Chief Inpector Catherine Akehurst has become the new head of Police in Three Rivers. She takes over from Chief Inspector Michael Marren who is moving to CID in Hatfield.

>>Click here to read full article on our news page.

>>Click here to read full article on our news page.

On the first day of Christmas Herts Police said to me…..

 Herts Police has launched its very own Christmas Carol video - ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ – with independent charity Crimestoppers, to help share seasonal crime prevention advice. The video is performed by the volunteer Constabulary Choir with guest appearances from singer Kim Wilde, (left) Watford Football Club and police officers and staff.

It is available on the Herts Police YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/hertspolice and features the Constabulary’s top twelve tips for Hertfordshire residents over Christmas, ranging from removing valuables from your car to locking your shed securely.

>>Click here to read full article on our news page.

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101 - THE NEW NON EMERGENCY NUMBER TO CALL POLICE

A new non-emergency number is released for Herts police as of Monday July 4, 2011. The new number is 101, which will connect you to police in exactly the same way that the 0845 33 00 222 does currrently. The 0845 number will remain in operation for around a year, and run alongside the new number to ensure that no calls are missed.
It is understood that this new 101 number will eventually be used by all forces and will connect you to the constabulary that covers the area in which you located are at the time of your call.
As of Monday July 4, the Hertfordshire, Surrey, Essex, Metropolitan and City of London police will adopt the 101 number - with all the other constabularies in England and Wales adopting the number over thoming year.
Calls to 101 from both land lines and mobiles will be charged at 15pence per call, no matter what time of day or duration of the call.
Please remember to always call 999 in an emergency

BEWARE COLD CALLERS!

 A company claiming to offer computer services is cold calling local residents.
 The firm 24sevenpccare.com with an apparent Manchester phone number suggests in the phone call that the resident's computer could be infected with a Trojan Horse virus and then asks for the computer to be switched on.
 One of the people to receive such a call was Watford Rural Parish Councillor Diane Day, who is also an Oxhey Hall resident. She quizzed the representative from the company as she was concerned that she could be the potential victim of a scam or end up paying way over the odds.
 Diane never opened up her computer during the call nor did she part with any information which may have caused her problems. Instead she quizzed the representative to find out a little more about the firm's service
 It is not clear whether 24sevenpccare.com is a reputable company, but what is certain is that the "Manchester" phone number is some sort of call centre in India, and it is cold calling customers.
 Diane has been told by her IT experts that firms like this buy customers list from High Street chains. Another way is for a computer to randomly ring a number in the hope they can persuade people to part with money.
 Obviously it is up to residents to decide if they accept any service from a cold call - whether it is a knock at the door or by telephone.
 However residents should treat all such calls as suspect and not entertain them.
 On the question of problems with computers, it is far better  for you to go through Yellow Pages or ask a resident or NhW to put you in touch with someone who will be able to offer you a guaranteed service at a reasonable rate.
 Diane said: "I suspect that I will not be the only one in Oxhey Hall who could receive a cold call from this company.  I also fear that someone not  experienced with computers, will then be taken for a ride by frightening them into thinking that their pc is at risk.  Next they could be around £150 lighter in their bank account."

CROOKS GET CAUGHT ON NEW ANPR CAMERAS
Three new Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras are to be set up in the area to help catch boundary crossing crooks.
The static cameras which are directly linked to Control Room at Police headquarters in Welwyn Garden City have been installed after Three Rivers Council approved the £25,000 funding.
The location for the cameras will be top of Oxhey Lane by Grims Dyke golf course, Batchworth Hill next to the Prince of Wales pub and Watford Rd next to the NATO base.
Luke Mitchell, Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeant in South Oxhey said: “The idea is that we will have better coverage at our borders.
“We know that criminals who commit our more serious crime such as burglary travel from the Met areas into Three Rivers.”
The new cameras mean that vehicles used by the crooks will be flagged up immediately as well as being able to trace the criminals’ movement in the area.

 A new face will be patrolling the streets of Oxhey Hall -  PC Mark Walsh, 41 , who has just joined the South Oxhey Safer Neighbourhood team
 He's been serving since March 2007 on Three Rivers Intervention Response based from Watford
police station and replaces PC Dan Jones who has taken over in Carpenders Park.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EASTBURY

The newsletter from the Eatbury area has just been published. It is a great Christmas read from Bob Cockerell, to see it click here EASTBURY

 Two cashpoint machines in South Oxhey have been found to have been fitted with skimming devices.
The machines targeted were Barclays Bank, Prestwick Road and the Post Office on the Parade. Police enquiries are continuing.
There have been incidents before at Barclays bank but there has been a gap in such offences in the area.
On this occasion the devices are markedly different than on previous offences, in that the were attached to the area where the cash is dispensed as opposed to the usual position of the very top section of the cash point.
The devices are placed over the cash slot so that when the tranaction is complete the money does not come out, and the customer walks away thinking there is an issue with the machine.
The offenders at this point then return to the cashpoint removed the device and the money.
PC Martin Fish said: "Please make sure to check any cash point before you use it, if anything appears out of the ordinary then do not use it and let us or the bank know."