News 20 August to 26 August
“1,000 more crimes solved in the last year highlights our commitment to getting justice for victims”.
That’s the message from our Chief Constable as new figures show a big increase in the number of offences solved by our officers in the last 12 months.
The force solved more than 22,200 offences in the year to the end of July, 999 more than the previous 12 months.
Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said:
“There’s a myth that we’ve been too distracted to deal with ‘real crime’. A false idea that we’ve been too busy doing unimportant work to focus on ‘real’ criminals.
“That is absolutely not the case and these figures show quite the opposite.
“They show we’ve been laser focused in our task to keep people safe and put criminals in front of the courts.”
“In the first half of this year we secured a 10 percent increase in charges. We dismantled more than 90 drug lines and seen 340 years in prison sentences for those responsible.
“We’re solving more home burglaries, more rape and sexual offences cases, and more domestic abuse offences.
“We solved nearly 800 more shop theft offences in the last year which is up by a quarter. And we solved double the number we did before the pandemic.
“In the last year we’ve secured more than 4,000 charges for violent crime – up on the year before.
“And we’ve more than doubled the number vehicle thefts solved – a crime I know has a significant impact on those affected.
“But I also know there is more to be done. More criminals to put behind bars. My officers are relentless in their focus, tireless in their effort, and determined in their approach.”
 Community Engagement Event – Tindal Square
Last week the Chelmsford Neighbourhood Police Team partnered with Chelmsford City Council for a community engagement event in Tindal Square. The team was joined by Kinder Essex, Essex Wellbeing Service, Age Well East, and several other local organisations.
Together, we spoke with residents and local businesses, offering crime prevention advice, discussing community concerns, and handing out safety-themed merchandise to help people stay informed and protected.
Events like these are a great way to strengthen partnerships and ensure our community feels supported and connected.
Our detectives brought together experts in the field of county lines exploitation and modern day slavery to sharpen our focus on “one of the most pressing issues of our time”.
So far this year, our Serious Violence Unit has arrested more than 300 people and charged more than 230 in connection with county lines activity.
But we’ve also demonstrated our commitment to protecting those who are exploited by these drugs gangs – seeing more than 160 people safeguarded this year alone.
At a conference held on 7 August in Chelmsford and organised by Essex Police, stories were shared by those with lived experiences in the county lines world.
Talks followed from leading detectives, frontline practitioners who work with young people, and academic researchers in the field.
Each session was a chance to explore successful interventions and safeguarding strategies for exploited people.
Officers are investigating after an assault in Chelmsford and are carrying out enquiries in the area
We were called by our ambulance service colleagues to Duke Street, at around 5.10am on Sunday 24 August.
It was reported they were treating a man with a serious leg injury. He was taken on to hospital for further care.
Officers attended the scene and are conducting a number of urgent enquiries.
We are currently seeking two suspects.
One is described as a black male, around 5ft 10ins in height, of muscular build, wearing a black sleeveless top and black durag.
The other is described as a black male of medium build, with black afro hair and wearing all dark clothing.
We need anyone who was in the area who may have seen anything, or anyone with information, to come forward to assist us.
Likewise if you have any footage from the area which could help us, please get in touch.
You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.
It can be found at the bottom right of our homepage at www.essex.police.uk.
Visit https://esxpol.uk/jwDbK to find out more about our website reporting services.
Alternatively, you can call us on 101.
Please cite reference 42/121985/25.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Monday 1 September 1pm to 3pm Crime prevention and bike marking Riverside Ice & Leisure, Riverside Leisure Centre, Victoria Rd, Chelmsford CM1 1FG
Tuesday 2 September 10am to 11am Tesco Stores Ltd, Princes Rd, Chelmsford CM2 9XW
Tuesday 9 September 11am to 12pm Costa Coffee, 8 High Street, Chelmsford CM1 1BE
Wednesday 10 September 10.30am to 11.30 Chelmsford Library, Chelmsford County Hall, Market Rd, Chelmsford CM1 1QH
Friday 19 September 11am to 1pm John Lewis & Partners 50 Bond St, Chelmsford CM1 1GD
Saturday 20 September 9am to 10am Chelmsford Park Run, Central Park, Chelmsford CM2 0RW
Saturday 20 September 10am to 11am
Quadrant Department Store, 220 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford CM2 0LS
Saturday 27 September 11am to 1pm Chelmsford Market, High Chelmer Shopping Centre, Bellmead, Chelmsford CM1 1LE
Sunday 28 September 9am to 10am Chelmsford Junior Park Run, Central Park, Chelmsford CM2 0RW
 Crime prevention advice
Many people don’t secure their shed or garage in the same way they do their homes - often using an easy-to-break lock or padlock to protect valuable contents such as a car, bike or lawnmower.
