Local News
Sussex Alerts - Wealden Weekly
Apologies
Our weekly alert, sent on 24th May, appears to have displayed errors upon opening for certain members. We are currently unsure as to why this happened, but thank everyone for feeding this back to us. Last week's alert can be read here if anyone missed it Sussex Alerts - Wealden Weekly - Sussex Alerts.
Arrests
It was a busy week with a total of 14 arrests made across Wealden from 21st - 28th May.
6 arrests were made for common assault in Hellingly, Crowborough, Wadhurst, Uckfield and Hailsham.
2 arrests were made for burglary in Uckfield and Chiddingly.
We arrested 1 drink driver in Uckfield.
1 arrest was made for committing fraud in Polegate.
Other offences across the last week included criminal damage, theft of a motor vehicle, harassment and breaking bail conditions.
We encourage you to continue reporting through our main channels:
101 / http://spkl.io/61884NfC6 in a non emergency
999 in an emergency
Anti-social behaviour in Hailsham
PCSO Whitaker and PCSO Davidson focused last night's patrols (30th May) around hot spot areas commonly reported for anti-social behaviour in Hailsham. This is following reports of frequent illegal fishing, abuse to staff and harming wildlife.
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service are asking the public to be vigilant and report any instances of cruelty toward wildlife by young individuals.
Incidents include a Canada Goose being injured at Hailsham Common Pond, and another Canada Goose being injured at Hailsham Country Park.
Patrols continue throughout these hotspot areas in order to deter and prevent such behaviour taking place.
We encourage witnesses to report any anti-social behaviour, including wildlife cruelty, promptly via 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress
Wadhurst Annual Assembly
PSCO Greck, who has recently taken Wadhurst as his area, attended the Wadhurst Annual Assembly yesterday evening (30th May).
It was great to see how many clubs and events are held throughout the community, and just how much is going on throughout the town each week that locals can be a part of.
PCSO Greck has already built some strong relationships with locals, and is looking forward to strengthening these further and support Wadhurst going forward.
Thank you for having us there!
Appeal
Officers are appealing for witnesses and information following a possible doorstep fraud in Lower Dicker, Hailsham.
It follows a report from a vehicle owner of men purchasing a vehicle for sale, but tampering with the vehicle in order to obtain a lower price.
The incident happened at about 9pm on May 14, with a group of three men involved.
They were all aged in their 20s and were all dressed in black.
Please read the full appeal on our website, where images of the men can be seen, along with details on how to report information to us. Appeal to help identify men in connection with suspected fraud | Sussex Police
25/05/2024
On Saturday last week, PCSO Brashill and PCSO Choppin had a full day of community events!
They attended the Rotherfield Annual Parish Assembly, the Withyham Parish Assembly and then finished off the day with a trip to the Heathfield Show.
It was a great opportunity to engage with lots of people across the district and discussions were had on a whole range of topics, such as anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.
We always bring a variety of leaflets and other useful tools with us when we attend events - our scam books and purse bells always come in handy when it comes to keeping the community safe and clued up!
Thank you to all involved, we had a great day and loved speaking to you all.
Keeping safe reminder!
This week, we have sent two separate alerts in relation to motorbike thefts across the district, and burglaries in the Crowborough area.
Whilst all investigations are still on going, we would like to remind the public to take extra care in protecting your home and your vehicles.
Our website hosts a whole range of advice, from keeping your home safe to protecting your vehicle.
Crime prevention advice | Sussex Police
Click, Call, Connect
For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click www.sussex.police.uk, (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call).
Call 101 when you don’t require an urgent response.
In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.
Sussex Alerts - Wealden Police
Arrests
Last week, officers have made a total of 18 arrests across the district.
🚗 There were 3 arrests made for drink-driving in Pevensey Bay, Heathfield and Mayfield
⚠️ One was arrested in Stone Cross for handling stolen goods
⛓️ 2 people were arrested for criminal damage - one in Crowborough and one in Uckfield
❗ There were 6 separate arrests made for assault in Hailsham, Hellingly, Uckfield and Heathfield
Other offences included failing to stop after a road traffic accident, being drunk and disorderly in a public place, and working when disqualified.
Keyless entry car thefts
Following recent reports across the south of Wealden, we would like to remind all owners of a keyless entry car to take extra precaution in protecting your vehicle.
Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture the signal, even if it’s inside your home.
There are steps that owners can take to prevent theft of keyless entry vehicles. These include storing your key fob in a Faraday bag to cut out any electronic signals being sent out of their home, and using a steering wheel crook lock to prevent criminals being able to use the vehicle easily.
We ask communities to be vigilant to these kind of incidents, and to report any suspicious behaviour to us by calling 101 or reporting online, or by calling 999 in an emergency
An educational video was created and published to our main Sussex Police Facebook page. Click here to watch > Facebook
Sussex Police support #ShopKind
This week (6-11th May) is Shop Kind week of action!
