News 7 May to 13 May
 PC Alexander Scott and DC Maurice 'Dixie' Lee died when Essex Police HQ was struck by a bomb in November 1940
“They served their country with bravery, pride and honour – they set an example for us all” – that’s from our Chief Constable as Essex Police remembers its officers who served during World War Two.
A total of 291 officers from the Essex, Southend, and Colchester forces served in the armed forces.
Sadly 34 died, including two when headquarters in Chelmsford was bombed in November 1940.
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said:
“This week, as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day and remembers those who fought and died for our freedom, we remember those brave officers who served in World War Two.
“I am honoured to be part of a force whose officers and staff did their bit so courageously, some paying the ultimate price.
“We continue to have a proud connection to our armed forces with Colchester Barracks and our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
“And we maintain that tradition of public service today, protecting and serving Essex whether that be through our expanded Neighbourhood Policing Teams who will be more visible and accessible from this spring, or our specialist detectives putting burglars, violent criminals, and sexual predators behind bars.
“In the same way then we united against a common enemy, we will unite with you, our communities of Essex, to mark this landmark moment. You will see us out and about supporting the many events taking place this week and enjoying them with you.”
A knife was amongst the items seized as officers disrupting the supply of heroin and crack cocaine in Southend arrested six people in a series of warrants.
Operation Raptor, our specialist county lines enforcement team, worked with the Metropolitan Police to target several addresses in London on Thursday 8 May.
This action followed an investigation into a suspected drug line, branded the ‘Cash/Money’ line, bringing Class A substances from London to the streets of Southend.
Warrants were executed at four addresses in Enfield and Haringey, with six arrests made, mobile phones and a weapon seized.
Charges of being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine have since been secured against:
- Jaden Banton, 23, of Northumberland Avenue, Enfield.
- Shaneyse Boyaram, 30, of Turkey Street, Enfield.
- Robert Cooke, 48, of Kings Road, Southminster.
- Ricole Douglas-Francis, 30, Warkworth Road, London.
- Alisha Aveli-Yeates, 33, of Hartington Place, Southend.
A man who repeatedly harassed and verbally abused vulnerable members of the public has been remanded to prison to await sentence thanks to an order secured by Essex Police.
Richard Lewis, 38, of no fixed address, was made the subject of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) by Southend Magistrates’ Court on 5 April.
This order followed reports Lewis had been aggressively begging and escorting people to cash points to ensure they withdrew money for him.
Under the terms of the order, Lewis was strictly prohibited from swearing, intimidating or abusing people in public.
He was also ordered:
- Not to approach people to receive goods/money within the City of Southend.
- Not to sit on the ground outside any shop.
- Not to beg in a public place.
- Not to enter any of the following tower blocks unless it’s his permanent place of residence: Pennine, Chiltern, Malvern, Quantock, Blackdown, Brecon, Grampian and Barringtons.
Despite this order, Lewis has persisted in approaching members of the public, specifically targeting the vulnerable including children and the disabled, in a bid to extract money from them.
“The overwhelming majority of bikers who took part in the Southend Shakedown did so responsibly – but we cannot ignore those who flouted road safety.
“If these riders act this way when they attend a popular public event, I have grave concerns as to how they behave on the road on a day-to-day basis.
“In 2025 alone, we’ve seen the tragic loss of more than 20 lives. That number is heartbreaking, and we’re determined to do all we can to stop more lives being lost.”
Those are the words of Adam Pipe, head of roads policing in Essex, who’s determined to make the roads in Essex a safer place for everyone who uses them.
On Easter Monday, 21 April, the Southend Shakedown we identified and dealt with a total of:
- 23 Illegal, obscured or missing number plates
- 1 fail to stop incident, which was subsequently safely concluded
- 4 driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence
- 2 careless riding incidents
- 5 riders without insurance
- 4 seizures under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988
- 1 seizure for antisocial driving
We also dealt with vehicles which were untaxed, did not have a valid MOT, dangerous tyres, two minor collisions and an incident of criminal damage.
We have also reviewed a large amount of footage of the event and identified 16 additional incidents of dangerous driving.
We’re now in a position to release images of riders who we like to identify and locate. Click 'Read More' to view the images.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Sunday 18 May between 9am - 4pm
'In Harmory' event, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff
Tuesday 20 May between 10am-1pm
Fraud Event, The Co-Operative Bank, Southend Highstreet, Southend
Tuesday 20 May between 11am-12:30pm
Tesco, Prince Avenue, Westcliff
 Crime prevention advice
Secure your home, secure your peace of mind
Consider installing strong locks, security lights and always lock your doors and windows, even if your just stepping out for a minute.
Be fraud smart
Report scam text messages
Did you know you can report scam text messages simply by forwarding the message and the phone number to 7726? Its free and by reporting the message your phone network provider can investigate where the text came from and take action to stop the scam.
 Do the Police investigate all reported crimes and incidents?
If an incident reported to the police requires the police to attend or if there are viable lines of enquiry, an officer will be assigned to the case and you will be given a reference number. Please make a note of this number as you will need to quote it in further communication with the police about the matter.
The way the police investigate a matter can vary depending on the nature of the crime and the unique circumstances. All reports of crime are taken seriously and investigated with impartiality. Information of crimes and incidents reported to the police are utilised by local forces to direct their resources to help in the detection and prevention of crime.
If an incident reported to the police is deemed to have has no further lines of enquiry and they are unable to take any further action, you will be informed of this and the reasons for their decision.
When you report a crime to the police, they will automatically ask you if you would like help from Victim Support. Anyone affected by crime can contact Victim Support directly, even if you do not report the matter to the police or the police are unable to take further action.
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