Christmas Cracker Concert and Awards

This years Christmas Cracker Concert held at the Charter Hall raised a record amount of £1600 for this years chosen charity Lexden Springs School.

The event was compared by Kevin Bentley, ward councillor for Birch and Winstree and portfolio holder for Business, Tourism and Leisure on Colchester Borough Council. He led the 700 members of the audience in clapping and stamping their feet in appreciation of the Essex Police Band, The Gilberd School Choir and the Thurstable School Choir.

Awards given by Colchester Neighbourhood Watch at the concert were presented
by the new Divisional Commander for the Colchester and Tendering Divisions
David Hudson. The winners of the PCSO awards were as follows:

Alison Howe & Jackie Tyrrell (joint 1st place)

Brian Wyatt (2nd place)

Charlotte Knowler (3rd Place)

The winners of the co-ordinator of the year were Rueben & Maureen Moffatt.

The first place winners received an engraved glass trophy and certificate and others were awarded a certificate recognising their value to the community.

New CBNHW Awards

Following the success of the Community Police Officer Awards Colchester Borough Neighbourhood Watch have decided to make two other awards.

Co-ordinator of the Year and Police Community Support Officer of the Year.

Nominations for these awards are now closed and the winners will be announced at the Christmas Cracker Concert on Friday 9th December

Northern Community Policing Team Nomination

COLCHESTER'S Northern Community Policing Team has been nominated for the 'Public Servants of the Year Awards 2005', following a year-long clean-up programme.

Officers worked hard to provide new CCTV systems and a lit play area in the
St Andrews ward in a bid to combat youth nuisance and improve student security at the local university.

The area has seen a significant drop in criminal activity following completion of the scheme In September 2004.

Insp Tony Dale, who led the team to success, said: "I am proud of the hard work that has been achieved by my team during the last year and I am pleased their efforts have been recognised by a nomination for this award. Their efforts have seen significant reductions in the number of burglaries and the amount of criminal damage and youth nuisance in the area".

"We will continue to strive for such success in this area as well as other parts of the Colchester division, which all helps to improve our links with the community and reduce the fear of crime".

Officers from Colchester division successfully closed a second crack house last year. The property was used as a meeting place for dealers and users. Since the repossession by the council, police have seen a considerable drop in complaints from the community.

COLCHESTER NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH COMMUNITY
POLICE OFFICER AWARDS

Colchester Borough Neighbourhood Watch will be presenting their inaugural yearly awards for Community Police Officers who have shown an outstanding commitment, not only to Neighbourhood Watch, but also to the wider community they serve. The awards seek to promote the positive work that a Community Police Officer undertakes on a regular basis which at times can be often overlooked. Crime prevention and reduction is not the sole responsibility of the police and involves making every resident, community, visitor and business part of the solution which is at the centre of partnership working between the police and Colchester Neighbourhood Watch.
The presentations will take place on the 25th July 2005 in the Mayor’s Office at Colchester Borough Council’s Town Hall starting at 7.30pm. Chief Superintendent Dave Murthwaite, Mr Bob Russell MP and Cllr Terry Sutton, Mayor of Colchester, will be present along with the CBNW Executive Committee and invited guests.

Carole Dennis, Chair of Colchester Neighbourhood Watch, said ‘Colchester Police Officers have repeatedly proven their dedication to our communities and it is vital that their excellent work is recognised and acknowledged. We cannot put enough value on the importance of partnership working between Colchester Neighbourhood Watch and the Community Policing Teams to create even safer communities for the people of Colchester.’

David Murthwaite, Chief Superintendent, Essex Police Colchester Division said ‘The development of neighbourhood policing is gaining great pace at a national level and Colchester division enjoys its leader status as ‘pathfinder’ for Essex. This distinction has been achieved due to the hard work of many in our community and is rightly deserved. These awards do however acknowledge individual officer commitment in our success. I’m proud of them.’

Copford Show

The Copford branch of CNHW recently took a stand at The Copford show and put a villain on display for visitors to have some fun with. If you cannot identify this scoundrel (right) go here to see his previous form.

ICE – for In Case of Emergency

A Cambridge-based paramedic has launched a national campaign with Vodafone to encourage people to store emergency contact details in their mobile phones.

Bob Brotchie, a clinical team leader for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust, hatched the plan last year after struggling to get contact details from shocked or injured patients.