On average, 1,300 violent or abusive incidents occur in the retail sector every single day. No one deserves to face this level of abuse - especially when simply doing their job.
Shop Kind aims to unite the retail sector to tackle violence and abuse against shopworkers by asking people to shop kind when in stores.
Sussex Police work with retailers all year round to help combat these issues. We aim to encourage positive behaviour in stores and acknowledge the essential role of shopworkers.
Join us, and #ShopKind.
Road Safety Assembly
Last week, PC Dudley and PC Upton visited Grovelands Primary School in Hailsham to hold an assembly on all things road safety!
They spoke to pupils in year 2 right up to year 6, giving them crucial and potentially life-saving knowledge on how to keep themselves and others safe when out and about - whether that be travelling to and from school, or out in the community.
Big thanks to all of the children for being so engaged, asking and answering questions, and for showing full understanding of the importance of staying safe on the roads!
We still want to hear from you!
May sees us into the second month of Op Downsway- our annual targeted operation to ensure drivers are safe on the road (running alongside all usual patrols).
So far, we have collated a lot of useful information and have been targeting most of our patrols in the areas that YOU want to see us!
In Wealden, we have seen multiple vehicle seizures, stopped numerous cars, patrolled areas prone to speeding and responded to countless reports of road related issues.
Help us help you, to keep our roads safe. We encourage you to continue submitting this information to us.
Click, Call, Connect
For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click www.sussex.police.uk, (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call).
Call 101 when you don’t require an urgent response.
In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.
Sussex Alerts - Wealden Police
Arrests
Last week saw a total of 19 arrests made across the Wealden district.
Offences include-
2 for burglary with intent to steal
4 for general assault
2 for driving over the drink/drug limit
As always, patrols have continued throughout the week where we have continued responding to and deterring crime, striving to keep our communities safe.
Op Downsway
We're almost at the end of April, and Op Downsway is well under way in Wealden!
Input from the public has helped us identify which roads are subject to frequent anti-social driving, and where you'd like to see us direct our patrols. Your input, alongside our own knowledge, has had us covering roads in Alfriston, Heathfield and Hailsham just last week alone.
🚗 In Hailsham, PC Roberts arrested a driver who was caught driving with no insurance, amongst other offences.
🚙 In Heathfield, PCSO Hodgens helped deter speeding and reckless driving with roadside presence and a speed gun.
🚗 In Alfriston, officers visited a repeat offender to carry out a stage 3 speed referral visit.
On top of this, we have also stopped numerous vehicles displaying anti-social driving and educated dozens of drivers across the district.
Op Downnsway patrols will continue alongside regular duties as we enter the weekend. We encourage you to continue reporting areas of concern to us by visiting our website here 👉
Court result!
A man from Tunbridge Wells has been handed a driving ban and a fine after he was found asleep at the wheel in Crowborough on March 30.
Following being located by police, the 49-year-old driver failed a roadside breath test and was arrested.
Bailey pleaded guilty to the charge of driving a motor vehicle while above the alcohol limit on Wednesday (April 17), after he was found to be more than twice the drink-driving limit.
He was handed a 20 month driving ban and a fine of £1894.
Read the full news story here Driver receives ban and fine following drink-driving incident in Crowborough | Sussex Police
Keeping your home secure while you're away
Earlier this month, we received a report that a home in Crowborough had been broken into while the owners were away on holiday. Thankfully no one was hurt, but various items were stolen including vapes and designer bags.
Going away? Here are some tips to help you keep your home and belongings safe while you're gone
📱 If you’re off on holiday and wish to post anything on social media, make sure your posts aren’t public and that they’re only seen by your friends and family.
💡 Leave lights and a radio on a timer to make the property appear occupied.
👀 Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property or join a Neighbourhood or resident Watch Scheme.
🚗 Consider asking your neighbours to close curtains after dark and to park on your drive.
👉 For more information on how you can deter burglars, read here
Meet Richie!
This is Richie, one of Wealden's PSCOs!
Richie became a PCSO in March 2007, having served in the Royal Military Police for 12 and a half years. After 3 years as a PCSO, Richie took the path of becoming a Police Officer, before progressing into a Detective Constable for a further 8 years.
With an impressive background and wealth of knowledge, Richie returned to the role of PCSO in 2018. He now uses what he's learnt from his career to support colleagues and mentor any new PCSO’s joining the force - preparing them to progress in their own careers.
No 2 days are the same when working as a PCSO, and that's just one of the reasons why Richie loves what he does. His day to day takes him to all parts of Wealden and can involve anything from dealing with anti-social behaviour, to visiting vulnerable victims of scams and crime. PCSO's also play a huge part in supporting their Police Officer colleagues at road closures, scene guards and searching for missing people.
Richie is the local PCSO for Arlington, Selmeston, East Dean and Cuckmere Valley - so will often be seen patrolling the area and attending local meetings and events. Be sure to stop and say hello if you see him out and about!
If you would like to join our team as a PCSO or find out more information about what the role entails, follow this link ➡️
Click, Call, Connect
For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click www.sussex.police.uk, (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call).
