News 18 June to 24 June
More than a dozen knives were seized and seven people were arrested during a week-long focus on knife crime in Essex.
Although our work on this issue is 24/7, intensification weeks like Sceptre give us a chance to concentrate our efforts and strengthen our partnerships.
Sceptre week supported by forces across the country, was carried out last month.
We placed a particular focus on education, engaging around 4,000 young people across 50 schools and colleges.
The Violence and Vulnerability Unit, made up of numerous agencies including Essex Police, carried out 21 visits with young people suspected to have been involved in knife or drug-related crime.
This programme, ReRoute sees skilled practitioners build trust and a relationship with these young people following referrals from our officers.
Only by tackling the attitudes, perceptions and root causes behind knife crime can we make progress.
Thanks to this work, Essex Police is bucking the national trend.
Against a well-publicised gradual rise in knife-enabled crime in the UK – we’ve seen a 10% decrease in the number of incidents year-on-year in Essex.
That’s 152 fewer incidents when compared with the 12 months to June 2024.
It’s also a sustained and continued decrease, with 256 fewer incidents of knife-enabled crime when compared with pre-Covid levels (the 12 months to December 2019) – a decrease of 15%.
Essex Police will once again play a leading role in supporting a national surrender scheme ahead of a change in the law to ban ‘ninja-style’ swords.
Police forces across England and Wales will be participating in the Home Office-led amnesty, which runs from 1 July until 31 July.
The change to the legislation is expected to close a loophole around the possession of certain varieties of bladed weapons, assisting us in removing these weapons from our streets and prosecuting those who would use them to cause harm.
The amnesty allows current owners of such items to hand them in ahead of this change in the law.
It will follow a similar track to a zombie knife and machete surrender scheme held in summer 2024.
During last year’s amnesty, helpful members of the public, together with businesses and sellers, handed in more than 200 knives at police station front counters across Essex.
Hundreds more were deposited in our many knife bins, located outside police stations across the county.
A man has appeared at court charged with burglary.
Keanu Harriott-Richards, 22, of London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 18 June charged with burglary.
The charge related to a burglary that occurred at a property in Chelmsford in the early hours of the previous day.
He has also been charged with disqualified driving and no insurance.
Keanu Harriott-Richards was also recalled to prison and has been remanded in custody until a hearing on Wednesday 16 July at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Essex Police see a rise in theft of Porsche vehicles.
While overall vehicle theft remains low across Essex, we are seeing a concerning rise in the theft of Porsche vehicles, particularly Macan and Cayenne models.
We understand the distress and inconvenience this causes owners, and we’re urging everyone to take proactive steps to protect their vehicles. A layered approach to security is the most effective deterrent.
Prevention Tips:
- Install approved alarms and immobilisers – these can significantly reduce the risk of theft.
- Use visible deterrents – such as steering wheel locks to make your vehicle less appealing to thieves.
- Protect your keys – store them in Faraday pouches to block signal relay attacks, and keep them out of sight and reach within your home.
- Secure your parking – if you have a garage, use it. Otherwise, consider installing anti-theft bollards or other physical barriers.
Ongoing Investigations
Our North Investigations Team is actively pursuing leads to identify those responsible. We are committed to bringing offenders to justice.
If you have any information that could assist our enquiries, please contact Essex Police via our online reporting tool Tell us about | Essex Police
 A special thank you to Community Champion for her continued support
Last week, Chelmsford’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) held a ‘Let’s Talk’ event at Tesco on Princes Road. We engaged with shoppers and staff on key topics including:
Gift card fraud awareness
Personal safety tips
Theft of motor vehicles
We were also incredibly grateful to receive a generous donation of bedding from Tesco, which will be passed on to a local charity to support those in need.
A special thank you to Community Champion Kathy for her continued support and dedication to the local community!
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Thursday 26 June 11am to 12pm Springfield Library, St Augustine's Way, Springfield, Chelmsford CM1 6GX
Tuesday 1 July 10am to 11am Tesco Stores Ltd, Princes Road, Chelmsford CM2 9XW
Monday 7 July 10.30am to 12pm The Orchards Cafe, Mascalls Way, Great Baddow, Chelmsford CM2 7NS
Wednesday 9 July 10.30am to 11:30am Chelmsford Library Chelmsford County Hall, Market Rd, Chelmsford CM1 1QH
 Crime prevention advice
Road safety
The leading causes of serious injury and death on UK roads are speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seat belt and using a mobile phone while driving. Find out more about these offences and the penalties they carry and how to report incidents or collisions if they occur.
It’s illegal to use a handheld mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle on the roads in the UK.
Even using a hands-free option can incur penalties if your driving is deemed to be dangerous.
The police have the right to stop you if they think you’re distracted and not in control of your vehicle, and you can be prosecuted.
It’s still illegal to use your hand held mobile device if you're:
- stopped at traffic lights
- queuing in traffic
- supervising a learner driver
- driving a car that turns off the engine when you stop moving
- holding and using a device that's offline or in flight mode when driving your car
You can use a hand-held phone when:
- you’re safely parked and engine off
- you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
- you're making a contactless payment in a vehicle that is not moving, for example at a drive-through restaurant
- you're using the device to park your vehicle remotely
Using your mobile device hands-free
You can use a hands-free mobile device while driving your car as long as you do not hold it at any time during usage. The device must not block your view of the road and traffic ahead.
Penalties
You could receive a fixed penalty fine of £200 and six penalty points on your licence if you use a hand-held phone when driving.
If you get six points within two years of passing your test you will lose your licence.
You can get three penalty points if you don’t have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.
You can also be taken to court where you can:
- be banned from driving or riding
- get a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus)
Having points on your licence will result in higher insurance costs.
Be fraud smart
What are fraud, bribery and corruption?
Find out the difference between fraud, bribery and corruption, so you can report them to the right place.
Fraud
Fraud is when someone tricks or scams you out of money or something else valuable.
Personal fraud might be someone pretending to be your bank to trick you into transferring money into their account.
Business fraud could be someone lying in company accounts to steal from people who have loaned them money.
Fraud often happens online, like ticketing scams or using a fake dating profile to con money from you.
 What should I do if I suspect a child is being abused?
Spotting the signs of child abuse can be difficult. Children might not want to tell anyone, or they may not even be aware it is happening.
If you are unsure, the best thing to do is talk - to the child, to a teacher or another responsible adult. It is always helpful to get someone else's perspective.
Symptoms that may be cause for concern include;
- Talk of being left home alone or with strangers
- Excessive violence with other children
- Lack of social skills and struggles to make friends
- Has a poor relationship with their parent(s)
- Shows disruptive behaviour at school
- Becomes secretive and reluctant to share information
If you have noticed any of the above and are unsure whether to report, do not wait until you are certain. You should contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 and a counsellor will then be able to assess the situation before offering further advice.
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