CRIME REDUCTION

Working together to keep the Tendring District safe

The Tendring Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership is made up of a number of organisations working together to reduce crime and the fear of crime in the Tendring District. The partnership includes representation from Tendring District Council, Essex Police, Neighbourhood Watch and many other organisations working in the area to ensure that the Tendring District remains one of the safest Districts in Essex, which is the fourth safest County in the country.

In fact, did you know that older people's risk of suffering from a household or a personal crime is much lower than for other age groups? Older people are also much less likely to be repeatedly victimised than the other age groups. The chart below shows that according to the 1999 British Crime survey fewer crimes were experienced by people over the age of 60 than by other age groups.

However, there are still a few things you can do to make you safer in your home, and make your home and your belongings safer while you are out.

Neighbourhood Policing

Click here for details of your Local Neighboourhood Policing team.

Here are some guidelines for dealing with different situations you may find yourself in:-

Bogus Callers

• Most people who come to your door will be genuine callers. But it's best to make sure.
   

• Fitting a door chain means you can open the door a little way to talk to callers to find out who they are before you let them in. Alternatively a spy hole allows you to see who is at the door.
   

• If you were not expecting someone to call, a genuine caller will not mind waiting outside while you contact their company. Find the phone number in the phone book, or look on your last bill.
   

• Most companies have a password scheme – check with them to see if this is available.
   

• If you are uncomfortable about letting someone in who you don’t know ask them to come back later and arrange for a neighbour or a friend to be there with you when they return.
   

• Ask your local Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator about the Nominated Neighbour Scheme or if you do not have Neighbourhood Watch in your area find out about how you or one of your neighbours can set one up by contacting:

Personal Safety

• Think about getting a personal alarm to use if you trip or fall at home.

• Don't keep large amounts of cash at home – use a bank account instead.
   

• Keep your pension book in a safe place – especially when you take it out with you.
   

• Be careful when using cashpoint machines and make sure that no-one can see you tapping in your PIN number. If you see anything suspicious report it to the police or your bank and don’t use the machine until later.
   

• Many Councils have security schemes that are aimed at older or more vulnerable people. You could ask them for advice.
   

• If you are worried about anything or if you see anything suspicious contact the local police. In an emergency – Dial 999.
   

• Make sure that you check your smoke detector batteries and alarms every year.
   

• Check with family or friends before you agree to have any work done on your home or garden. It is always a good idea to get written estimates before you go ahead with any work. You can find out about reputable traders by contacting:

• Never be tempted to let people into your home even if they say they need to make an urgent phone call. Unfortunately even callers who seem to be in genuine distress could be trying to trick you into letting them into your home.
  

Home Security

• Home security is the best way to reduce your chances of being burgled. Many burglaries are spur of the moment, as a burglar may see an open window or other easy point of entry and take their chance.
   

• When you go out, always lock the door and close the windows - even if you are just going out for a short time.
   

• Window locks, especially on older windows, will help stop people getting in (and remember, a burglar is less likely to break in if they have to smash a window).
   

• If you have deadlocks, use them and make sure that you don't leave the key near the door, or in an obvious place.
   

• Don't leave spare keys outside, or in a garage or shed, and put car keys or garage keys out of sight in the house.
   

• Use timers for lights and radios if you need to be away from home overnight. They will create the impression that someone is in.
   

• Visible burglar alarms, good lighting, and carefully directed and limited security lighting can act as deterrents. But make sure that lights don't disturb your neighbours, and that alarms turn off after 20 minutes.
   

• Many companies offer ‘free security advice’ but some of the products can be overpriced or the information misleading.

These tips are designed to offer sensible precautions that

you can take to keep you safe.  Remember, the Tendring District is

one of the safest places to live in Essex and Essex is the fourth

safest County in the country so try not to let crime or the

fear of crime affect your quality of life.

BUSINESS CRIME

The Current Situation

Crime is a cause of concern for many businesses and although it is difficult to obtain a full picture of the extent to which crime affects business the 2001 British Chambers of Commerce survey estimated the cost of crime to business at £19bn per year, whilst the British Retail Consortium 2002 crime survey estimated the annual cost of retail crime at £2.2bn.

