News 25 September to 1 October
 “I blamed myself for many years because I never said goodbye” - PC Dave Bishop, 40 years on from his PC father’s murder
In August 1984, PC Brian Bishop was shot when apprehending an armed robber in Frinton. He died five days later in hospital.
His son, Dave, was just ten years old at the time. In 2001, Dave joined Essex Police and is currently part of Colchester Community Policing Team.
To mark National Police Memorial Day, Dave reflects on his father’s tragic death and the lasting impact on him and his family.
A man has admitted carrying out indecent sexual acts in front of children outside three schools in Colchester following a thorough investigation led by community policing team officers.
Lee Murray, 39, had been due to stand trial charged with three counts of carrying out acts outraging public decency.
But he changed his pleas and admitted each charge at a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday 23 September.
An investigation led by officers with Colchester’s Community Policing Team was launched after receiving a number of reports from children.
As part of the second National Young Rider Day (Tuesday 1 October), Essex Police took part in an educational roadshow, attending The Colchester Institute and Writtle College on Monday 30 September, to talk to young motorcyclists and students about staying safe on two wheels.
Students had the opportunity to take part in a number of activities designed to show the level of focus and concentration needed to stay alert and ride safely.
The students also enjoyed using the motorbike simulator, kindly brought by Devon and Cornwall Police, to experience some of the aspects of riding a motorbike.
A key part of the day was to promote the Street Spirit campaign which urges young riders to brush up on their skills and knowledge.
Officers arrested a man within five minutes of reports of an altercation in Colchester.
We were called to the incident in the High Street just before midnight on Friday 27 September.
A man had an injury to his head and was taken to hospital for treatment. It is not thought to be life-threatening or life-changing.
A 25 year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and has been released on police bail. Our enquiries are on-going.
Officers from Essex Police took part in a targeted week of action as part of a crackdown on spiking across the county.
From licensee checks and night-time patrols to education events and engagement opportunities, we were out and about across our towns and cities to raise awareness of the issue and offer support and advice.
With a focus on Freshers’ Week, our officers were equipping students with information to keep them safe on a night out.
Alongside our crime prevention work, we’re also reminding those committing such offences that we will take action against them and, together with businesses, we’ll continue to target predatory behaviour and safeguard victims.
We asked our communities how many suspects you thought had been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in Essex this year.
The answer is that, since 1 January, officers have so far made 1,025 arrests for shop theft.
And our officers have also secured a total of 1,733 shop theft charges in that time.
But we can’t do it without you.
Thanks to a close working partnership between our police teams, retailers and business organisations, we are getting the evidence – such as witness statements and CCTV footage – to build strong cases to put before the courts.
Officers are appealing for any dashcam footage or information following a fatal collision between Tiptree and Colchester on Thursday 26 September.
We were called to reports of a collision at the junction of Maldon Road and Roundbush Road at about 1.20pm.
Two cars were reportedly involved in a collision and, despite the best efforts of those at the scene, a 30-year-old man sadly died at the scene.
The man’s family are being supported by specialist officers and a file will be prepared for the coroner.
Now, we are appealing for any dashcam footage form the area at the time of the collision or any information that will help us with our investigation.
Please contact us quoting incident number 540 of Thursday 26 September if you can help.
Dozens of suspected zombie-style knives or machetes were handed in at police station front counters across Essex as part of a national surrender scheme.
Police forces across England and Wales, including Essex Police, participated in the Home Office-led amnesty, which ran from 26 August until 23 September.
Zombie-style knives and machetes are now outlawed by new legislation as of 24 September.
The law covers the manufacture, supply, sale, possession and importation of these weapons.
Ahead of the new law, previous owners of specified zombie knives and machetes were able to submit a claim for compensation while surrendering the weapons at police station front counters.
Throughout the scheme, we saw more than 200 knives of many varieties presented at our front counters for surrender.
To date, 15 have been confirmed by the Home Office to meet the criteria for their compensation scheme, with more than 70 still awaiting final confirmation.
All have been seized, taken out of circulation and will be destroyed.
As part of a multi-agency approach to disrupt serious organised vehicle crime, our officers have worked closely with other law enforcement agencies and forces, resulting in recovery of stolen vehicles and parts valued at over half-a-million pounds.
The week-long operation ran from Monday 16 September and saw a targeted approach between law enforcement agencies including police forces, the National Crime Agency and Ports Police, to disrupt organised criminality and tackle the highest harm offenders and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) led operations at ports to recover stolen vehicles destined for overseas.
316 stolen vehicles were recovered nationally, with a value of more than £4m with 180 arrests made nationally.
 Let's talk
University of Essex Freshers week 2-4 October 11am - 2pm
University of Essex
Lets Talk Wednesday 2 October 10am- 11am
Wimpole Road Church 49 Wimpole Road
Lets Talk Thursday 3 October 10:30am to 11:30am
Community 360 Hub, Long Wyre Street
Lets Talk Saturday 19 October 10am-11am
Lakelands Centre , Stanway
 Crime prevention advice
Keep it safe
If you have high value items such as jewellery, watches, passports, credit cards, computer data and identification documents, you may want to consider storing them in a safe
There are two options – either a home safe or a safety deposit vault.
Should you opt for a safe in your home, ensure it is fire rated. Home safes are also insurance rated according to the type and value of items designed to be placed inside, so check with your insurance company first to ensure you are adequately covered.
Position the safe carefully so it won't be easily discovered.
Don't place it in your bedroom as this is the first place a burglar will look. Be sure to effectively secure your safe by bolting it to a wall or floor. For more information on safes, see Secured by Design.
If you have a large amount of family gold or jewellery, you may want to consider using a safety deposit vault. This has the advantage of removing the risk of storing valuables in your own home and can also make your home less of a target to burglars.
Contact your insurance company should you opt for this, as it may impact on your current policy and premium. The National Pawnbrokers Association can provide more information about safety deposit vaults in your area.
Be fraud smart
Ticketing scams
Getting tickets to see your favourite band, football team, play or festival can be difficult as they sell out quickly. Scammers take advantage of this by tempting you to buy tickets that turn out to be fake or their websites offer tickets they can’t provide but are happy to take money for.
What you should know
The scammer’s website will offer tickets that aren’t on sale yet or to sold-out events. You may even get the tickets you paid for, but at the event you find out they're fake, or have been reported as lost or stolen and are therefore invalid.
Scammers may tell you a representative will meet you at the event with your tickets, but they don’t turn up.
Pay for tickets using your credit card, it offers protection under the Consumer Credit Act if you’re scammed.
Check online for negative reviews of the website you want to use.
Remember, the only way to avoid being scammed is to buy tickets from:
- the promoter
- the venue box office
- a reputable ticket exchange site
- an official agent
If a site shows the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) logo, you can check if they really are members by contacting STAR directly.
 What is the what3words system?
The what3words system enables the emergency services to find someone more easily.
When people call 999 they often struggle to describe their location, what3words helps them say exactly where they are, saving precious response time.
How does it work?
The system works by assigning 3 distinct words for every 3 square metre grid square on a map.
You must have the what3words app on your phone (which you can download on both Android and iOS from the link in Related Information). Then in an emergency:
- Find the 3 word address for your current location on the free what3words app. It works offline – ideal for areas with an unreliable data connection.
- Share your 3 word address over the phone to the call handler.
- The emergency service can then coordinate a response directly to the exact location where help is needed.
Please see the official what3words website in Related Information if you wish to know more.
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