Call 101 when you don’t require an urgent response.
In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.
Sussex Alerts - Wealden Police
Anti Social Behaviour (ASB)
Officers have spent numerous hours this week patrolling your local areas and keeping you safe.
As we head into the weekend these patrols will continue; a reminder that each Friday and Saturday night additional patrols set out across the district, aimed at deterring, disrupting and identifying those involved in any anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Local residents can call 07770 700642 each Friday and Saturday between 3pm - Midnight to report any anti-social behaviour, including ASB driving they witness across the district. Outside of these times, please continue to report either by calling 101 or reporting online.
All community reports help to direct additional weekend patrols in areas that have seen an increase in both ASB, and youth related crime and disorder.
We understand the impact and distress that ASB can cause, and would like you to know that there is more support out there than you might think!
• Victim Support
http://spkl.io/61874xjLL
A national charity dedicated to helping anyone affected by crime to cope with and recover from their experience.
• ASB Help
http://spkl.io/61884xjL0
A charity in England and Wales providing online advice and support to victims of antisocial behaviour.
• Supportline
http://spkl.io/61894xjLF
A confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to anyone on any issue, but particularly aimed at those who are socially isolated, vulnerable, at risk groups and victims of any form of abuse.
Cyber Crime Webinars
Due to high demand, we’re expanding our monthly webinars about Cyber Security and Online Fraud.
Delivered by our Protect Officer for Surrey and Sussex Police Cyber Crime Unit to empower you with knowledge to navigate the digital world safely.
Our March sessions are almost fully booked but we have availability in April so please act fast if you would like to join us for the below sessions.
General Cyber Security and Online Fraud Awareness
– For those already somewhat comfortable using technology. This session will cover everything you need to know to massively reduce your chance of becoming a victim and also empower you with knowledge to help the ones you love and care for.
Gentle Learning Version
– This session covers the topics above but in a slower paced and more accessible format for people less confident with technology.
Safeguarding Humanity: The risks of AI (Artificial Intelligence)
– AI has taken the world by storm and introduces many benefits as well as highly sophisticated methods of Fraud and Cyber Crime. This shorter yet cutting edge talk will empower you to use AI tools safety whilst also making yourself and your family resilient to AI generated scams.
For more info and dates fo the webinars, see here 👉 spkl.io/7722
Raising awareness on Dementia - The Herbert Protocol
Yesterday, 22nd Feb, two of our officers had the pleasure of joining the 'The Big Dementia Conversation' at a Care UK home in Crowborough. There was tonnes of useful advice and facts given around Dementia, and how to deal with it as a friend/family member of something with Dementia. We were also able to give an input on The Herbert Protocol; a national scheme adopted by several police forces, including Sussex Police.
We were able to raise awareness to friends, family and carers of vulnerable people around what the Herbert Protocol is and how it could assist them if the worst were the happen.
The form contains a list of information to help the police if the person goes missing, including:
- medication required
- mobile numbers
- places previously located
- a recent photograph
Keeping a completed form saves the worry of trying to recall the information during the stressful time of someone going missing. It also saves time for the police, allowing the search to start sooner.
If someone you know suffers from Dementia please visit Herbert Protocol | Sussex Police where further information is provided. This link will also lead you to a downloadable PDF copy of the form.
Public act of kindness!
Officers responded to an incident on the A22 Southbound at Hailsham this week, following a report of two vehicles stuck in the mud, and a broken-down vehicle all within 50 meters of each other.
We anticipated long delays and a road closure, as our only option was to call out recovery for each vehicle, and wait.
Thankfully ‘DrainHero’ came to the rescue, taking time out of his busy day to pull both vehicles out of the mud allowing officers to re-open the road and allow the flow of traffic to resume a lot sooner than we initially predicted.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to Grant for such a selfless act of kindness!
Want to be part of the team?
Careers don't come more rewarding than this.
PCSO43267 decided to join the force in Wealden as he wanted a role that could positively impact his community, and to regularly feel a sense of achievement in his day-to-day work.
Since joining in October last year, he has assisted the team tackling incidents such as fraud, road traffic collisions and seizure of vehicles.
For this PSCO, this is only "the start of a long and exciting career".
Sound like something you could see yourself doing? Head over to our career pages to find out more 👉 spkl.io/1051
We want to hear from YOU!
Did you know you can reply to our Sussex Alerts below? We would love to hear from our community in regard to how we communicate our updates to you. We want to know what you enjoy, what is useful to you, what you'd like to see more of, and if there are any other methods of communicating that you think may be beneficial.
Click, Call, Connect
For non-emergency incidents or crime prevention advice, click www.sussex.police.uk, (If you report a crime online, we will assess it in the same way as a 101 call).
Call 101 when you don’t require an urgent response.
In an emergency when life is threatened or there is immediate danger always call 999.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can contact us using TypeTalk on 18000 or by sending a text to 65999.