An opportunistic burglar will try a shed or garage first because they can find the tools they need to break into the main house.
Shed and outbuilding security: first steps
First off, check that your insurance covers the contents of your shed or outbuildings from theft.
Think like a thief
Take a look at your shed and consider how you would break in. It’s worth having a good padlock on the door with no exposed screws. Pay attention to hinges, as these are sometimes easily removable. If you have windows then these could be vulnerable unless they’re secured with wire mesh or grills. And keep it locked at all times.
Be fraud smart
Romance fraud
Criminals lie to gain your trust and build a relationship with you. They make everything about the romance feel normal but their aim is to get money or personal information.
How it happens
Romance fraudsters are experts at manipulating their victims.
They will usually:
- create a story that sounds believable and start the relationship in a normal way
- gain your trust over time
- invent a problem or situation where you may feel like you want to send money or gifts to help them
- isolate you from friends or family
Spot the signs
There are some signs to watch out for.
When they contact you
They may make conversation more personal to get information from you. But they may not tell you much about themselves that you can check or verify.
They may send a photo to earn your trust. This may be a real photo of them, or it could be stolen from someone else or created using technology. You can use an online tool to check if it's a stolen photo. Use Google or TinEye to do a reverse image search.
They may give you an excuse why they cannot meet you in person. The excuse may seem reasonable.
If you met them on a dating website, game or application, they may steer you away from there. Instead, they may prefer to talk by email, text and phone. Fraudsters often choose encrypted messaging applications, such as WhatsApp.
 My child has been arrested and they are under 18, what is the procedure?
When a child aged 17 or under has been arrested and the custody officer detains them, the custody officer must (where they are able) find out who is responsible for the welfare of the child and tell this person:
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that the child has been arrested,
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the reasons for the arrest of the child,
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the details of the location where the child is being held
The custody officer must also appoint someone to act as an appropriate adult for the child. The police must inform this appropriate adult of the child's arrest and ask them to attend the police station as soon as possible.
An appropriate adult is someone who will be able to support, advise and assist the child. The appropriate adult will be with the child whilst the police carry out some of the procedures at the police station, such as, and not exclusively:
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giving them their rights,
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carrying out an interview,
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charging them or bailing them.
The custody officer determines who the appropriate adult is to be for the child, and this depends on the circumstances. A person who a custody officer may appoint as an appropriate adult for the child:
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a parent, guardian,
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if the child is in the care of a local authority or voluntary organisation, a person representing that authority or organisation, a social worker of a local authority,
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or failing these, some other responsible adult aged 18 or over, but who is not a police officer, or someone employed by the police.
A person who cannot be appointed by the custody officer to be an appropriate adult for a child:
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a suspect in the offence,
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a witness/victim in the offence,
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a person who is in some way involved in the investigation of the offence,
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if they received admissions prior to attending to act as the appropriate adult.
In circumstances where a child is estranged from their parent/guardian and the child tells the police they do not want this person to be their appropriate adult, then the custody officer would not ask this parent to act as their appropriate adult. They would find an alternative appropriate adult, such as another responsible adult over the age of 18 or a social worker etc. (someone who is not a police officer or police staff).
An appropriate adult for a child can ask the custody officer if they can talk to the child in private. In most cases, the custody officer will allow this. It is however, for them to decide, based on the circumstances of the case.
Should the police need to carry out urgent procedures before the appropriate adult arrives, they have to seek authorisation from a senior officer.
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