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Crime Prevention in Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby                      View this email in your browser

Neighbourhood Watch in
Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby

eNewsletter #552 - 10 May 2022

This weekly eNewsletter is compiled by Neighbourhood Watch volunteers as a service for residents in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby council areas. The eNewsletter is a new type of Neighbourhood Watch; utilising the available technology to keep people more connected and up-to-date with local crime and safety issues. 

The eNewsletter includes a selection of posts from our local police at the Ku-ring-gai PAC Facebook page (also known as 'eyewatch'), primarily for those not familiar with Facebook. We add anything interesting from a Neighbourhood Watch point-of-view - this could be a local newspaper article, a roadwork warning, crime prevention tip(s), an upcoming Neighbourhood Watch meeting, Q&As from residents, or an item from another Police command ("Crooks know no boundaries!").

🚓 Have you seen anything we should share with the community?
Please email our NHW in Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby volunteers. We do value your contributions and thank you for your support.
🚓 Please feel free to
share/forward this eNewsletter with your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours.
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Click here to subscribe.
10 May, from Ku-ring-gai command: Five phones have recently been handed into Hornsby Police station
We’d love to return them to their rightful owners. The brands include Samsung, Apple iPhone and Vivo. Are you the rightful owner of one of these phones? Prove it by coming into the station, unlocking it and giving us a description of screenshots or another forms of verification, and we will gladly give it back to you.


06 May, from NSW Police: Can you recognise the seven signs of a house cultivating cannabis?
On Tuesday 3 May 2022, two residential houses in the South West Metropolitan region were destroyed by fire. Initial investigations suggest both fires at the houses on Clyde Street, Guildford, and Brisbane Road, St Johns Park, were caused by electrical issues and modifications to the homes as part of their conversions to cultivate cannabis. “These premises are a danger not only to the occupants, but to neighbour’s property and safety. We have seen houses destroyed and in some cases innocent landlords are left with significant repair costs and their insurance cancelled owing to the criminal activity.” said Detective Superintendent Simon Glasser. Police are appealing to the community to assist in the early identification of cannabis houses, and have revealed a number of tell-tale indicators that the new neighbours in the area are in fact operating a cannabis house:
  • 1. Strange odours emanating from the property
  • 2. Diverted electricity
  • 3. Chemical containers and waste
  • 4. Blacked out windows
  • 5. Hoses and pipes in strange places
  • 6. Blinds down, with extremely bright indoor lighting radiating through gaps
  • 7. Vehicles arriving at odd hours
“During 2021 Police across South West Metropolitan Region executed over 180 warrants on residential houses and seized nearly 30,000 cannabis plants. These premises are being operated by criminals to generate cash. Historically we have found this cash is then used to fund other illegal activities.” said Detective Superintendent Simon Glasser. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.



06 May, from Ryde command: Ryde PAC would like to speak with the male depicted below regarding an Assault at a licensed premises in the Macquarie Park Area.
If you can assist in identifying this person, please contact Ryde Police on 9858 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 and quote reference number E87199406.
An old Neghbourhood Watch leaflet lying on a table next to spectacles.
10 May, from NSW Food Authority: Weekly update to our list of alleged breaches of NSW food safety standards:
- 5 premises added
- 7 premises publication period expired

See here, including one premises in our command.
08 May, Shared with permission from the Berowra Community group: Keep a lookout for a blue ute who was seen fly-tipping in the Berowra Heights area last week.

And in the comments:
He dropped two loads at end of Joalah Friday.
08 May, from Neighbourhood Watch Wahroonga: Shared with permission from the East Wahroonga Community group in case anyone can offer cctv assistance
Dear Friends, our house on Boundary Road was “egged”by some micreant(s) on late Friday night. We had recently repainted the house. Sad and disappointed. Not sure why someone would do that.


07 May, from Australian Government Dept of Health: If you’re planning to spend time outdoors this weekend, make sure you protect yourself from mosquito bites 🦟
Mosquitoes love water and can carry potentially dangerous diseases, such as Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).
Protect yourself from all mosquito-borne diseases by taking some simple steps to avoid being bitten:
  • 👖 Wear long, loose fitting, light coloured clothing when near water
  • 🧴 Apply and regularly reapply an effective insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (PMD) on exposed skin
  • 🌅 Limit outdoor activity if lots of mosquitoes are about, like at dawn or dusk
  • ⛺️ Ensure accommodation is properly fitted with mosquito nettings or screens if you're sleeping on your boat or camping.
For information on JEV visit 💻 here.
07 May, from Australian Government Dept of Health: COVID-19 Scam Alert 📱
We’ve been made aware of scam text messages claiming to be the Department of Health, and other Government agencies. These text messages ask people to click on a link to get a free COVID-19 test kit - this is a scam. Do not open it and ensure not to click any links.

