Crime Prevention in Hornsby & Ku-ring-gai

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Neighbourhood Watch in
Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby

eNewsletter #461 - 11 August 2020

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 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 an other 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. Thank you for your support.
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09 August, from Hornsby Hospital: Covid-19 Update

This weekend NSW Health was notified of a health care worker at Hornsby Hospital who tested positive for COVID-19.

The staff member worked for only one shift while infectious; this was at the hospital’s Emergency Department on Thursday 6 August from 11am to midnight.

Please be assured all members of the public who attended the Emergency Department between these times and had contact with the health care worker have been contacted and instructed to self-isolate for 14 days.

There is no impact on the services being provided by the Emergency Department and if anyone is unwell, please continue to present to the hospital.

For anyone who is concerned, please call the Hornsby Hospital switchboard on 9477 9123.

Anyone who develops even mild COVID-19 symptoms should get immediately tested and self-isolate.

A full list of COVID-19 testing clinics is available here.

08 August, from NSW Government

Gyms and hospitality venues now need to have a COVID-19 Safe hygiene marshal. Their job is to keep on top of safe practices and reduce the risk of transmission while you're working out or eating out.

More about the role here.

07 August, from NSW Health: BORDER ENTRY CHANGES:

To help stop the spread of COVID-19, NSW residents returning from Victoria must go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense.

This is to protect the wider NSW community from the escalating COVID-19 situation in Victoria and will come into effect at 12.01am this Friday 7 August.

NSW residents returning from Victoria can now only return through Sydney Airport, unless they live within the NSW border regions.

For more information click here.

07 August, from NSW Health: MONITOR FOR SYMPTOMS

NSW Health is urging patrons who attended any of the below venues to watch for COVID-19 symptoms and, if symptoms occur, however mild, immediately get tested and self-isolate until the test results are retuned as negative.

• The Eveleigh Hotel in Redfern on Friday 31 July from 8.30pm to 10pm;

• Warren View Hotel in Enmore on Saturday 1 August from 4pm to 4.20pm

• Mary’s in Macquarie Place, Sydney on Saturday 1 August from 6.45pm to 7.15pm

• Cubby’s Kitchen in Sydney on Saturday 1 August from 7.35pm to 9.30pm

• Woolworths at Marrickville Metro Shopping Centre on Sunday 2 August from 7pm to 7.20pm.

• St Pius X High School Adamstown on Monday 3 August

• Greenroof Bar and Restaurant, Hamilton on Friday 31 July from 10.30pm to 12.15am Saturday 1 August

• Sushi Revolution, Hamilton on Saturday 1 August, from 12noon to 12.45pm

• Queens Wharf Hotel on Saturday 1 August from 9.30pm to 11.00 pm

• McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday 2 August from 7:30pm to the end of the Newcastle Jets match

• Penrith Plaza - 1 August from 10.30am to 12.00pm

• Master Hot Pot, Canley Vale - 1 August from 1.00pm to 2.00pm

• BBQ City Buffet, Bankstown - 1 August 7.00pm to 8.30pm

UPDATED ADVICE FOR BURROW BAR: • Burrow Bar in Sydney on Saturday 1 August

If you were at this venue for two hours or more between 9:45pm and midnight, you must self-isolate and get tested and stay isolated until Saturday 15 August, even if the test is negative. If symptoms develop, get tested again.

All venues are undertaking cleaning, and extensive contact tracing is underway.

For more details visit here.

07 August, from NSW Police Force[Edited]: Our deepest condolences to his family

Vale Snr Cst Shannon Hollibone, 1974-2020 – Western Region

Members of the NSW Police Force will come together to farewell a “one of a kind” officer and loving father who passed away last week.

The late Senior Constable Shannon Hollibone, aged 46, died on Thursday 30 July 2020, after a five-year battle with cancer.

Snr Cst Hollibone had dedicated 11 years of service to the NSW Police Force, commencing his career as a Probationary Constable at The Hills Local Area Command in December 2009 before transferring to Coonabarabran in the Western Region in 2014.

06 August, from Fire and Rescue NSW: Our thoughts are with all our Fire and Rescue brothers and sisters both here and in Beirut, who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.

We woke this morning to very dramatic footage of a catastrophic explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. News is now starting to surface that many of those killed were firefighters from the surrounding area who were dealing with the initial fire- which lead to the explosion. As a department with Lebanese emigrants currently working today in stations across NSW we keep these firefighters as well as their city and their country in our thoughts.

06 August, from Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command:

Question: What did the Buffalo say to his son when he dropped him off at school?

Answer: Bison

On a more serious note, here are a few things you can do to help keep your children and others safer during drop-off and pick-up times during the school week:

• Make sure your children are fastened in the correct child car seat for their age and size and that it is fitted correctly.