The Government is very concerned about business related crime and is now developing a strategy focusing on 6 key areas:-

• Obtaining regular and accurate information on the levels and types of business crime;

• Developing a central advice/support service for businesses;

• Improving links between business and existing partnerships;

• Implementing measures to reduce retail crime;

• Implementing measures to reduce fraud; and

• Raising business awareness of its capacity and responsibility to reduce crime.

What is being done to tackle Business Crime

The Home Office has announced the formation of a new national action group to tackle business related crime. The "Action Against Business Crime Group" is a joint venture between the Home Office and the British Retail Consortium to boost the work of local business crime partnerships. The Home Office has granted £900,000 to fund the action group over the next 2 years.

The £15million Small Retailers in Deprived Areas project will have helped 12,500 small businesses to improve their security by the end of March 2004.

Financial and retail sectors are being encouraged to work towards early implementation of more secure systems to combat fraud - including 'Chip and PIN', (the introduction of microchips into payment cards and the use of PIN codes in place of signatures).

A two year pilot of a unique police unit created by the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) and the Home Office was launched on Monday 29 April 2002. The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit aims to fight the organised crime syndicates behind steep rises in UK plastic card fraud losses.

Work with major businesses such as ASDA, Argos, Woolworths, Dell and EMI in developing the Chipping of Goods initiative is also being carried out.

Reducing the risk of crime in business will help to ensure the safety of staff and customers and to protect profits. Research has shown that businesses are more at risk of crime than private households.

Crime Reduction Advice for Retailers is available in a handy postcard sized format and provides advice on how retailers can reduce the risks of becoming a victim of crime. Topics include

• Staff Security and Staff Awareness

• Building Design and Layout

• Physical Security

• Working Together

• Keeping Safe

• Useful Contacts

This information can be found at

http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/business22.pdf

 

Work related violence

Work-related violence (WRV) is a very real and growing problem. According to the British Crime Survey there were almost 1.3 million incidents of physical assaults and threats of violence at work in England and Wales in 1999.

The total number of incidents is estimated to have increased by 5% since 1997. However, the actual number of incidents or threats is probably much greater than this, as it is likely that many incidents are not reported.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related violence as:

Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work

Violence in the workplace covers a wide range of behaviour, from threats and verbal abuse to intimidation and physical assault. It may also include sexual or racial harassment. It can be carried out by customers, suppliers or colleagues.

Physical attacks are obviously dangerous, but serious or persistent verbal abuse can be a significant problem too, as it can cause damage employees’ health through anxiety and stress. For their employers this can represent a real financial cost – through low staff morale and high staff turnover. This in turn can affect the confidence of a business and its profitability. Further costs may arise from expensive insurance premiums and compensation payments.

All work-related violence, both verbal and physical, has serious consequences for employees and for the business they work for. For employees violence can cause pain, distress and even disability or death.

All employers have a legal duty to protect their employees from violence and abuse while they are at work and should have a policy for dealing with the risk of violence to staff.

Employees can help to reduce their personal risk by planning strategies to deal with difficult situations before they happen.

• Check which aspects of your organisation's policy on preventing work-related violence are relevant to you and your work.

• Make sure you know which procedures to follow if a violent incident happens.

• Be aware of risk factors and the possible causes of violence arising from the work you are doing

• If you work alone, or away from your workplace, try to make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to come back.

• You may feel safer carrying a mobile phone, personal alarm or pager.

If you find yourself in a situation that could turn violent:

• Try to stay calm;

• Be aware of your own body language and the other person's;

• Try to keep a safe distance and avoid physical contact if possible;

• If you are cannot calm the situation down, call for help or look for opportunities to move away; and

• Report all incidents to your employer

Contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which publishes guidance for employers on how to prevent and control violence at work. (HSE and local authority inspectors are also responsible for inspecting and enforcing health and safety in workplaces).
 

Phone the HSE information line on: 08701 545500 or visit the HSE website.

Further Information and Useful Contacts