If you get a suspicious text message, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and report the scam.

Find out more
here💻

07 May, from Crime Stoppers NSW: Top 10 MOST MISUNDERSTOOD ROAD RULES IN NSW: #4 – MERGING

➡️ Merging is when the number of lanes is reduced:
When a driver is travelling on a road without lane markings and the number of lanes or lines of traffic is reduced, they must merge by giving way to any vehicle that is ahead of them. This is often called a zipper merge.

➡️ Changing lanes when a marked lane ends:
When a driver is travelling in a marked lane which is ending and is required to cross a broken painted line to enter the adjacent lane, the driver must give way to the traffic travelling in the lane being entered. 


06 May, from Australian Communications & Media Authority: Does someone you don’t know have your personal details?
Be alert for phone scammers.

Find out how to protect yourself from phone scams
here
06 May, from NSW Police: Have you seen Dennis?
Dennis Bellenger, aged 17, is from Sydney, but was last seen on Saturday 30 April 2022 at Watson in the ACT. Following inquiries, police believe the boy may have returned to NSW; he has links to the North Shore area, specifically Lindfield and Chatswood.
Dennis is described as being of Pacific Islander/Maori appearance, about 170cm tall with large build, black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about Dennis’s whereabouts is urged to contact
St George Police Area Command on (02) 9375 8599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
05 May, from the Australian Federal Police: Friends don't let friends use comic sans, watch Riverdale, or have ABC123 as their password.
It's currently Privacy Awareness Week and today is World Password Day. Your personal information is worth protecting, but cyber criminals are increasing their skills to crack into your passwords. Thankfully, it's easy to build good privacy habits. One step is using multi-factor authentication and strong passphrases to protect your accounts.
  • 💻 Passphrases are made up of 4 or more random words making them longer than a traditional password – this makes them harder to crack but easy to remember.
  • To make a strong, memorable and unique passphrase:
  • ➡️ Try make it 14 characters or more, including a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters.
  • ➡️ Make it unpredictable, like I’m@Nightmar3Dre$$edlike@Daydr3am.
  • ➡️Make it unique and don’t recycle your passphrases.
05 May, from Australian Communications & Media Authority: Frustrated by unwanted calls?
If you think someone has broken telemarketing rules, you can make a complaint to the ACMA. When you add your landline or mobile number to the Do Not Call Register, telemarketers shouldn’t call you unless they have your permission or are exempt (like charities or researchers). Your number will stay on the register unless you request it be removed.

If you get a call that you think breaks the rules, you can report it. Make a complaint
here or call 1300 792 958.
Dates for the Diary

Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 May: FREE Chemical Cleanout. 9am - 3:30pm @ St Ives Showground
Sunday 22 May: FREE Clothing & Linen Collection 10am-3pm @ St Ives Showground. Info
Thursday 26 May: FREE Domestic Violence Awareness presentation. 7:30pm @ St Marks Anglican Church, 18 Berowra Waters Rd, Berowra. Speakers: Snr Cst Tash Doggett (DVO) & Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Womens Shelter.
Sunday 29 May: Ku-ring-gai Chase & Barry Ease Walk through Wahroonga
Wednesday 20 or 27 July: Neighbourhood Watch Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby 'All Areas' meeting #34 @ 6pm online or at PCYC tbc
Sunday 18 September: Bobbin Head Classic charity bike ride

From NHW in Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby: 'Our 20 Favourite Crime Prevention Tips for New Neighbours'

Tip #1. Identify your 6 immediate neighbours — 2 TO YOUR LEFT, 2 TO YOUR RIGHT, ACROSS FROM AND BEHIND YOU.  Make an effort to get to know them and swap contact details.
Tip #13. Consider registering your pool as a Static Water Supply (SWS) for use in a fire emergency. Contact your local fire station —GORDON Fire station: 02 9449 9834 HORNSBY Fire station: 02 9476 4318.
Tip #14. Update your house insurance. Walk around the house with a video camera, recording objects & contents in each room, opening all drawers & cupboards. Include the shed, garage, garden ornaments, roof space, cellar, etc. Store this video safely off-site (eg at work or with a trusted relative).
Tip #16. Engrave* your licence number on valuable property. Sensitive articles (eg screens, laptops) can be marked with an ultra-violet pen.
Tip #20. Remove valuables from view in your car, especially when parked in the driveway or on the street. This includes any garage remote control, as these can be used to get into your home at a later time.

