News 19 November to 25 November
It is with great sadness that we confirm the identity of our police officer who tragically died in the line of duty while responding to an emergency.
PC Mathew Parker, a motorcycle officer with the Chigwell Roads Policing Unit, died on Wednesday, 19 November, at 12:25pm on the A12.
PC Parker - known as Mat to his loved ones - was responding to an emergency when the collision occurred on a stretch of road near Ingatestone.
At this stage, we do not believe any other vehicle was involved. Sadly, PC Parker, died at the scene.
Mat joined Essex Police in 2010 and served his entire career in West Essex, including on the Loughton Local Policing Team and, most recently, the Chigwell Roads Policing Team. He was passionate about motorbikes and the proud owner of a much-loved Harley Davidson.
He leaves behind his beloved wife, daughters, parents, brother, sisters, nieces, and nephews.
We’ve arrested a 17-year-old and recovered six stolen phones after a series of robberies in Hatfield Peverel on Saturday night.
We're appealing for anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage from Pastures or nearby streets around 8.50pm to get in touch, quoting incident number 1115 of 22 November.
Detective Inspector Dan Jeffries said: “This is a large, fast-moving investigation - this means you’ll see more officers on the street in Hatfield Peverel today, and I urge anyone with information to speak to us."
 Please help us support this year's toy appeal
It's that time of year again when we ask for the support of the community.
Last year, we supported The Salvation Army to help over a hundred families with gifts and toys for Christmas. These are local families referred to us that might be finding Christmas extra-challenging this year.
Would you be able to help us do that again this year? You could do that in three ways.
1. Drop off a toy at any of the local businesses kindly acting as our collection points. (See below)
2 Use our Amazon Wish List to send a gift directly to us — quick, simple, and delivered straight where it’s needed.
3.Donate through the JustGiving page if you’d prefer to give financially
Your generosity is so appreciated. Thank you so much.
(Present Appeal Drop-Off Points: The Salvation Army on Rayne Road, Braintree District Council (Causeway House), The Works in George Yard, Tesco in Braintree Town Centre and Tesco Marks Farm, NatWest Braintree, Salvation Army Donation Centre Braintree - Anglia Way, Signs'N'Such on Chapel Hill and The White Lion in Sible Hedingham.
Guilty Verdict Secured
Last week at court, a driver who was caught using a mobile phone while driving on the A120 northbound Braintree, was found guilty after choosing to go to trial.
They were initially offered the standard penalty of points and a fine but opted to contest the charge. The result? £1,000 in costs and 6 penalty points.
Using a mobile phone while driving is one of the Fatal Four – the leading causes of serious collisions on our roads. Sadly, Essex has already seen more road deaths this year than in 2024, and every risky decision behind the wheel adds to that tragic toll.
Stay focused. Stay safe. Put your phone away.
 Can You Help ?
Police are appealing for help to trace a man who is missing from Gestingthorpe, Essex and who was last seen in Sudbury. Steven Baker, 50, was last seen in Sudbury on Tuesday 18 November.
There was also a possible sighting of Steven in the early hours of Sunday 23 November in an area east of Norwich near to the A47. He also has connections with the Hertfordshire area.
Steven is described as 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build with very long mousey-grey hair and a beard.
When he was last seen, he was wearing blue jeans, brown boots and a black sweatshirt.
The last CCTV image showed him also wearing a dark coloured coat.
Officers are concerned for his welfare and are asking anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts to contact Suffolk Police.
 Where we've been: community engagement in action
As part of our ongoing commitment to building trust and maintaining safety across our communities, our officers regularly take part in a wide range of engagement activities. From school visits and youth clubs to market days and speed checks, these interactions are about more than just visibility—they’re about connection.
By being present in the places where people live, work, and gather, we’re able to listen to concerns, offer reassurance, and work together to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour before it starts. These engagements also give us the opportunity to strengthen relationships, especially with young people, and to show that policing is a shared effort between the community and those who serve it.
While we aim to keep the public informed about our activities, there are times when we cannot advertise certain events in advance. This is often due to operational sensitivity, safeguarding concerns, or the need to ensure the effectiveness of our patrols and interventions. Rest assured, every engagement is carried out with the community’s best interests at heart.
In this section, we’ll keep you updated on where we’ve been, what we’ve been doing
Here are some of the places we've been this week
Braintree town centre
Halstead town centre
Witham River Walk
Witham Town Hall
Braintree Shopping Village
Ramsey School
Hatfield Peverel
Shalford
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Wednesday 26 November 10am to 10:30am
Owls Hill Tea Rooms, Terling
Thursday 27 November 10am to 2pm
Weavers Court, Halstead CO9 2JN
Thursday 27 November 11:15am to 11:45am
Kelvedon Library, Maldon Road, Kelvedon
Friday 28 November 10am to 2pm
George Yard Braintree
 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
Be aware of spoofed websites: these are fake sites made to look like real ones to steal your personal or banking details when you submit them to the site.
Check the website address at the top of the web address bar to make sure no characters are incorrect. Look for ‘https’ at the beginning of the web address and the padlock symbol.
 Visit the Essex Police website for last week's crime data. Especially useful to Essex Watch and Neighbourhood Watch groups.
 A car has appeared outside my house and it looks abandoned, what action should I take?
You should first make enquiries with your neighbours, in order to ascertain any information regarding the owner of the vehicle.
If this proves unsuccessful and you believe the vehicle is abandoned, you can report the vehicle to your local council
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