By entering the acronym ICE – for In Case of Emergency – into the mobile’s phone book, users can log the name and number of someone who should be contacted in an emergency.

The idea follows research carried out by Vodafone that shows more than 75 per cent of people carry no details of who they would like telephoned following a serious accident.

Bob, 41, who has been a paramedic for 13 years, said: “I was reflecting on some of the calls I’ve attended at the roadside where I had to look through the mobile phone contacts struggling for information on a shocked or injured person.

“It’s difficult to know who to call. Someone might have “mum” in their phone book but that doesn’t mean they’d want them contacted in an emergency.

“Almost everyone carries a mobile phone now, and with ICE we’d know immediately who to contact and what number to ring. The person may even know of their medical history.”

The campaign was launched this week by Bob and Falklands war hero Simon Weston in association with Vodafone’s annual Life Savers Awards.

Vodafone spokesperson Ally Stevens said: “The Life Savers Awards already demonstrate, through practical example, the important role a mobile phone can play when minutes matter in an emergency.

“By adopting the ICE advice, your mobile will now also help the rescue services quickly contact a friend or relative – which could be vital in a life or death situation.”

The campaign is also asking people to think carefully about who will be their ICE partner - with helpful advice on who to choose - particularly if that person has to give consent for emergency medical treatment.

Bob hopes that all emergency services will promote ICE in their area as part of a national awareness campaign to highlight the importance of carrying next of kin details at all times.

He said the idea was for the benefit of loved ones as well as the patient.

“Research suggests people recover quicker from the psychological effects of their loved one being hurt if they are involved at an earlier stage and they can reach them quickly," he added.

He said he hoped mobile phone companies would now build the ICE contact into future models, adding: "It's not a difficult thing to do. As many people say they carry mobile phones in case of an emergency, it seems natural this information should be kept there."

Nominations for the Life Savers Awards can be made by contacting the awards hotline on 0870 902 3333 or visiting www.vodafone.co.uk/lifesavers

How Does it work? >

Their hard work will be recognised with a swish do at the mayor's parlor and a trophy, which will be kept for a year.

Carole Dennis, borough co-ordinator said: "There are a lot of really good community beat bobbies out there doing so much for Neighbourhood Watch and we want to give them something back." This award will show how much both the community and Neighbourhood Watch value the outstanding work that is done by Community Police Officers.

Entries for this award are now closed and those short listed for the title will be invited to the ceremony on July 25, in the Mayor's suite at the Town Hall at 7.30pm when the winner will be announced.

Presentation of the award will be on July 25th 2005 at the Mayors suite Town Hall 7.30pm

Householders and the use of force against intruders

Joint Public Statement from the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers

What is the purpose of this statement?
It is a rare and frightening prospect to be confronted by an intruder in
your own home. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Chief Constables
are responding to public concern over the support offered by the law and confusion about householders defending themselves. We want a criminal justice system that reaches fair decisions, has the confidence of law-abiding citizens and encourages them actively to support the police and prosecutors in the fight against crime.
Wherever possible you should call the police. The following summarises the position when you are faced with an intruder in your home, and provides a brief overview of how the police and CPS will deal with any such events.

Does the law protect me? What is 'reasonable force'?
Anyone can use reasonable force to protect themselves or others, or to carry out an arrest or to prevent crime. You are not expected to make fine judgements over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment. So long as you only do what you honestly and instinctively believe is necessary in the heat of the moment, that would be the strongest evidence of you acting lawfully and in selfdefence. This is still the case if you use something to hand as a weapon. As a general rule, the more extreme the circumstances and the fear felt, the more force you can lawfully use in self-defence.

Do I have to wait to be attacked?
No, not if you are in your own home and in fear for yourself or others. In those circumstances the law does not require you to wait to be attacked before using defensive force yourself.

What if the intruder dies?
If you have acted in reasonable self-defence, as described above, and the
intruder dies you will still have acted lawfully. Indeed, there are several such
cases where the householder has not been prosecuted. However, if, for
example:
having knocked someone unconscious, you then decided to further
hurt or kill them to punish them; or
you knew of an intended intruder and set a trap to hurt or to kill them
rather than involve the police,
you would be acting with very excessive and gratuitous force and could be
prosecuted.

What if I chase them as they run off?
This situation is different as you are no longer acting in self-defence and so the same degree of force may not be reasonable. However, you are still allowed to use reasonable force to recover your property and make a citizen's arrest. You should consider your own safety and, for example, whether the police have been called. A rugby tackle or a single blow would probably be reasonable. Acting out of malice and revenge with the intent of inflicting punishment through injury or death would not.

