With the tacit support of the police, South Hams District Council and Devon County Council, this sign will be posted on the approach roads to Bigbury and Bigbury-on-Sea within the next few days:-
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Beach activity during COVID-19 pandemic
A statement from Drew Parkinson who is Area Commander For the Coastguard in the South Devon area known as Area 10.
“Coastguard Rescue Teams are assisting Devon & Cornwall Police with Mutual Aid Taskings. Coastguards will be assisting the Police by identifying areas where lots of people appear to be gathering together for BBQs or socialising rather than exercising. They will also identify areas where large numbers of people are exercising making it difficult to social distance.
Coastguard Rescue Teams remain fully operational throughout these taskings and are able to respond to coastal emergencies.
Requests for Mutual Aid should be raised through the Local Resilience Forum for consideration.”
Kind Regards,
Drew Parkinson
Coastal Operations Area Commander – Area 10
The Local Resilience Forum for the SW is : Devon & Cornwall Police, Emergency Planning Unit, 7-9 Hamilton Drive, Middlemoor, Exeter, EX2 7HQ. Contact: Neil Hamlyn Devon & Cornwall LRF Community Risk Register lrf@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
Update Covid-19- from Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew
Continue to Play Your Part in Keeping Our Communities Safe
We must all continue to play our part in tackling the spread of Coronavirus.
Just under 300 fines have now been handed out by Devon & Cornwall Police topeople who were breaking coronavirus restrictions issued by the government.
In the 10 days between Good Friday, April 10, and 20 April, 296 fines were issued as a last resort across the region by our officers; the vast majority of these were issued to those undertaking non-essential journeys.
Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew said: “By now, everyone should know what their responsibility is in the battle against coronavirus; keep staying at home, try to stay local when exercising and only undertake essential travel. This will help us protect the NHS and ultimately, to save lives.
“There is no room for complacency and we must all keep adhering to the government advice. The majority of people are continuing to play their part in reducing the spread of Covid-19 and to them that I say thank you, your role in this should not be underestimated.
“There has been much discussion around the legislation and what it does and doesn’t specifically prohibit.
“It’s important to remember that a key factor is if a person’s actions are reasonable or not, and this is why our officers will continue to have conversations with those they stop and will make individual judgements based on specific circumstances presented to them.”
ACC Mayhew added: “A very small percentage of those people our officers speak to during police stops result in enforcement.
“The feedback from the vast majority of our communities is that we are currently striking the right balance between engagement and enforcement, and we will continue to strive to deliver a proportionate approach to the legislation.
ACC Mayhew said: “Please keep to doing your bit by staying at home and avoiding unnecessary travel; you are protecting the NHS and saving lives.”
Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 – new powers for SHDC
The District Council’s Environmental Health Specialists are now authorised under ‘The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020’: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/made
This is a dual role with Devon County Trading Standards that gives the District Council the power to close businesses that are not permitted to be open (listed in a schedule to the Regulations).
Regulation 5 of the 2020 Regultions does not permit the use of holiday accommodation, which includes rentals, campsites etc. Some exemptions apply – these are mainly for key workers and those that would be made homeless otherwise. Therefore, the Council does have the ability to close businesses if required.
The schedule to the Regulations does not include second homes, so therefore the only sanction that may be taken is by the Police, who enforce the movement restriction part of the same legislation. Where the District Council receives complaints of this nature, they are forwarded to the Police.
Feedback from the Police is that the extensive communications campaign that was carried out before the Easter holidays was successful in stopping the vast majority of people from travelling. Most holiday booking businesses have stopped taking bookings. Some holiday lets are being used to house key workers and this can cause some confusion. The Police also carried out visible patrols on routes into the South West.
To report concerns about a business that is opening, but should not be, please use www.southhams.gov.uk/businessconcerns
COVID-19: police answers to important questions
With the current situation regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus), we are living in unprecedented times.
With this in mind, Devon and Cornwall Police have pulled together responses to some of the more commonly asked questions.
https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-faqs/
I hope you find it useful.
Feel free to circulate further.
Mick HARRISON
Community Engagement Worker
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Courier Fraud
What is Courier Fraud?
Criminals carry out courier fraud by cold calling the victim, purporting to be a police officer or bank official. The fraudsters will then claim there’s an issue with the victim’s bank account or request their assistance with an ongoing bank or police investigation. The ultimate aim of this call is to trick them into handing over money or their bank details.
