News 18 March to 24 March
 "X Factor" Patrols
"YOUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT.... STARTS RIGHT HERE" (we know the line is usually Saturday, but the Newsletter is going out on a Wednesday....)
Our officers had a surprise cameo this week while patrolling the City Centre — and no, we’re not filming The One Show: Colchester Edition… although it certainly felt like it!
After detaining a man in the City Centre for a theft and criminal damage, PCSO March and PCSO Oscroft-Curtis were back on their patrols when they bumped into none other than Dermot O’Leary — the well known TV presenter originally from Colchester — and Angellica Bell, who has done everything from CBBC to Celebrity MasterChef. Talk about a crossover episode!
They said a quick hello and the well known city centre pair were asked for a photo by the visiting Dermot and Angellica.
Officers have also been in the city centre "THIS MORNING" for routine and regular patrols.
Tackling Vehicle Crime
Officers have been carrying out proactive patrols across Colchester as part of Operation TRANSPORT – our ongoing response to a recent pattern of vehicle crime and associated offending in the area.
Throughout yesterday evening, officers stopped and spoke with several people to understand their movements, offer reassurance, and ensure everything was in order. These checks included delivery drivers, commuters heading home from work, residents out walking, and young people making their way home safely.
During the deployment last night:
Officers completed a number of stop‑and‑account checks, all of which were quickly confirmed as legitimate activity.
Additional patrols were carried out around key locations linked to recent reports. No suspicious activity or concerns were identified.
One person was stop‑searched, where officers recovered a small amount of cannabis. Appropriate action was taken.
One arrest was made after a person was found in possession of tools suspected to be used for theft from motor vehicles, theft from a motor vehicle and Fraud by false representation. They were also wanted in connection with other matters and were taken into custody where they remain.
This targeted deployment was put in place specifically to deter offenders, disrupt criminal behaviour, and protect our communities following intelligence-led concerns around vehicle crime and drug‑related activity.
Helping Essex retail and hospitality staff to stay safe
The Essex Police Business Crime Team run workshops to help hospitality and retail staff deal with conflict at work.
Often they do this in partnership with Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs), such as Colchester Business Against Crime (COLBAC), and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), such as Chelmsford For You, Our Colchester and Southend City BID.
The conflict management workshops offer practical advice on spotting signs of trouble early, staying safe and using communication to calm tense situations. They also offer businesses the opportunity to raise concerns, seek advice and access bespoke crime prevention support.
When Crime prevention doesn't work, our teams are out looking to bring offenders to justice. Just this week a 35 year old man has appeared in court charged with shoplifting offences across Colchester with a total value of over £4000.
Colchester's neighbourhood policing team began to investigate a series of shop thefts across Colchester identifying a 35 year old man from Colchester as responsible. Following his arrest he was charged with 27 theft offences whereby the value of stolen property totalled over £4000.
He has been remanded in custody to await a future court appearance for sentencing.
Why we invite all our communities to talk about our professional standards
Policing is a demanding job and our officers make thousands of decisions every day as they strive to protect the public, prevent crime and bring criminals to justice.
Whenever people need help or a crime has been committed, our officers enter what can be volatile and emotionally-charged situations and must quickly decide the best course of action.
This is not always straightforward, which is why there are codes of ethics and practice that act as guidance.
Our officers are aware they are in in a privileged position, and with this comes great responsibility.
Regardless of circumstances, they are expected to act with the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
This applies whether they are on or off duty.
We police by consent and to achieve that, we are open and honest about our decisions.
Since 2016, we have invited members of the public to join Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs) in each of our districts.
We value our communities and we also invite advisory groups to see our bodyworn videos, our stop and search records and see our custody cells, too.
The IAGs are made up of representatives from a wide range of communities across the county who come together four times a year to provide insight and constructive feedback.
 Let's talk
Thursday 26 March
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Tollgate Car Park, (By Mcdonalds)
Wednesday 1 April
2:30pm-3:30pm - Stane Retail Park, Outside B&Q
Thursday 2 April
10am to 11am
Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester, Essex
Upcoming community police events
 Crime prevention advice
Relying on a single security feature can make vehicles easier targets for thieves.
Using a layered approach such as using steering wheel locks, immobilisers, secure parking, and keeping keys away from windows or doors makes theft far more difficult and time‑consuming. Thieves often look for the quickest and easiest opportunity, so visible and multiple barriers increase the chances they’ll move on.
Even simple additions, like a physical lock alongside electronic security, can make a real difference.
Be fraud smart
Your bank may ask security questions to verify who you are, but they will never ask you to enter your PIN into your phone or authorise transactions during a call. If you receive a call like this, end the call immediately.
If someone calls claiming to be from your bank, always verify who they are before sharing any personal details. Do this by calling your bank using the number on the back of your bank card, and make sure you use a different phone line.
If possible, use a phone belonging to a family member, friend, or neighbour. Scammers can keep phone lines open after pretending to hang up, making it appear you’re speaking to your bank when you’re not.
 Visit the Essex Police website for last week's crime data. Especially useful to Essex Watch and Neighbourhood Watch groups.
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