• Stick to the 40km/h speed limit in a school zone and look out for children who may be about.

• Watch for flashing lights on buses. They let you know that there may be children crossing or about to cross the road. A 40km/h limit applies when school bus lights flash.

• Always give way to pedestrians particularly when entering and leaving driveways.

• Always park and turn legally around schools. Manoeuvres such as U-turns and three-point turns are dangerous during busy school drop-off and pick-up times.

• Drop your children off and pick them up on the school side of the road in your school’s designated drop-off and pick-up area. Never call out to them from across the road – they may run to you without checking for traffic.

• It’s safest for children to get out of the car through the Safety Door, away from passing traffic. This is the rear footpath side door of the car.

For more information on keeping our kids safe around schools visit the parent’s section on safetytown.com.au

06 August, from Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command

A WARNING TO ALL!

Question: Guess what criminals like even more than smashing a window or door to gain access to your home?

Answer: An open and or unlocked door or window to your home or car. It is quieter this way and the likelihood of us being disturbed is lessened.

Unfortunately, there have been a number of motor vehicles stolen from within the command recently.

Firstly, can we remind you to lock your vehicles after you return home. Whether your vehicle in parked in the driveway, street or a locked garage, best practice is to secure your vehicle by locking it.

Secondly, please remember to lock the doors and windows to your home. Simply closing your house door is not enough to keep would-be thief’s out. We all get busy and sometimes forget to lock the door behind us but try to be vigilant.

Offenders have entered the homes through unlocked doors and windows, stolen keys and wallets which were left on kitchen counters or other areas that were in full view of the offender and stolen their vehicle.

Let’s not make our homes and property easy pickings for them. Every little bit we do to maximise the thief’s effort to steal from us, the better.

06 August, from NSW Government:

Let's work together to stay COVID Safe and keep our favourite local spots open.

05 July, from Parramatta Police Area Command:

04 August, from Sydney Trains:

It is strongly recommended that you wear a mask when travelling on Public Transport.

How strongly? About as strongly as you're going to recommend us a course in Photoshop...

11 August, From Ausgrid: STORM REPAIRS 12pm:

Crews are working to repair damage across the network after the weekend storms.

Damaging winds have brought trees down onto powerlines in multiple locations.

The main impacted areas include parts of Arcadia, Caringbah, Centennial Park, Engadine, Forresters Beach, Hornsby, Mosman, Oatley, Revesby, Strathfield, Sylvania, Villawood, Wattanobi, Woollahra and Wyong.

The damaging winds are still being felt in coastal parts of Sydney and the Hunter and may cause further damage.

Please stay well back from fallen trees, branches and storm debris as they can hide fallen wires or damaged electrical equipment.

If you see fallen powerlines always assume they’re live, never approach them, stay at least 8metres away and call Ausgrid's emergency line on 131 388.

10 August, from Neighbourhood Watch - Normanhurst

Do you want to help your community by sharing information about crime in the area?

If so, please put your hand up and offer your time (10 minutes a day?) to help as admin of this Normanhurst Neighbourhood Watch page. Be part of a great team that is community-minded like you.

10 August, from Crime Stoppers NSW

Calling all parents and carers: Have you downloaded the School Updates app yet?

Opt in to receive notifications about the operational status of your school (e.g. temporary Covid-19 related closures).

Find out more and download via this site.

*Posted by the NSW Department of Education*

10 August, Shared with permission from the Hornsby Heights Community group:

I am concerned and disappointed that somebody may have taken 3 boxes of tiles from out the front of Learn and Laugh Children’s Centre on Somerville Rd. They were placed near the entrance on Wednesday evening and were gone by Saturday. We would really like them returned if anybody knows anything. Thank you.

10 August, from NSW Police Force

A senior constable has gone above and beyond her job description, assisting a grieving family whose war veteran father’s war medals were lost – by organising for replicas to be made.

In late 2019, Senior Constable Leanne Gearside – attached to Hawkesbury PAC – was allocated a job at a local nursing home, after a 97-year-old man had reported his war medals missing.

William Melling was a merchant sailor, who served with the Royal British Navy during World War II.

Mr Melling was awarded a clasp for his bravery during a rescue mission on June 7, 1944 – the day after D-Day – where he saved the lives of dozens of his fellow merchant sailors after their ship had been hit by a torpedo.

He relocated to Australia in the 1950s and spent the latter years of his life at a nursing home in North Richmond.

Senior Constable Gearside started making inquiries about the type and whereabouts of the medals alongside Will’s daughter, Brenda Melling, when he sadly passed away in January 2020.

