Crime News

£30,000 Car Seized in Drugs Op.
Police say the seizure of a £30,000 car during an operation against drug dealing in Crewe forms part of an on-going message to people involved in crime.
The three years old BMW X5 was one of three cars seized during the operation in the early hours of July 20th which resulted in the arrest of twenty people at addresses across Crewe.
Police Officers also took possession of £10,000 in cash. Heroin and crack cocaine valued at £6,000 was recovered.
Detective Inspector Nigel Groom said, “The seizure of cash which has resulted from crime and of property which we believe has been bought with the profits of crime is now standard procedure.
“Teams of specialist investigators prepare cases to have property confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act and they are extremely successful.
“When a court makes a confiscation order the property is sold, any outstanding finance is cleared, and the balance goes into public funds, to be used to fight crime.
“People involved in crime need to realize they may not only face prison sentences, but are likely to lose cash and assets which have resulted from it. This is taking the profit out of crime.”

East Cheshire Staying Safe
Crime in East Cheshire is continuing to fall.
Police Officers say the success in reducing crime which was revealed in recently-released Home Office Crime Statistics is being maintained.
The Home Office Statistics covered the 12 months up to April 1st.
In the following three months a total of 5332 crimes have been reported in East Cheshire, compared with 5630 in the same period last year.
Serious acquisitive crimes, such as burglary and vehicle crime have shown some of the most marked decreases.
Superintendent Geraint Jones said, “This improvement is pleasing because they are the type of crimes which affect people’s everyday lives.  We are always aware of the fact that having your home broken into is a very distressing experience. Burglary is a high priority for us.
“One of the main reasons for the reduction is that many of the most prolific burglars in Cheshire Police Eastern Area are behind bars. We work hard to identify, arrest and gather evidence against them. Our Safer Homes assessments and other forms of crime prevention work  and the efforts made through Neighbourhood Watch also help to keep the criminals out.
“The figures would be even better, though, if everyone accepted some responsibility for safeguarding his or her home. We have a situation where one in three of all burglaries is carried out through a door which has been left open. That is ridiculous.
“In the same way we have a specialist team of detectives who have brought about a reduction in the numbers of thefts from cars and vans. Again, a large proportion of the thefts involve vehicles which have been left unlocked or where items such as laptops, satnavs , ipods and mobile phones have been left in open view on seats and dashboards. That is making life easy for the criminal.
“Cheshire Police Eastern Area really is a safe place to live and we hope that people feel safe as well.
“We are working with partner agencies to maintain this downward trend in crime and a parallel pattern in anti social behaviour, which has also shown a year-on-year improvement.
“Cheshire Police Eastern Area really is a place where you can be safe and feel safe. We intend to keep it that way.”

Please be aware that there were three instances of sneak in burglary

All three incidents happened within the Wellington ward of the town in The Blankney & Damson Drive areas of the ward.
In all three cases the incident occurred during the overnight period and were sneak in burglaries where offenders gained entry via insecure front doors.  Incidents were discovered by residents the next day.
Items taken appear to be small portable items such as money, cigarettes, music players and a coat.
Please make members aware of these incidents and ask that if anyone witnessed any unusual or suspicious behaviour in the town centre area during this period that they contact the police via 0845 458 0000 or crime stoppers via 0800 555 111 with any information.
An article earlier in the week drew attention to the fact that the number of sneak in burglaries has been reducing in recent month due to a combination of factors.  However, these incidents highlight that everyone must continue to remain vigilant in helping to stamp out sneak in burglaries further.  It is essential that everyone takes the time to double check that their property is secure overnight, when they are going out in the day and also if you are occupied elsewhere in the property for long periods out of sight of doors and windows when in.  By doing this it means that opportunist thieves will not be able to gain easy access to residential properties and helps to protect local residents from this type of crime.