Cash from criminals pays for advanced DNA property protection kits
Thanks to money confiscated from criminals, Essex Police will be giving 200 farmers and agricultural businesses across the county unique DNA property marking kits to protect their vehicles, machinery and tools.
Each SelectaDNA kit contains a solution capable of marking up to 50 items, large or small, ranging from combine harvesters, tractors and GPS equipment to chainsaws and smaller tools.
Our Rural Engagement Team will be visiting selected farmers and landowners across the county to mark up their property and keep it safe. Special signs will tell would-be thieves that the equipment and machinery on that farm or business is protected.
A man has been convicted of causing the death of a teenage girl whilst driving in Hythe Hill, Colchester.
Daniel Chappell was behind the wheel of a Ford Kuga when it struck Alliyah Bell in the early hours of August 29 2021.
Alliyah, who was only 17 at the time, tragically died in hospital 11 days later.
A detailed investigation carried out by our forensic collision investigation unit found that Chappell was travelling at about 40mph and would have had time to react before the collision.
If he had been travelling at 30mph, the collision may still have occurred, but Alliyah may have survived the incident.
Chappell, now 37, of Prince Philip Road, Colchester, was subsequently charged with causing death by careless driving.
He denied the charge but was found guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court after a four-day trial.
Watch camera footage from the National Police Air Service tracking suspected hare coursers in Essex
Hare coursing incidents continue to fall across Essex
Reports of hare coursing in Essex have dropped by almost two-thirds in the past three years as our Rural Engagement Team continues to target this cruel crime.
The team has worked closely with farmers and landowners in the past few years and has linked up with neighbouring forces to remove policing borders when certain tactics are used.
In the past couple of years, our rural engagement officers and local officers have also joined up with the National Police Air Service to track and arrest offenders more easily.
A man has been jailed for nine years and six months and made subject of an indefinite Restraining Order and the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Sean Richmond, 53 of Hillyfields, Loughton has been convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecency with a child and one count of attempted rape, which occurred in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In 2015, two victims reported that they had been sexually abused between 1985 and 1991.
Richmond was arrested, however following consultation with the CPS, Richmond was told he would face no further action.
Essex Police continued enquiries, looking at the possibility of re-approaching the CPS with further evidence. Three further victims then contacted Essex Police to report that they had been sexually abused by Richmond over 30 years ago.
Richmond was arrested again and charged with 18 offences.
Essex officers working with partners to raise awareness of spiking
Officers across Essex are working with licensed venues and organisations in the night-time economy to help safeguard people on their nights out, deploying a range of tactics to prevent and identify offending.
And with this month signalling the start of freshers’ week, where students get introduced to university life, officers will focus on raising awareness of spiking within the student community.
Chief Inspector Paul Hogben, the force’s tactical lead for spiking, said:
“We work all year round to tackle spiking, to keep people safe and ensure they enjoy their night out in Essex.
"We know the county has great venues and the vast majority people go out and have a great time, but it’s vital that people are equipped with the right information about spiking to not only deter and prevent offences from occurring, but also encourage people to report any issues to us.
"Freshers’ week is coming up later this month and ensuring the safety and well-being of our students during this time is a top priority for us.
"That’s why we will be stepping up patrols, sharing information and advice and carrying out covert operations. We want people to recognise the signs and feel empowered to report it to us if they feel they, or a friend, has been a victim.”
Officers arrest 4 within an hour of a burglary and theft of van
As part of routine patrols on Tuesday 17 September, Roads Policing officers responded to a recent report of the theft of a van in Nazeing after our Force Control Room circulated the vehicle details via police radio.
The van was spotted on the move and within 45 minutes the van was located unattended in Ingatestone. A 66-year-old man nearby was arrested on suspicion of theft of vehicle.