Common techniques used by the fraudsters include telling the victim to withdraw large sums of cash, purchase an expensive item, or provide their bank cards/details. In all cases, a ‘courier’ will then come and pick up the cash or items, on behalf of the police or bank. They will often come to the victim’s home address.
Courier Fraud is committed by Organised Crime Groups and targets the elderly and vulnerable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy-RSQfwLDw or
https://www.met.police.uk/littlemedia
(Avoiding Impersonation Fraud)
The scale of courier fraud in the UK should not be underestimated, as nationally:
•£10.5 million reported loss in just two years
•Over 2,000 reports to Action Fraud in two years
•Two thirds of victims were women over 75
•On average victims lost over £8,000 each
Recently we have had two victims in the North Devon area, suffering a loss of around £10,000 each.
If you or someone you know has been a victim, it can be quite common to not feel able to report it. We urge you to do so in order that we can get a full picture of the offences which will give us the best chance of catching the offenders. Please report on 101. If it is easier for you to email please send information to: 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
If cold callers, withheld numbers and silent calls are an issue for you or someone you know then please see this link for information about call blockers:
https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/your-money/fraud/courier-and-telephone-fraud/
Do Not Be Fooled Into Money Laundering Scam
Parents and guardians in Devon and Cornwall are being urged to warn their children about the dangers of becoming a money mule, with national figures revealing the number of 14-18-year olds misusing their bank accounts has risen by 73 per cent in two years.
A money mule is someone who transfers stolen money through their own bank account on behalf of someone else and is paid for doing so. Criminals use money mules to launder the profits of their crimes.
Young people are often unaware that acting as a money mule is illegal, not being aware of the provenance of the money going through their accounts. They are approached to take part online or in person, including through social media, at school, college or sports clubs.
As part of the Don’t Be Fooled awareness campaign, Devon and Cornwall Police is contacting schools in its area to warn parents and guardians of the risks of their children becoming a money mule.
Figures from Cifas, the largest cross-sector fraud-sharing and prevention non-profit organisation in the UK, show that in 2018 there were 5,819 cases nationally of young people aged 14-18 using their bank accounts for money muling in the UK. This is a rise of 20 per cent on 2017 (4,849 cases) and a 73 per cent increase since 2016 (3,360 cases).
Further information and advice about money mules is available at www.moneymules.co.uk
Inspector John Shuttleworth of Devon & Cornwall Police said: “In a four year investigation into nationwide large scale fraud Devon and Cornwall Police, involving adults embroiled in money laundering, we found the predominant feature for many of the people suspected of money laundering was a naïve understanding of where money had come from when it appeared in their bank account.
“Some would turn a blind eye for a cut of the money or sometimes sell the bank account to someone without asking why. Some were completely fooled into thinking they were doing a ‘friend’ a favour by lending their account details and security information.
“To be clear, when someone asks to borrow or use your bank account, they will be doing it for the purpose of hiding stolen money that is often stolen from very vulnerable victims or from the proceeds of drug trafficking and the like. Don’t do it, it’s illegal – you could end up being arrested whilst someone somewhere will be profiting from the exploitation of the vulnerable”.
Mike Haley, CEO of Cifas, said: “The increasing use of social media means that young people have never been more vulnerable to becoming victims of fraud. Many youngsters are unaware of the devastating consequences that fraud can have on their future opportunities, and so teachers, parents and carers can play an important role here by ensuring young people have the necessary knowledge and skills to prevent them from unwittingly falling victim to fraud, or even become perpetrators themselves.”
Katy Worobec, Managing Director of Economic Crime at UK Finance, said: “It may seem like an easy way to make some cash, but as well as being illegal, being a money mule means you will also be helping to fund serious crimes such as drug dealing and people trafficking. When you are caught your bank account will be closed and you will find it difficult to open an account elsewhere or get a mobile phone contract or credit in the future.
Remember, never give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them.”
Follow the advice of the Don’t Be Fooled campaign to spot the tell-tale signs that someone might be involved in money muling and for tips on how to stay safe:
Make sure your child doesn’t give their bank account details to anyone unless they know and trust them.
Tell them to be cautious of unsolicited offers of easy money, because if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Look out for your child suddenly having extra cash, buying expensive new clothes or electronics with very little explanation as to how they got the money.
A young person involved in money muling may become more secretive, withdrawn or appear stressed.
Parents and guardians are advised not to attempt to contact any individual they suspect of organising money muling and should instead contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Devon and Cornwall Police News and Appeals
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