Local Community Meeting

Scams Awareness Month will begin on Monday 4 July

The theme this year is “listening to your gut feeling.” We are calling on consumers to act on their initial caution and suspicion that often comes when they get an unexpected phone call, email, mailing or knock at the door. We want them to get advice, report scams and tell others about their experience.

Please use the hashtag #scamaware

Each year millions of people in the UK fall prey to scammers. Some estimates of the total cost of mass-marketed scams are as high as £5 billion. The truth is - with reporting levels as low as 5 per cent - this cost could be far higher.

Please use the hashtag #scamaware

The theme this year is “listening to your gut feeling.” We are calling on consumers to act on their initial caution and suspicion that often comes when they get an unexpected phone call, email, mailing or knock at the door. We want them to get advice, report scams and tell others about their experience.

Each year millions of people in the UK fall prey to scammers. Some estimates of the total cost of mass-marketed scams are as high as £5 billion. The truth is - with reporting levels as low as 5 per cent - this cost could be far higher.

Please use the hashtag #scamaware

The theme this year is “listening to your gut feeling.” We are calling on consumers to act on their initial caution and suspicion that often comes when they get an unexpected phone call, email, mailing or knock at the door. We want them to get advice, report scams and tell others about their experience.

What to do if you think it's a scam

If you are cold called or get a text about things such as loan offers, help with debt problems or accident claims – it is almost certainly a scam.

Make sure you:

• don’t give or confirm any personal information
• report the call immediately to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-a-fraud-including-online-crime
• contact your local Citizens Advice for free, confidential and impartial expert advice to help resolve your problems.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service will be engaging in a series of Kitchen Fire Safety initiatives across the Shrub End area on 1st - 3rd August. There will be a static display of fire appliances and  kitchen fire related information at St Cedds Church Hall, Iceni Way, Colchester CO2 9BZ from approx. 10am to 3pm on all 3 days.

At the same time other Essex Fire personnel will be knocking on doors throughout Shrub End ward offering advice on home fire safety focussing on kitchen safety and if appropriate fitting free some alarms. 

Feedback and photo from the event - published 9th August 2016

It proved to be a very successful event; initial figures for the 3 days are as follows
• 814 properties visited by Essex Fire personnel
• 35 properties fitted with new smoke alarms during the 3 days all free of charge
• A further 38 properties booked visits for us to fit free smoke alarms  ( of these 4 were Sensory alarms for people who are hard of hearing)
• Kitchen safety talk undertaken in Sheltered accommodation complex
• Advice given to local residents who visited the central display area (St Cedds church hall) and also at the local shops

National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2016 will take place from 8^th to 15^th October.

Learn More

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. The International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labour globally. This estimate also includes victims of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation. While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that currently, there are millions of trafficking in persons victims in the world.

Local Community Meetings (LCM) are multi agency problem solving groups, working alongside the local community to address crime, anti-social behaviour and quality of life issues.

Local Community Meetings (LCM) are multi agency problem solving groups, working alongside the local community to address crime, anti-social behaviour and quality of life issues.

Local Community Meetings (LCM) are multi agency problem solving groups, working alongside the local community to address crime, anti-social behaviour and quality of life issues.

Local Community Meetings (LCM) are multi agency problem solving groups, working alongside the local community to address crime, anti-social behaviour and quality of life issues.

National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2017 will take place from 14th to 21st October.

Crimes committed against someone because of their disability, gender-identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation are hate crimes and should be reported to the police.

Hate crimes can include:
• threatening behaviour
• assault
• robbery
• damage to property
• inciting others to commit hate crimes
• harassment

Stop Hate UK is a national organisation working to challenge all forms of Hate Crime and discrimination, based on any aspect of an individual’s identity.

A $32 billion annual industry, trafficking is a type of slavery that involves the transport or trade of people for the purpose of work.
According to the UN, about 2.5 million people around the world are ensnared in the web of human trafficking at any given time.
Trafficking impacts people of all backgrounds and people are trafficked for a variety of purposes. Men are often trafficked into hard labour jobs, while children are trafficked into labour positions in textile, agriculture and fishing industries. Women and girls are typically trafficked into the commercial sex industry i.e. prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation.