Later the same day, we received a 999-call reporting a residential burglary in progress in Billericay. The victim reported the involvement of a silver car and, again, after the registration was circulated to patrolling officers, and with the assistance of the Dog Unit, three men were stopped in the car in the Chigwell area and arrested on suspicion of burglary - just 45 minutes after the call.
Brentwood: Arrests in courier fraud and robbery investigation
Three arrests have been made as part of an ongoing investigation into a report of courier fraud and robbery in Brentwood.
It was established that woman had been contacted by a fraudster posing as a police officer, who had pressured her into buying two expensive watches from a jeweller.
She was then approached by a male who pushed her to the ground and stole a bag from her, which contained the watches.
Three men from London, in their late teens, from London were arrested in connection.
Detective Sergeant Rachel Barrett, from our Economic Crime Team, said:
“I would reiterate the important message that authorities, including the police, will never ask you to withdraw money or buy items for any purpose.
“If you're ever unsure about whether the person you're dealing with is a genuine police officer – stop – and call us on 101 to check their identity.
“If you are on a call to someone you believe may be a fraudster, hang up the call completely and ensure the call has ended.
“Call 101 to verify their identity or, if you feel unable to hang up, use another phone to call 101 whilst they are on the other line.”
Southend: Thirteen people arrested for shoplifting
Our officers have arrested 13 people on suspicion of shoplifting across Southend in the past fortnight.
Of them, ten people have been charged with a total of 37 shop thefts* and one has also been charged with three counts of assault.
Southend Town Centre Team (TCT) have been working to target persistent offenders responsible for thefts, assaults and public order offences.
Since September 2023, two officers have been dedicated to working with Southend City Council’s community safety officers, BID (Business Improvement District) Rangers and retailers to identify and arrest individuals and prevent their offending from escalating.
Harlow: Judge thanks officer seriously injured in glass attack
A man who almost killed a police officer by slashing him across the face and neck with a piece of glass has been given an indefinite hospital order.
Ahmed Poka, 23, was deemed unfit to stand trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, after he was charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon. He instead faced a trial of facts.
At a hearing on Wednesday 11 September, he was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act 1983.
It means he can only ever be released if expert clinicians and the Home Secretary are satisfied he is no longer a risk to the public.
Judge Christopher Morgan said such an order was necessary to protect the public and added it was not possible to say how long Poka would remain a risk of serious harm.
He added:
“The final matter in this case is to express the gratitude that everyone has to officers such as [the victim] and his colleagues who, without any thought for their own safety, seek to protect the safety of others.”
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
Keep your home safe with CCTV
Burglars will use a variety of ways to avoid being noticed, which is why CCTV can be a useful tool in protecting your home.
Whilst CCTV doesn’t prevent a burglary, it can help to deter a burglar in the first place, making it nearly impossible for someone to break in without getting noticed.
Position cameras where they are best able to obtain good quality facial images, providing us with the evidence we need to be able to investigate should anything happen.
Have you been asked for an upfront fee to pay for training for a new job?
Be aware of potential fake profiles on social media offering jobs, always do your own research into a company and not just click on the links provided in the advert.
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
This week we remember
Ernest George Weavers
Earnest Weavers joined Essex Constabulary in 1911 and transferred to served with Southend Borough Constabulary from 1 April 1914. He enlisted with army later the same year and was in France for twenty eight days when he died on 28 September 1915.
Alfred Mann
Alfred Mann served with Essex County Constabulary from 4 May 1897 and joined the army on 31 July 1915. He enlisted for the Military Mounted Police and was sent to France where he had seen barely two months service before he was killed on 28 September 1915.
George William Gutteridge
George Gutteridge joined Essex County Constabulary in April 1910 and served 8 years before joining the army. He re-joined Essex Police on 23 February 1919 and by 1922 was based at Stapleford Abbots. On 26 September 1927, George was fatally shot in the head whilst on duty.
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Christopher Hovell who retired as a Constable in 1991 and served with the Marine Section.
He passed away on 1 September 2024 aged 84 years.
When and how to contact the Police
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.
