Saffron Walden Central

Update

Saffron Walden remains a relatively low crime neighbourhood but we recognise that if you have been a victim or witness of crime the perception may be very different.

In order to combat this fear of crime we will continue with high visibility patrols in the town. We also engage on a regular basis with partner agencies such as the local council and housing associations to find alternative ways to combat crime and address other issues in the neighbourhood.

Please feel free to contact the team if you have any issues that you would like to raise with us.

Uttlesford has one of the lowest recorded rates of domestic burglary with only 1.3 burglaries per 1000 households in the last quarter.

That is amazingly low, and we are well placed when measured against the most similar group of districts nationally.

Rather than be satisfied with this, we are committed to continuing to reduce the number of dwelling burglaries even further. Burglary is a horrible crime from which we are keen to have as few victims as possible.

We recently discovered that many burglaries are being committed by entry through UPVC back doors. These doors have a number of different locking mechanisms; some can be locked by simply lifting the handle - in others, lifting the handle drives across a closing bolt, but a key is needed to actually lock the door.

It has become clear from speaking to recent victims, that when they'd thought they were locking their doors, they were in fact just closing them; with the result that the door could still be opened from the outside. This mechanism is also available on conservatories and can be used with wooden doors, so this message applies to everyone.

Please make sure you know how your locks operate so that when you are locking up, you are in fact locking up. If you need any assistance with door locks or are unclear at all about this message then please speak to our crime reduction advisor, Peter Caulfield on Tel No 101, who will be happy to advise you.

Peter Caulfield added, "About 30% of all house burglaries are via unlocked or open doors and windows. All most burglars have to do is try a few handles until they find one which opens a door. Please take note and don’t become a statistic."

The recent neighbourhood meetings have been attended by people who are involved in their community and bring forward the concerns of those who live in there. The panel discusses the concerns and agrees the top priorities for us to focus on. We would urge anyone interested in local issues to contact us in order that we can raise your concerns or issues at the next Neighbourhood Meeting. There will be a beat surgery before the Neighbourhood Meeting should anyone wish to come and discuss any issues they may have face to face with a member of the team.

The most recent Neighbourhood Meeting discussed various concerns and set ongoing priorities for speeding in various areas of the town particularly Castle Street, Bridge Street and Church Street, giving crime prevention advice re burglaries and dealing with vehicles contravening the weight restriction in Windmill Hill.

If you would like information about the Neighbourhood Meeting please contact us on 07779 037084.