When Senior Constable Gearside realised the medals wouldn’t be located in time for his funeral, she took her own initiative to organise four replica medals to be made, so the family could present them on his coffin.

Ms Melling was touched by the gesture and felt comforted that her father was offered a fitting farewell.

“That made us feel so appreciative of Leanne’s efforts. She did not have to go through all of that, do all of that for us, but she went the extra yard to help our family represent dad in the best way at his funeral.

“She understood what our family had been going through, she understood the emotions that were involved,” Ms Melling said.

Senior Constable Gearside said she felt honoured to be able to help the family in their time of crisis.

“From what I’ve learnt in my years of service, you never get used to losing a loved one you can only just get through it, so I thought if I can help this family in their time of grief, I was going to try my best to be able to do that.

“My understanding is they were put on his coffin that day with a photo of him wearing his original medals.

“I didn’t know this family to start with, but I would do it again and I would do it to anybody if they were needing help,” S/Cst Gearside said.
Watch video here.

10 August, Shared with permission from the Thornleigh, Westleigh and Normanhurst Community group

Break in/robbery - Call for any info!!

Friendly Grocer shop under La Thai was broken into last night/over night.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. They have just taken ownership of the store and are obviously so upset that this has happened.

They are open today, if you have any info or saw anything, please head over and let them know.

I’m not affiliated with them, just want to put the call out to see if we can help them out!

10 August, Thanks to 9News: Sydney church closed after parishioner tests positive

By 9News Staff12:27

A church in Sydney's north west has been forced to close after a parishioner tested positive for COVID-19.

The Diocese of Broken Bay has announced the closure of St Agatha's Catholic Church at Pennant Hills as a precautionary measure.

Bishop Anthony Randazzo said the church will undergo immediate deep cleaning and will remain closed until further notice.

The diocese is working with NSW Health to contact trace those who have had close contact with the confirmed case.

People who attended a prayer group on Monday, August 3, between 7pm and 8pm have been advised to stay at home until NSW Health contacts them.

Parishioners were also reminded that if they are unwell with flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, they must get tested immediately and isolate.

Dates for the Diary:
Wednesday 14 October: Gordon Area 3/4 (Turramurra) NHW meeting tbc.
Sunday 25 October: Potential new date for NHW NSW Inc AGM @ Ryde/Eastwood Leagues Club 1-5pm. tbc
Tuesday 24 November: Gordon/Killara/East Killara/some St Ives Neighbourhood Watch AGM 7-9pm @ Gordon Library meeting room #2. [3rd attempt! Will we need a 4th? 😱]

07 August, from The National Missing Persons Coordination Centre

If you have been reported as missing, it means that someone is concerned about your safety and welfare. It is not a crime to go missing. You should attend the nearest police station with identification so that Police can ascertain that you are safe and well. For more information, visit this site.

07 August, Shared with premission from the Wahroonga Community Group:

Our parked car on Munderah St was totally smashed on the driver's side. Would appreciate if anyone witnessed this awful event. No note was found. Thank you.

07 August, from the dailytelegraph.com.au

For those who have a subscription. (We don't. )

A man who shocked commuters by masturbating in front of a woman on a Berowra train while filming himself has been “humiliated” and has lost his “social group”, a court has heard.

07 August, Shared with permission from the Thornleigh, Westleigh and Normanhurst Community group:

Heads up to parents/carers that have kids on bikes

Firstly, sorry for the long post...

Dartford, Lockerbie and Adamson Road laneway...

whilst driving up Lockerbie this afternoon around 2:50 pm, two boys ran across the road at lightening speed, as did the boy on the bike who was chasing them down the laneways. They were having such a great time that they forgot there was a road between the lanes. Had I been seconds earlier, there would have been carnage and I was only going 35 km (if that).

It so important for kids on bikes to be aware of everything around them and to acknowledge that, although they have the right to ride on the pathway until they are 16, that they have to be mindful of others.

My 79 year old mother has nearly been bowled over on numerous occasions as kids fly past her on their bikes whilst she is walking the dog on the footpath. All the kids need to do is ring their bike bell, call out or slow right down.

Thanks community

06 August, Shared with permission from the business group - for the love of Australian handmade (edited):

Just alerting you all to a potential scam on handmade stuff I have somewhat avoided this week.

So this is the scam bit. She told me that she had unlinked her email from her PayPal and could I refund directly to her bank account.

I did a bit of research and apparently the way the scam works is this:

- buyer buys small quantity of product. Gushes

- buyer buys more. In a complicated way that's designed to confuse you.

- when buyer receives item they deliberately damage it and request a refund via bank transfer - one single transaction so that it's not too complicated.

- The truth is that they have maxed out their PayPal. You transfer into their bank account and they now have money in their account. But as far as PayPal and Etsy are concerned there's been no refund. So they complain there too and likely get issued a refund there too.