Anti-Slavery Day, 18th October 2017, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery, and encourage government, local authorities, companies, charities and individuals to do what they can to address the problem. It was created by the Anti-Slavery Day Act, a Private Members Bill introduced Anthony Steen CBE, now Chair of the Human Trafficking Foundation.

Each year more and more charities, individuals, local authorities and police forces take action to mark Anti-Slavery Day.

The Human Trafficking Foundation hosts Anti-Slavery Day Awards to recognise journalists, filmmakers and broadcasters who have exposed issues of modern slavery, and to celebrate organisations and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the fight against modern slavery. Find out more by visiting http://humantraffickingfoundation.org/

Anti-Bullying Week in England is coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and this year takes place from the 13th-17th November. Anti-Bullying Week shines a spotlight on bullying and encourages all children, teachers and parents to take action against bullying throughout the year.

The theme this year is ‘Power for Good’ with the following key aims:
To support children and young people to use their Power for Good – by understanding the ways in which they are powerful  and encouraging individual and collective action to stop bullying and create the best world possible.

To help parents and carers to use their Power for Good – through supporting children with issues relating to bullying and working together with schools to stop bullying.
To encourage all teachers, school support staff and youth workers to use their Power for Good – by valuing the difference they can make in a child’s life, and taking individual and collective action to prevent bullying and create safe environments where children can thrive.

The aim of Alcohol Awareness Week is to get people thinking about alcohol – how it affects us as individuals, families, communities and society as a whole.

Did you know that:

• In the UK, in 2015 there were 8,758 alcohol-related deaths (around 14 per 100,000 people). The mortality rates are highest among people aged 55-64.
• Alcohol misuse is the biggest risk factor for death, ill-health and disability among 15-49 year-olds in the UK, and the fifth biggest risk factor across all ages.
• Alcohol harms are estimated to cost the NHS around £3.5 billion annually.
• Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including: mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers; high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver; and depression
• In England and Wales, 63% of all alcohol-related deaths in 2014 were caused by alcoholic liver disease.
• The number of older people between the ages of 60 and 74 admitted to hospitals in England with mental and behavioural disorders associated with alcohol use has risen by over 150% in the past ten years, while the figure for 15-59 years old has increased by 94%
• Of the estimated 595,000 dependent drinkers in England, around 145,000 were in treatment in 2015, a fall of about 5% on the previous year.  Of these, around 60% successfully completed treatment.
• Victims believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in over half (53%) of all violent incidents, or 704,000 offences.
• 64% of stranger violence, and 70% of violent incidents in the weekends, evenings and night are alcohol-related.
• Alcohol-related crime in the UK is estimated to cost between £8bn and £13bn per year.
• In 2015, there were over 8,000 casualties of drink driving accidents in the UK in 2013, including 220 fatalities and 1,160 serious injuries.
• In 2014, 38% of school pupils (aged 11-15) said that they had drunk alcohol at least once, down from 62% in 1988. Of these, 8% of 11 year-olds reporting ever having drunk alcohol, compared to 69% of 15 year-olds.
• 1% of 11 year-olds and 18% of 15 year-olds report drinking in the previous week. Mean consumption for 14 year-olds who report drinking in the previous week is 11.3 units.

Local Community Meetings (LCM) are multi agency problem solving groups, working alongside the local community to address crime, anti-social behaviour and quality of life issues.

Our roads are dangerous places, where hundreds of deaths and serious injuries take place every week. But by changing our driving behaviour, we can help to make our villages, towns and cities safer places to be. Every action that we take, as a driver or as a passenger, can change the outcome of a journey and the future of a family.

In 1991, a handful of men in Canada decided they had a responsibility to urge men to speak out against violence against women. They decided that wearing a white ribbon would be a symbol of men’s opposition to men’s violence against women. After only six weeks preparation, as many as one hundred thousand men across Canada wore a white ribbon. Many others were drawn into discussion and debate on the issue of men’s violence. There are now White Ribbon Campaigns operating in many countries around the world.
The UK Branch of WRC was started in 2004
Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. Each year, we urge men and boys to wear a ribbon for one or two weeks, starting on November 25, the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949).
The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It is observed annually on 26 June, since 1988, a date chosen to commemorate Lin Zexu‘s dismantling of the opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, just before the First Opium War in China. The observance was instituted by General Assembly Resolution of 7 December 1987.

