The Enfield Watcher

Police Community Support Officers
There are now 21 uniformed PCSO officers stationed around the borough, with the following duties:
· Confiscation of alcohol/tobacco from young persons
· Removal of abandoned vehicles
· Entry to save life or limb or to prevent serious damage
· Carrying out road checks
· Carry out high visibility patrols
· Gather intelligence from the local community
· Issue fixed penalty tickets for: cycling on the footway, disorder, dog fouling, litter

By the way, if you would like to become a PCSO you can apply here

Female Assault
As we reported earlier, there have been a series of rapes and indecent assault on females in Enfield and Barnet boroughs. These offences take place in the late evening and early hours of the morning. I posted some tips earlier but in addition there is an active Enfield Womens Safety forum who are holding personal safety/awareness/Self defence classes free of charge for anyone over the age of 16. The classes are set for:
13th March (oops missed that one, sorry), 24th April and the 15th May
If you are interested contact Bron Lovelock (Chair of Womens safety Forum) on 020 8379 4310.
Although classes are free of charge, donations are welcome.

Mobile Scam Hoax
There has been a rumour spreading that you may receive a missed call on your mobile from a 0709 020 3840 number, with the last four digits changing. The rumour goes that if you return the call you will be charged up to £50 a minute. Scary as this sounds it is most probably a hoax as Vodafone has not received any complaints, the maximum charge for a personal number service is 60p per minute for Vodafone and 37.5p per minute for BT, there is no known service with a £50 charge and Vodafone does not support a £50 per minute charge.
Bottom line, unless you recognise a missed call number, don’t ring it! If nothing else it will help you avoid those annoying marketing “ we are installing double glazing in your area” calls.
For your information:
· 070 – numbers beginning with this prefix are personal numbering services
· 08 – numbers beginning with this prefix are special services such as freephone
· 09 – numbers beginning with this prefix are premium rate services
All of the above prefix’s carry charges, so as I say, unless you are expecting the call, delete it.

Noisy Neighbours
This is particularly relevant to our area as the majority of us live in terraced, semi-detached, converted or purpose built flat dwellings. If you have a grievance the person to contact is the Enviromental Health Officer on 020 8366 6565.

Crack down on Drugs
Police along with other agencies, including immigration and DWP, raided 5 houses in Alma road recently, which resulted in 6 drug related arrests. If you suspect that there is an address in our area involved in selling or being used by drug takers (garages at the end of Mayfield avenue perchance?) then you should contact:
Dave Austin (LBE, Enviromental Crime Unit) on 020 8379 1000.
Email: Dave.Austin@met.police.uk

Bogus callers
Some residents have been hassled by a group of cowboy builders roaming the area in a green Discovery Land rover, who are believed to hail from Ireland. One couple who wish to remain anonymous handed over £3900 to the group for work on their driveway and patio. On Monday the sub-standard work had still not been finished and now the group cannot be contacted.
Rob Brewer Enfield Council’s head of trading standards said: “This gang has been knocking on doors saying they have done work in the area. A price is then discussed and usually people are advised they will get a full specification in writing before work starts. There is no contract. They then turn up without warning, wreak havoc and demand money.”
You can contact Trading Standards on 020 8379 1000

Note: Bottom line, the safest option is to absolutely refuse to engage in any deals from anyone who appears uninvited on your doorstep. Even if it’s interesting and the service they are promoting happens to happily coincide with something you have been thinking of doing, DO NOT let them in and DO NOT agree to ANYTHING. The most you should do is take their details and ask them to leave. Once you have had some time to check up on them you may of course decide to hire them, but at this point YOU are now in control, YOU have made the appointment. It’s simple really, if a little sad that we have treat strangers like this, but that’s life.