Will you believe the intruder rather than me?
The police weigh all the facts when investigating an incident. This includes the fact that the intruder caused the situation to arise in the first place. We hope that everyone understands that the police have a duty to investigate incidents involving a death or injury. Things are not always as they seem. On occasions people pretend a burglary has taken place to cover up other crimes such as a fight between drug dealers.

How would the police and CPS handle the investigation and treat me?
In considering these cases Chief Constables and the Director of Public Prosecutions (Head of the CPS) are determined that they must be investigated and reviewed as swiftly and as sympathetically as possible. In some cases, for instance where the facts are very clear, or where less serious injuries are involved, the investigation will be concluded very quickly, without any need for arrest. In more complicated cases, such as where a death or serious injury occurs, more detailed enquiries will be necessary. The police may need to conduct a forensic examination and/or obtain your account of events. To ensure such cases are dealt with as swiftly and sympathetically as possible, the police and CPS will take special measures namely: An experienced investigator will oversee the case; and If it goes as far as CPS considering the evidence, the case will be prioritised to ensure a senior lawyer makes a quick decision. It is a fact that very few householders have ever been prosecuted for actions resulting from the use of force against intruders.

More praise from Bob Russell MP

Neighbourhood Watches have been praised in the House of Commons by Colchester MP Bob Russell.

The Home Ofice has given National Neighbourhood Watch Association £200,000 in the currrent financial year, but
Mr Russell said, during Home Office questions, that local groups needed support funding for administration "so much more could be done".

He added "alongside Crimestoppers, Community Policing, and community Wardens, Neighbourhood Watch is an important part of the jigsaw that provides safety in our communities.

Praise from Bob Russell MP

A sample copy of the recently published co-ordinators hand book was sent to Bob Russell MP. Click here to read his reply.

Hand held mobiles & driving

As most people are aware the use of mobile phones whilst driving is now subject to law.
Basically a person is prohibited from driving or causing or permitting a person to drive a motor vehicle on a road if the driver is using a hand held mobile or similar device- this includes supervising a provisional licence holder.
A mobile phone or other device is hand held if it is, or must be held at the same point during the course of making or receiving a call, or performing any other interactive communication function. This means sending or receiving oral or written messages, facsimile documents, still or moving images and providing access to the internet.
The regulations do not cover passengers, cyclists, or two-way radios.
Our advice is to let the phone ring if you are driving, park and answers the call; consider voice mail before starting.
An exemption is allowed for genuine emergencies where it is unsafe or impractical to stop.
The penalty is a £30 non-endorsable ticket and plans are in hand to increase this to £60 and 3 points on the licence.

Information kindly sent in by
PC Mel Raven. Southern Area Community Police

Mobile Police Office

		A vehicle is on the streets of the rural parishes of Colchester in support of the rural policing teams. This purpose built mobile police office was designed
specifically for the rural team's requirements.

Colchester Division's mobile police office began its schedule of regular visits to villages last July.
You can see the dates and venues of the visit to your area on your sector of the Borough Area pages. Strengthening the links between the police and rural communities, it is planned that it will make an appearance fortnightly in each village on its route. It will also be used as a police base at special events.
Chief Supt David Murthwaite, commander of Colchester Police Division, said: "The mobile office reflects our commitment to serving rural communities. It will give the public a convenient and accessible opportunity to talk over any concerns they may have and to seek advice on non-urgent matters."
The office is a white box van, specially built onto the chassis of a Citroen Relay, by Fame Commercials, of The Hythe, Colchester, and kitted out in Essex Police livery. To offer privacy, it has been divided into two separate offices, a reception area and also a private interview area. An awning is included in its equipment. The total cost of the project was £55,000
Two people will staff the vehicle full time, a support administrator who will also drive the vehicle and a police officer. The rural officer for the village will support them when that officer is on duty.
This office is an additional service in support of the community policing teams that were introduced to the rural areas in Essex in April l999 to help reduce crime and disorder and improve the policing of the countryside. The vehicle has low access for people with pushchair's; air conditioning as well as heating provided by a generator, tea-making facilities and even has a bicycle. This will allow the police officer to patrol the village and they would also be able to visit any local resident who, through any disability, was unable to personally visit the mobile office.