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. The International Labour Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labour globally. This estimate also includes victims of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation. While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that currently, there are millions of trafficking in persons victims in the world.

‘Stop the Trafficking, Stop the Tears, Free Them from their Tormented Years’ are the poignant words written by a member of Soroptimist International at the outset of our campaign against human trafficking in 2008, and which are repeated in part alongside our purple teardrop icon now.

The teardrop represents the suffering of those women and children who are trafficked, exploited and abused throughout the world, including in our local communities. Why purple? The Purple Teardrop Campaign is a Soroptimist International initiative and follows the work against human trafficking done by European and Northern England Soroptimists whose campaign colours and ribbons are purple.

The Purple Teardrop Campaign’s patron is the celebrated writer Louis de Bernieres who has expressed his deep concern about human trafficking and in particular the desperate suffering of trafficked victims.

Bonfire night is full of fun and excitement but it is also the night of the year which creates the most risk of fire. By following a few simple safety tips you can make sure that you have a safe and enjoyable evening.

Always follow the fireworks code and you won’t go too far wrong:

The Firework Code

• Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114.
• Don’t drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
• Keep fireworks in a closed non-flammable box.
• Follow the instructions on each firework.
• Light them at arm’s length, using a taper.
• Stand well back.
• Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn’t gone off, it could still explode.
• Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
• Always supervise children around fireworks.
• Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
• Never give sparklers to a child under five.
• Keep pets indoors.
• Don’t set off noisy fireworks late at night and never after 11pm.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance definition of bullying is: "the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face to face or online"

Bullying behaviour can be:

Physical – pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, pinching etc.
Verbal  - name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, threats, teasing, belittling.
Emotional – isolating others, tormenting, hiding books, threatening gestures,  ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, manipulation and coercion.
Sexual – unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, homophobic abuse, exposure to inappropriate films etc.
Online /cyber – posting on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages, social exclusion
Indirect - Can include the exploitation of individuals.

Slavery is not merely a historical relic. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery. Although modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.

In addition, more than 150 million children are subject to child labour, accounting for almost one in ten children around the world.

Facts and figures:
An estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage.
There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world.
1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.
Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labour, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million people in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million people in forced labour imposed by state authorities.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors.
ILO has adopted a new legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016.

The 50 for Freedom campaign aims to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018.

The National Rural Crime Network is supporting the Rural Crime Week of Action being organised by police forces across the country between Sunday 6th and Sunday 13th October 2019.

The aim of the week is to put the work being done to identify and tackle rural and wildlife crime in the spotlight and encourage more support for the efforts ensure communities across rural Britain are safe and feel safe.

To coincide with Rural Crime Week of Action  Colchester Borough Council in collaboration with the Safer Colchester Partnership are launching their Safer Rural Communities Toolkit and Safer Rural Communities Fund.

Hate crime is the term used to describe an incident or crime against someone based on a part of their identity.

There are five categories of ‘identity’ when a person is targeted because of a hostility or prejudice towards their:

• disability
• race or ethnicity
• religion or belief (which includes non-belief)
• sexual orientation
• gender identity.

Hate crime can be any criminal or non-criminal act such as graffiti, vandalism to a property, name calling, assault or online abuse using social media.

Experiencing hate crime can be a particularly frightening experience as you've been targeted because of who you are, or who or what your attacker thinks you are. Unlike non-identity related offences, the attack is very personal and specifically targeted, which means it’s less likely to be a random attack.

The first UK Rural Crime Day of Action is taking place today.

Organised by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, there are events and activities taking place in forces across rural England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Make sure you’re following your local force to find out what’s happening where you live.

Here at the National Rural Crime Network, we’re committed to supporting the efforts to tackle crime in rural areas so that people are safe – and feel safe.