* Engravers can be borrowed FREE through Neighbourhood Watch via our Borrow webpage
here.

For more tips and translations, look at our website 'Tips' page here. Or try our WatchOut! website here, for links to some great information available on the internet. Or request a copy in your inbox here.

05 May, Shared with permission from the Pymble and West Pymble Community group yesterday, as a comment
Our house in Orinoco was broken into last Thursday around 3:30am with four adults (and a dog) inside sleeping. Car keys, handbags etc stolen, and car stolen too. Thanks to GPS it was found same day in Mt Druitt. Entry gained through downstairs door at rear of house. Very creepy and disturbing.
03 May, from eSafety Commissioner: Parents and teachers, this Privacy Awareness Week Hector and his friends can help you teach your kids/students how to protect their personal information.

Watch full episodes on our website
here.

03 May, from NSW Police: The NSW Police Force is searching for a missing teenage boy with only a blackened jawbone to work from.
Investigators create a nationwide bulletin, seeking the dentist who extracted two teeth from the individual shortly before his death. A record or an X-ray of that operation holds the key to our lost boy’s identity and possibly his fate. In this 3rd episode, Real Crime Investigative Journalist Adam Shand returns to Umina Beach to confirm the theory that the jawbone was carried in floodwaters from the Hawkesbury River to the coast in 2012. Another massive flood in NSW gives investigators a chance to model the early event and better understand the discovery site.

Listen now on LiSTNR, Spotify or Apple Podcasts: Lost at Sea - The Black Bone




Thank you to UK Cop Humour: Custody BINGO.
IMPORTANT CONTACTS & LINKS

Emergency (Police/Fire/Ambulance): 000
TTY: 106

NSW Police - Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command (PAC): 9476 9799
Hornsby Police Station, 292 Peats Ferry Road, Hornsby 2077

Local Police Facebook page: 
@Kuring Gai PAC 
Non-emergency two-way communication

Police Assistance Line (PAL): 131 444
For non-urgent minor crime.


NSW Police Community Portal
Online reporting of non-emergency minor crime: lost property, intentional damage, graffiti or theft.

Interpreting & Translating Services: 131 450


NSW Police - website for crime prevention advice
Never be afraid or embarrassed to report a crime, concern or fear you have to the Police. The Police are here to help you.


Crime Stoppers NSW: 1800 333 000
Report crime anonymously
Report suspicious activity ASAP

 
Neighbourhood Watch within Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby:
Website 
au-NHWKuringgaiHornsby.org
Facebook @NHWKuringgaiHornsby
Facebook Group NHWKuringgaiHornsby
Twitter @NHWKRGHornsby
Email NHWKuringgaiHornsby@gmail.com


 
WatchOut! - the NHW NSW one-stop-shop for crime prevention links:
Website  WatchOut.org.au
Facebook @NHWWatchOut

 
Local Facebook pages/groups:
Neighbourhood Watch - Berowra 
Brooklyn Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch - East Killara
Neighbourhood Watch - Galston, Glenorie, Arcadia, Dural (Rural Areas)
NHW Galston, Glenorie, Arcadia & Dural (Rural Areas) Facebook Group
Neighbourhood Watch - Gordon
Neighbourhood Watch - Hornsby
Neighbourhood Watch - Killara
Neighbourhood Watch - Mt Colah
Neighbourhood Watch - Mt Kuring-gai
Neighbourhood Watch - Normanhurst
Neighbourhood Watch - Pennant Hills
Neighbourhood Watch - St Ives
Neighbourhood Watch - Thornleigh
Neighbourhood Watch - Turramurra
Neighbourhood Watch - Wahroonga

Neighbourhood Watch - Warrawee

Face-to-Face/printed newsletter groups:
Neighbourhood Watch - East Killara
Neighbourhood Watch - Gordon (part)/Killara (part)/Pymble (part)
Neighbourhood Watch - Hornsby (Jubilee St)
Neighbourhood Watch - Mt Colah
Neighbourhood Watch - St Ives (Lynbara Ave)
Neighbourhood Watch - Turramurra (The Chase)
Twitter
Facebook
Website
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