Newbury Business Today

Targeting rural criminals in 2012

12th January 2012

Email: richard.maynard@newburynews.co.uk

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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS with Sgt Lee Frost

welcome to the first edition of 2012. I hope everyone had an excellent New Year and spent it with family and friends. I know from experience how busy Newbury was, and I hope everyone appreciates how much effort and planning went into the policing side of things to keep people safe and sound.
To begin the New Year, I would like to talk about rural crime. We have recently had a few burglaries from businesses which are located rurally in the West Berkshire area. These are happening mainly at night, and we need your help to try and combat these incidents. Any strange cars or individuals, or anyone offering to remove scrap, take down their vehicle registration number and let the police know by reporting it to the new-non emergency number 101. We cover a large area, and we need your assistance to identify these criminals.
On December 18, two men were arrested after an industrial premises was broken into on Faraday Road, Newbury. Two catalytic converters had been removed from vehicles, and the suspects were disturbed, but were caught by officers who deployed rapidly to the area and were able to arrest the pair.
I would like to hear from any businesses this year, particularly in the rural areas, as to what issues you are experiencing. I am keen to start engaging more with businesses to help them reduce their burglaries or shoplifters, and I want to hammer home the point, that prevention is better than cure.
I also want to finally remind people about locking their cars at all times. We are still getting instances where cars have been left insecure and offenders have just been able to go into the cars and take personal items. Please lock your car at all times.
I am keen to hear from anyone, and I can be contacted on lee.frost@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

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