Comments:

Reason why you should always refund back onto the card things were purchased from- learnt that one in the retail store I used to work at- you’d get some one buy something, then want to return it, but they’d buy it on a stolen card and then get the money refunded back onto their card. There are some dodgy bastards out there!

Honestly if it was delivered through Australia post and "damaged in transit " you could have claimed through them and she'd have to prove it.

I believe it is law that refunds can only be processed via the payment method they used originally.

Also another reason I take video and photos of my packing process in extensive and expensive orders.

06 August, Shared with permission from the South Turramurra Community group:

Hi all, we are on Barwon Avenue and this morning we found the windscreen of one of our cars smashed in with a large rock left in front of the car.

Looks like someone deliberately aimed at it, considering the car is parked to the side and there are trees blocking it from the road.

So not happy. We recently moved into the area 2-3 months ago, and with having to be even more careful with finances, this is one thing we did not need.

Dont know if anyone saw or heard anything or have any CCTV footage etc but if you did/do, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

So disappointing and disheartening.

06 August, from NSW Police Force

Robbery and Serious Crime Squad detectives have arrested four men as part of an ongoing investigation into seven robberies across Sydney.

Officers from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad established Strike Force Canberry to investigate seven robberies – including five where weapons were produced – at various businesses between July 2019 and June 2020 in Bankstown, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook, Hurlstone Park, Milperra, Moorebank and Padstow.

As part of inquiries, strike force investigators conducted Firearms Prohibition Order (FPO) and Weapons Prohibition Order (WPO) checks at a home at Metcalfe Avenue, Moorebank, last Wednesday (29 July 2020).

During the search, officers located and seized a number of items relevant to the investigation.

A 24-year-old man was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station, where he was charged with two counts of robbery armed with offensive weapon.

Police will allege in court that the man was involved in an armed robbery at a pharmacy at Cherrybrook on Tuesday 30 June 2020, during which two employees were threatened with a knife.

He appeared at Liverpool Local Court last Thursday (30 July 2020), where he was formally refused bail to reappear at the same court on Monday 28 September 2020.

Following further extensive investigations, Robbery and Serious Crime Squad detectives, executed four search warrants at homes at Chester Hill, Georges Hall, Greenacre and Fairfield from 6am today (Wednesday 5 August 2020). These searches are continuing.

Investigators were also assisted by the Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS), South West Metropolitan Region Enforcement Squad (RES) and the Criminal Groups Squad’s Strike Force Raptor throughout the operation.

Three men – aged 20, 24 and 26 – were arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station.

Investigations are continuing and charges are expected to be laid.

06 August, from Ku-ring-gai SES
Want to see inside the Ku-ring-gai SES? Watch video here.

06 August, from Australian Federal Police

Australian Federal Police have laid an additional 80 charges on a 29-year-old Wyong man, who was the first offender arrested under the child protection investigation known as Operation Arkstone.

Operation Arkstone is a national investigation, led by the AFP, which uncovered an Australian online network of people allegedly abusing and exploiting Australian children, and sharing the abuse online.

The Wyong man was arrested in February 2020 for allegedly distributing and receiving child abuse material online, and initially charged with nine offences. Investigators followed the digital trail from seized electronic materials during the search warrant at his home to identify more people across Australia and make further arrests, which became Operation Arkstone.

The man appeared before Wyong Local Court yesterday and was charged with 80 new offences relating to the abuse of a child known to him, and the sharing of this material online.

The results of Operation Arkstone are due to the dedicated work of our investigators, digital forensics specialists and our Interpol-trained victim identification experts. Our members continue to comb hours of disturbing content looking for clues to find these people allegedly preying on Australian children, to bring them to justice.

The AFP will continue to try to identify others involved in this disturbing network, and hunt them down and unmask them from the anonymity of the internet and put them before the courts.

The investigation began in early 2020 after a tip-off from the United States' National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
Watch video here.

05 August, from NSW Government

It is illegal to park across a driveway or footpath as it can force people onto the road, including children in prams and people on mobility devices. Refresh your knowledge of parking rules here.

05 August, from Australian Federal Police:

We’re excited to announce the launch of the country's first National DNA Program, which uses modern forensic techniques to develop advanced DNA profiles and hopefully match unidentified human remains and missing persons.

There’s an estimated 500 sets of unidentified human remains across Australia. This program aims to give answers to families and police investigating cold cases who have spent years searching for answers.

The Australian-first program has been granted $3.594 million out of Proceeds of Crime funding, and is expected to run for two and a half years.

Neighbourhood Watch in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby

eNewsletter #461 - 11 August 2020

Neighbourhood Watch in
Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby