Dartford Community Safety Unit, DBC Housing, CCTV, Kent Police, Trading Standards and Porchlight joined forces on Wednesday 10 May 2012 to crack down on anti-social drinking in Dartford Town Centre and Central Park.  There had been complaints from members of the public concerned about the intimidating nature of the drinkers who congregate in the Park and other known areas of Town.

The day of action was planned to target areas frequented daily by drinkers who consume alcohol within the alcohol control zones. Alcohol was removed from them and disposed of at the seizing officer’s discretion.

A control zone prohibits the consumption of alcohol in public areas that are not licensed.  Therefore if a police officer or designated person requires a person to stop drinking and the drinker fails to comply, it is an offence under law and the drinker may be fined or arrested.

At the same time, licensed premises across town where the drinkers usually obtain their alcohol, received a visit by Licensing Enforcement and were reminded of the requirements under law not to serve any person who is drunk.  Many of these premises had already compiled their own lists of individuals they refuse to serve due to previous alcohol-related crime and disorder.

DBC Housing and Porchlight were on hand to offer support and advice to drinkers sleeping rough or not coping on a day to day basis.

The day of action proved successful and another day of multi-agency working is planned to take place in the near future.

There has been an increase in scams where the victim receives a call or an email claiming that they have made an overpayment on a bill or charge and a refund is due to them.

The caller then asks for the victim’s bank details to refund the money to their account, asking for an administration fee to do so.  This is a scam and your money will be lost.  If in doubt please make any necessary checks before giving out any personal account details.

Closer to home, elderly and vulnerable residents in Dartford have been receiving visits from cold callers offering to trim hedges, clean driveways and other similar jobs.  The callers can be quite persuasive and residents have sometimes received several visits encouraging them to have the work done. Also the final charge can be higher than originally quoted.

Remember do not be rushed into making any hasty decisions for work to be done.  If in doubt, say no and make your own enquiries and if possible get more than one quote so you can compare costs.

Handbag thieves are targeting shoppers across Kent and have stolen 8 purses in the last month.

Kent Police have stepped up patrols in hotspot areas offering purse chains to shoppers especially those with pushchairs and to the elderly.

Shoppers are reminded not to leave their bags unattended in shops while they browse.

Dartford Town Against Crime (DTAC) and DBC Licensing Enforcement have recently been presenting a series of five weekly training sessions to the new neighbourhood teams at North Kent Police.
As part of a joint working initiative to keep Dartford Town safe, they have been exchanging information with the officers on working principles so as to ensure the highest level of community safety can be maintained for residents, visitors and businesses alike.
Focus areas include the night-time economy, licensing in pubs and off licences, shoplifting, incidents of assault and the exclusion of named individuals from certain areas of Town, for being involved in anti-social behaviour or low level crime there.
The training should provide a comprehensive joined up approach when dealing effectively with offenders in the Town centre.

Kent Fire & Rescue is recruiting for volunteers to deliver its community safety messages.
If you would be interested in becoming a volunteer for Kent Fire & Rescue please visit the website for details and an application form. Closing date 11 May 2012
Log on to www.kent.fire-uk.org
Alternatively call Karen Garrett on 01622 692121 x6672

Kent Trading Standards are warning anyone thinking about applying for loans online.
Reports have been received of people entering their details on loan comparison websites and directly onto loan brokerage websites then finding their details have been passed to other organisations where money has been taken from their account without authorisation.
Other reports are that bogus loan companies have offered guaranteed loans for a large upfront fee. The fee is taken but the loan does not exist.
These scam companies are often based abroad and once money is paid over there is little chance of retrieving it.
If you receive a call or email from a business asking for money upfront for a loan, ask them for their details and explain you will do your own research.
Do not give them your bank details.
To report any concerns contact Trading Standards via Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

The Fighting Chance Judo Inclusion project has been named Team of the Year at the Safer Kent Awards.
The judo scheme has been funded by a range of organisations, including Kent Police and Kent Fire & Rescue Service.
The project is a 12-week scheme which targets those on the cusp of trouble, those with low confidence and victims of bullying.
It aims to help turn young people’s lives around and has taught 50 young people the sport’s history, disciplines and techniques. Attendees are also taught about the consequences of their actions and to respect others.

Dartford Town Against Crime (DTAC) has been awarded a Safer Business Award in recognition of its work in the town centre and beyond.
The Leader of the Council, Jeremy Kite accepted the award on behalf of DTAC on Wednesday 29 February 2012 In Dartford’s Orchards Shopping Centre.
Based in the Community Safety Unit, DTAC is a partnership between Dartford Borough Council, local shopkeepers and Kent Police working together to make the retail environment a better and safer place to shop and trade.
With the use of a data base, CCTV network and a shop radio system, information can be regularly shared about crime and potential suspects, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting in and around town in order to identify problems and reduce crime levels.

The digital switchover is the process of turning off the UK’s analogue TV signal and replacing it with a digital signal.
To keep your TV service, you will need to convert your TV to digital before your region’s switchover date which should be 4 April 2012 for BBC Two and 18 April 2012 for BBC One, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
To find out how to do this, log onto www.digitaluk.co.uk or call 08456 50 50 50
If you are eligible for help with this, ie. are aged 75 or over, or have lived in a care home for six months or more, or get Disability Allowance, Attendance or Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or are registered blind or partially sighted, then you can obtain detailed information from www.helpscheme.co.uk or call 0800 40 85 900
Information booklets will also be available to collect from Dartford Borough Council’s Civic Centre from February 2012

Christmas is a time for celebrating with colleagues, friends and family and this often involves having a drink. So this is also an especially good time to remember that drinking and driving don’t mix.
If you plan to have a drink away from home, then factor in an alternative way to travel. Arrange for one of your group not to drink and to do the driving, pre-book a taxi or use public transport.
Even a small amount of alcohol can affect your driving skills and your judgement, as well as put you over the legal limit and on the wrong side of the law.
Apart from risking criminal prosecution, a costly fine and a lengthy period of disqualification (an endorsement for drink driving can remain on your license for 11 years and affect your insurance premium), you also risk being responsible for an accident that could injure or even kill another driver or pedestrian, a member of your own family or yourself.
Remember too that Kent Police has zero tolerance towards drink drivers as well as the facility of a virtual court video link, which means drivers found to be over the legal limit could be tried within 90 minutes and if found guilty, given an immediate ban.
So be sensible. With a bit of forethought to your travel plans, you can still enjoy the festivities but without the headache!