TOTTERIDGE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH UPDATE BY KITTY NABARRO

The main points to note this year are:

The London Ambulance Service has set up a course called Heartstart - a basic life support free community course. The two-hour course teaches the elements needed to save a life in an emergency. There are manikins on which to practice CPR. The first course took place on 11th February 2009 at John Keble Hall in Edgware. This was well attended. If people are interested in organising one of these sessions in a Totteridge hall or school, please email me at totteridge.nw@gmail.com.

Distraction burglary - in nine out of 10 cases the burglars claim they work for utilities such as water boards.

Rogue Traders - Recently P & J Contractors were arrested in Enfield for harassment. They approached elderly and vulnerable people, told them that for example their gutters needed cleaning, then did shoddy work, charged high prices and bullied people into paying. Information circulated through Neighbourhood Watch and through the Police helped to catch these people.

Totteridge Safer Neighbourhood Team is presently being led by PC Andrew Corbett.We greatly appreciate PC Corbett's monthly newsletters. A recent warning relates to ATM machines in the High Road. This is how PC Corbett explains it:

"The villains go to every bank in the High Road from Barnet to Tally Ho and damage the ATM, stopping it from working. They leave only one or two untouched.

This forces people to search for a working ATM. These one or two will be watched by the bad guys.

By means of camera devices or an object called a Lebanese loop, and by standing very close to you as you put in the PIN, they obtain enough details to withdraw money from your account.

(That being said, a large group of thieves have recently been apprehended and we hope they will not return for a while".)

POLICE CONTACT NUMBERS:
EMERGENCY (suspicion of rogue trader or distraction burglar) 999

NON-EMERGENCY
(for all police enquiries) 0300 123 1212

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM (SNT) MOBILE - to pass on information which is not urgent. They don't always reply as they may be busy, so try again or leave a message for them to get back to you 07920 233 746

Whetstone Police Station Office - not a 24 hour reply and it may also divert to the SNT mobile number 020 8721 2975

I circulate information by email. If you want to receive updates from Totteridge Safer Neighbourhood Team and information sent from Colindale, please send me your name and email address to totteridge.nw@gmail.com