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South Wales Community Messaging - Bike Watch

Dear Resident,

Rumney / St Mellons Neighbourhood Policing Team are aware of problems currently affecting the local community with regards the use of off-road motorbikes and Quad-bikes.

With summer evenings on us we are expecting to have an increase in calls regarding this issue and wish to reassure the community that we are doing all we can to tackle the problem, in partnership with the local authority, who are able to provide support in this area.

It has been proposed to run partnership exercises in the near future to tackle the issue, which we know is impacting the quality of life of members of the community.

If you can assist in identifying offenders, who often have moved on when officers arrive, or else have their faces covered by cycle helmets, then please contact 101 to report the matter or contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team. If you are able to provide a name or address, or the details of the vehicle being used, we can deal with the offender, even after the event. We take this matter seriously, and working together we will stop this problem.

As a direct result from the community working together with the Neighbourhood Policing Team this week one off road bike has been seized using Section 59 powers, (Anti Social use of a vehicle), and 2 persons have been warned. When a warning is issued it is issued to the person and the vehicle being used at that time. This means that if the person is stopped using ANY vehicle in an anti social manner, or the same vehicle is stopped in the next 12 months, then police have the power to seize the vehicle being used.

We would like to thank you all for your assistance in this matter and also request that you continue to report incidents to 101 or contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Crime prevention

We would like to offer some crime prevention advice:

• Leave a light on in the evenings if going out.
• Lock all doors securely and always double check.
• Never leave a key on the inside of the door. If someone climbs through a small window they can only steal what they can fit through that window. Leave the key
  hidden nearby but make sure that everyone that lives at the property knows where the key is, in case of fire.
• Renew any old locks on windows and doors.
• Make sure that there is adequate lighting outside.
• Consider hedging around the perimeter of the property. High hedges are good for privacy but it also hides away anyone in your garden that should not be there. Also consider prickly style hedging on the other side of walls to make it more difficult for people to climb over and use plastic trellising on the top of walls.
• Never leave ladders or anything in the garden that may be used to climb into open windows.
• Gravel on the path / drive also makes a crunching noise as you walk on it so you can hear anyone walking towards your property.
• Consider CCTV – even a dummy camera is a good deterrent.
• Possibly use a sign such as “Beware of the dog”.
• Ornaments on the windowsill will make it difficult to climb through the window without making noise.
• Make sure that all vehicle keys are hidden.