
Police officers who attend an incident where it is suspected someone has died by suicide will ask the next of kin if they want to be referred to a specialist bereavement service.
Anti-social behaviour continues to fall across Essex
Incidents of anti-social behaviour 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 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.
The project also saw outreach work that engaged with more than 3,000 young people.
An announcement about the next phase of the scheme in Essex will be made at the end of the month.
In the past year, ASB fell by more than the force average in eight districts:
Southend (22%)
Uttlesford (22%)
Tendring (19%)
Basildon (15%)
Braintree (15%)
Rochford (15%)
Chelmsford (14%)
Epping Forest (14%).
Southend (516) and Basildon (330) saw the biggest reductions in the number of offences.
Maldon (244), Uttlesford (378) and Brentwood (465) had the smallest number of ASB offences reported.
Rates of offending in Colchester and Thurrock continued to fall - 5.8% and 4.9% respectively - after substantial decreases in the previous 12 months. Over the past two years, ASB is down by 37% in Colchester and 32% in Thurrock.
Harlow and Castle Point both saw ASB drop by 9% in 12 months.
We have seen an increase in reports of criminals calling people pretending to be from Amazon, saying that your account has been hacked. They will then proceed to ask to access your device where they will encourage you to open a Revolute account to secure a refund.
These criminals are experts at persuasion, as you are speaking to someone on the phone it can seem more real.
STOP!
If anyone asks for access to your personal accounts or details always take a moment to check, they are who they say they are.
Hang up and contact them directly or check your account through a trusted source.
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This week we remember
William Munro Sim
William Sim served with Southend Borough Constabulary from November 17, 1938 after serving with the Scots Guards. After initial training, William was posted to the Southend Eastern Section on February 20, 1939 and in November he was recalled to the army, along with his colleagues Herman De Leur and Bert Pegrum.
He died on Thursday September 19, 1940 after an anti-aircraft shell splinter passed through his heart as he ran down Newgate Street, London. He was Lance Corporal 2695069 in the Scots Guards based at the Tower of London, and was assisting the Auxiliary Fire Service at the time of his death.
Alfred Wilson
Alfred Wilson applied to join the Southend Borough Constabulary and was attested as Constable 83 on the March 10, 1915. Just nine months later in December 1915, Alfred volunteered to enlist with the 16th Rifle Brigade.
Alfred’s division fought in the Third Battle of Ypres – Passchendale in August 1917. It was here on September 20, 1917, close to the Menin Road, that Lance Sergeant S/14598 Alfred Wilson gave his life. He was twenty-seven years old.
Hermanus Herman Bertrum De Leur
Police Constable Hermanus 'Herman' Bertram De Leur served with Southend Borough Constabulary from September 1, 1938. Not long after joining he was recalled to the army - being mobilised on December 1, 1939. He is believed to have died on or shortly after Wednesday September 20, 1944 during the Battle of Arnhem while serving as Sergeant 2614295 with the 11th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, A.A.C.
We're offering more ways of reporting non-emergency crime and anti-social behaviour through the digital 101 service on our website.
You can also use the service to contact your local policing team, tell us about something you have seen or heard, or request information.
We also have a 24-hour Live Chat service, where you can send direct messages to a digital 101 operator.
We still have our 24-hour 101 service which people can call if they feel it is more appropriate to speak to us or don't have access to the internet.
Always call 999 if a serious offence is in progress or has just been committed, someone is in immediate danger or harm, property is in danger or being damaged, or a serious disruption to the public is likely.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000.
British Sign Language (BSL) users please use our video relay service where an interpreter will help you report the crime to us.
If you're in danger but you can't talk on the phone, you should still call 999, then follow these instructions depending on whether you're calling from a mobile or a landline.
