The Community Safety Newsletter aims to keep residents informed about what the Community Safety Partnership has been involved with in Chiltern and South Bucks districts in the last month.

Don’t Become a Victim of Vehicle Crime

It can take as little as 10 seconds for a thief to steal something from your car. Leaving items on display can be very tempting for a thief even if you think it is ‘just an old coat’.

The best way to protect your belongings is to keep them out of sight in your boot and ensure your car is locked, even better don’t leave them in your car in the first place.

Over November and December the Community Safety Team worked closely with the Chiltern and South Bucks Neighbourhood Policing Teams in a bid to help reduce the incident of car break-ins. Unfortunately that time of year can see a rise in car breaks due to the fact that people are buying or travelling with Christmas gifts and not storing them in their boots.

Our joint Clear Car Campaign Operation resulted in 86 crime prevention advice letters being sent out to the registered owners of vehicles with items on display.

We want to continue lowering vehicle crime in our districts but this is only possible if all motorists continue their vigilance in vehicle security.

For more advice on how to keep your vehicle safe please visit: www.chiltern.gov.uk/vehiclecrime or www.southbucks.gov.uk/vehiclecrime

10 top tips for keeping your home safe

12 Days Of Christmas

Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils have been working with Thames Valley Police to bring you a special rendition of 'Twelve Days of Christmas' to help share seasonal crime prevention advice.

For further advice and information please visit: www.chiltern.gov.uk/communitysafety or www.southbucks.gov.uk/communitysafety

Don’t Leave Gifts For Thieves

Over the festive period some of us may have received valuable gifts and it's important to make sure that you are protecting yourself and your valuables.

Make your valuables less attractive to thieves by using a property marking pen which is only visible under Ultraviolet (UV) light.

Mark your property with your postcode, house or flat number or the first three letters of your address. All of these measures help police identify stolen goods, making it harder for thieves to sell.

Please email communitysafety@chiltern.gov.uk to request a free marking pen (subject to availability)

Scam Dictionary

Scams can come in many different disguises, so it’s important to know what types of scams are out there!

Contactless Card Scams - this is a relatively new form of fraud, contactless cards enable us to make quick and easy payments however this has led to a rise of this type of crime. Criminals may use a card reader or phone nearby to 'skim' a contactless card to read/copy the details.

Top tip: Contactless card wallets are a great tool to protect your card from being accessed. Blocking technology helps to deflect readers and shield the card from things you don't want to access it. Please contact communitysafety@chiltern.gov.uk to request a free contactless card wallet (subject to availability).

Vishing Scams - Vishing is a type of phishing scam that happens on the phone. The word vishing is a combination of ‘voice’ and ‘phishing’. It works by receiving an unsolicited phone call from someone who claims to be from your bank or building society, police or fraud investigation team. The criminal tries to gain personal and financial information from you such as your full name, address, date of birth, credit card details and bank account details. They will then use this information to gain access to your finances.

Top tip: Do not assume anyone who has phoned or contacted you is who they say they are. If you’re not sure that the call is genuine, call back the official number either on the back of your card or on their official website.

Smishing - SMS phishing is when criminals send text messages inviting you to click a link which directs you to a fraudulent website which may advise you to call a premium rate number. They may also ask for personal information.

Top tip: Never click on links or download content that you are unsure of. If in doubt, contact the company using the details on their official website. Look out for details such as poor spelling, grammar and poor image quality.

Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or call blocking scams - This type of scam is where criminals will ask for money to provide the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or call blockers. This may enter you into a subscription service or leave you with a unit that doesn’t work properly.

Top tip: It is free to sign up to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) - visit their official website for more information. Always do your research before purchasing a call blocking device to make sure you’re using a legitimate company. Remember – Always be wary of someone who has contacted you out of the blue asking for money and/or personal details.

Chiltern Community Forum

Chiltern Community Forum met on Wednesday 21st November. Following review of the survey results and subsequent discussion, the following policing priorities were agreed for the coming quarter:

• Drug dealing and misuse
• Burglary
• Knife Crime

To view the full minutes of the forum please visit: https://www.chilterncommunityforum.org/meetings/forum-21st-november-2018/

The next meeting for the Chiltern Community Forum will be at 6.30pm on Wednesday 20th February 2019, at Chalfont St Peter Parish Council Offices, Gravel Hill, Chalfont St Peter SL9 9QX.

Thank you for reading!

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