Cassiobury Watch - Latest News

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2022 January 21st - Friday - We received reports this morning from Parkside Drive residents of car doors being "tried" at 4am today. Please check your car is locked each evening before you go to bed.

2022 January 20th - Thursday - Police data for November shows no burglaries occurred on Cassiobury Estate. However there were two incidents of Vehicle Crime - one "on or near" Stratford Way and one "on or near" Parkside Drive.

2022 January 12th - Wednesday - There have been multiple reports of thefts from cars on Woodland Drive in the early hours of Tuesday (11th) morning. A resident wrote -

"Just to make you aware that between 00:34 and 00:41 on Tuesday, we were unfortunately visited by a man who gained entry to our vehicle parked on our driveway and removed items to the approximate value of £350. We must have forgotten to lock the car after doing the school run. A man arrived on foot (but pushing a bicycle), left it at the bottom of our drive, entered the vehicle and then spent just under 5 mins going through the contents and ransacking the vehicle leaving no storage / unit unopened. Items removed included designer sunglasses, CDs, a charger, a first aid kit, some cash, perfume and other cosmetics. He was a tall, white male in an Adidas hoodie and wearing a beanie hat. The security light coming on and the CCTV camera directly on him didn’t deter him at all. He then collected the bike and continued walking down the road. He then did the same to a neighbour's car a few doors down. For the following few hours he appears a number of times cycling up and down the road".

The Woodland Drive crimes were reported to the police who are investigating the incidents.

2021 November 28 - Sunday - Police crime data for October was released today and shows one burglary on or near Glen Way. The data also shows no incidents of Vehicle Crime on Cassiobury Estate. However Vehicle Crime is an ongoing issue in Watford - Nascot Wood had at least SEVEN incidents of Vehicle Crime on or near Bay Tree Walk, Herga Court, Yorke Gate (x2), Langwood Gardens, Church Road & Langley Road. Make your "car locked" check part of your bedtime routine, most attempts at theft from vehicles occur in the early hours of the morning.

2021 November 12 - Friday - A resident reported a theft from their car on Parkside Drive in the early hours of Friday morning - the night prowler stole binoculars and loose change. The resident thought that they must have left their car unlocked as there was no sign of forced entry.

2021 October 28 - Thursday - Police crime data for September was released today and shows one burglary on or near Langley Way which ends the 10 month burglary free period for Cassiobury Estate. The 12 month moving average is now 1 burglary every 6 months, the lowest rate for over seven years. Vehicle Crime in September was nearly double the 12 month moving average with four incidents recorded - the theft of a Mercedes (see below 28 Sept.) on or near Stratford Way, two incidents on or near Temple Close and one incident on or near Cassiobury Drive.

2021 October 25 (Monday) - According to police data Cassiobury experienced a "spike" of Anti Social Behaviour in July of eight incidents, five on or near Langley Way and one each on or near Capelvere Walk, Richmond Drive & Stratford Way. At the time the 12 month moving average was 2.33 incidents / month. Today National Neighbourhood Watch launches ‘SAY NO TO ASB’ campaign - https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/asb The website reports that "ASB incidents have increased over the last three years. Police forces, councils and housing associations are reporting significant spikes in ASB cases – and these are not minor incidents. They are complex and serious cases causing real harm to many people." If you are affected by or witness ASB on Cassiobury Estate please let @CassioburyWatch know - nhw.cassiobury@gmail.com

2021 October 23 (Saturday) - Latest police data to 2021 August - records ZERO burglaries on the estate for TEN months. The 12 month moving average for burglaries on the estate is now at a seven year low of ONE burglary every four months.

2021 September 28 (Tuesday) - A Mercedes was driven away from Stratford Way with the owners key. The thieves had viewed the car via an AutoTrader ad. earlier in the evening & asked to "see" the spare key. The thieves must have handed back a fake key because they returned later in the evening and drove the car away. If you're selling your car beware of this spare key switching trick.

2021 May 6th (Thursday) - latest police data to 2021 March - records ZERO burglaries on the estate in February & March. The twelve month moving average for burglaries on the estate is now at a seven year low of ONE burglary every two months.

2021 March 16th (Tuesday) - latest police data to 2021 January - records ZERO burglaries on the estate in December & January. Vehicle crime continues to be an issue with SIX incidents in December & FIVE incidents in January.

2020 December 23rd (Wednesday) - latest police data to 2020 November - records ZERO burglaries on the estate in November. It also records only one incident of "vehicle crime" on or near Stratford Way, which we presume is the catalytic converter theft reported below. Please let us know if your experience is at odds with this crime data and also let us know if you witness crime on the estate, even if you don't report it to the police, email - nhw.cassiobury@gmail.com

2020 December 17th (Thursday) - Car stolen from Devereux Drive at 04:20 hrs this morning. The car appears to have been started via a key-less fob relay attack. If you have any CCTV footage that you think may be linked please let us know. The car stolen from Woodland Drive on the 5th has been found by the police, parked just off Rickmansworth Road. Police have advised that the theft appears to be the work of a gang operating in the area who were able to jam the WiFi of the owner's Ring doorbell.

2020 December 5th (Saturday) - a resident of Woodland Drive has reported the theft of their car - the car was not a key-less entry / start system, but the thieves managed to steal it without the owner's key. This followed at least two sightings (Devereux Drive & Woodland Drive) of prowlers in the night "testing" car door handles and car boots at about 01:30 hrs, the theft occurred between 02:00 & 03:00 hrs.

2020 December - a resident of Richmond Drive has reported a break-in - but with an estate average of 1.5 burglaries per month we hope this will be the only burglary in December

2020 December - latest police data to 2020 October - records one burglary in October - "on or near" Beechpark Way although our Road Reps in the area suggest this was possibly misfiled and was actually "on or near" Stanbury Avenue.

2020 November 20th - Catalytic Converter Theft - in the vicinity of the Stratford Way junction with Parkside Drive on Monday 16 November at about 3pm -
https://mobile.twitter.com/CassioburyWatch/status/1329838214065086469

2020 November - latest police data to 2020 September - records two burglaries in September - on or near Coningesby Drive & on or near Glen Way. There was also one incident of vehicle crime on or near Trefusis Walk - please contact us on the email address below if it was your vehicle and let us know what happened. Unlocked cars continue to attract early hours chancers to the area, entering driveways, trying car doors, rifling through glove boxes, stealing cash and credit cards. Make remote locking your car part of your bedtime routine.

2020 September - brought a disturbing report of a long standing resident of the estate, an old lady, who was swindled out of £1000 cash by a cold calling "gutter fixing" fraudster. More distressing was that this was a repeat visit to the same resident by the fraudster - a few weeks earlier he took a £500 cash prepayment for tidying her front garden, he left to "fetch his tools" but didn't return. The police have investigated but have not identified a suspect. Hidden cameras have now been installed at the house and cash is no longer kept there pending a possible third visit by the heartless fraudster.

Gardening fraudsters have been busy in this second half of 2020. Cassiobury Watch issued a message to those subscribed to the OWL* police messaging system, regarding residents' reports of visits by these con-men. They offer general gardening services, usually done very poorly or not at all, for cash in excess of their original quote. One resident was taken to the McColls ATM to withdraw the additional cash amount. (*www.owl.co.uk)

2020 August - two burglaries - one on or near Langley Way & one on or near Richmond Drive.

Please let us know if you have been a victim of crime in the last couple of months and live on Cassiobury estate - nhw.cassiobury@gmail.com

Cassiobury Watch Newsletters

2020 November - no.38 - download here -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zHa_LTNs-Iavi-1kGluxpL8TcXHMAPPK/view?usp=sharing

2017 October - no.37 - download here -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/186ijdF8L6_P8Ox2mFHPZuYGGw8RVULBP/view?usp=sharing

2014 May - no.36 - download here -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o7RaQ36l0GhnQlnZcWTyY_IgsvLd3BmM/view?usp=sharing