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Neighbourhood Watch in
Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby

eNewsletter #479 - 15 December 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 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!").

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14 December, from NSW Police Force

Holidays have started for many people and road safety will be a focus of Operation Summer Safe, with Traffic and Highway Patrol Command - NSW Police Force officers assisting police districts with targeting speeding, drink and drug driving, driving while fatigued, mobile phone and other traffic offences. Please take care on the roads.

13 December, from NSW SES

Advice for tourists in Northern NSW

Popular holiday parks, hotels and accommodation in the Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales is at full capacity.

With school holidays already commencing in some schools across the state, and the Queensland border now open to travelers, we can expect an increase in traffic and holiday-makers across the region during the next week.

More heavy rain is expected to make its way through this popular area tonight and Monday morning.

It’s important that holiday-makers plan ahead and take the time now to stock up on essentials and defer any unnecessary travel this afternoon and tomorrow morning.

With lots of flash floodwater over roads, creeks and causeways, now is the time to plan your trip and check road conditions. Seek updates at My Road Info here and Live Traffic here.

13 December, from NSW Road Safety - NSW GOV

Make sure your little passengers are properly secured in an approved child car seat for their age and size before heading out on the road these holidays.
Find out more here.

12 December, from Inner West Police Area Command:

11 December, from NSW Police Force

SCAM Alert! The NSW Police Force has detected another 'energy provider' scam.

In this particular scam, people are sent a text message or email giving them the option to receive 'free bonus energy'. In a twist from the usual ‘Dear Customer’ greeting, the message recipients are mentioned by their first names.

Offers range from a few hundred dollars up to a very generous $4000! People receiving these messages are directed to a web-portal to complete the 'application form' to apply for the bonus. Needless to say, all personal details entered are provided straight to the scammers.

This is not the first time that scammers have impersonated energy companies to steal information. See here.

If you receive such a message or email, please ignore. If you're unsure if a message about your energy provider is real or not, please contact your energy company directly. Please use official energy provider websites.

Please be very mindful on clicking any links in the SMS or in your email. Other scams are around and patiently waiting for the next ‘customer’ - More here.

11 December, from Ku-ring-Gai Police Area Command

Scams, scams and more scams!

We never wish to bore you with statistics, but these are some that paint a serious picture of scams, who they affect and how much it costs us as a community.

Coming up to Christmas, with a heavy emphasis on online shopping, the handing over of information/credit card details online is becoming second nature to us.

To date, online shopping scams have cost Australians $7,627,109

Sadly, dating and romance scams remain high on the list of ‘top’ scams. Year to date this type of scam has cost Australians in excess of $34,300,000. It doesn't mean victims of dating and romance scams are imprudent or unwise. It usually means they are lonely and vulnerable.

It’s an interesting read and a timely reminder that there are those criminals out there who make it their job to take your money.

Details readily available from Scam Watch.
Scam stats here.

10 December, from Ku-ring-Gai Police Area Command:

While patrolling a local shopping centre, Hornsby police officers saw a male shoplifter who was wanted for stealing tomatoes and tomato based products from local businesses.

He was about 30 metres away from police as he ran out the doors of a convenience shop carrying bags full of tomatoes. Security were shouting at him to stop. The thief was dodging other shoppers, sidestepping shopping trolleys, jumping over courtesy seats.

Our officers sprung into action and gave chase. Although the thief was quick and agile, our police officers were even more so, and it wasn’t long before they were able to ketchup with him.

Have a great evening

10 December, from Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command:

‘Tis the time to be jolly.

Christmas is nearly upon us and it generally means a trip or three to the shops to buy presents for the ones we love.

Don’t make it easy for the thieves who want nothing more than to break into your car and steal the presents left on the front and or back seats.

A few tips for the happy shopper

• Where possible, pack your gifts in your boot and out of sight of prying eyes.

• If you must put them on your seats then try to cover them up, making it as inconspicuous as possible.

• Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle. Some of the valuables sighted when we do car park security checks have been, laptops, wallets, handbags, mobile phones, coins. One vehicle was unlocked with the front passenger window half down and a laptop sitting in view on the front passenger seat.

• Don’t leave your windows down

• Lock your vehicles

• And above all, happy shopping

09 December, from Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command:

THANK YOU.

We now have over 11,000 followers on our page as of this week. A big thank you to you all.

Here at Kuring Gai Police Area Command we endeavour to bring to you a balanced approach to what’s happening within our Command and the areas surrounding us. We include tips that assist us in reducing the chance of us becoming victims, traffic information and tips, road rule scenarios and share stories and incidents that occur throughout Sydney from time to time that have impacted us as a greater community. We offer suggestions on how to make ourselves, our property and our homes safer. We bring the occasional light-hearted “dad” joke attempting to put a smile, or grimace on your face and then throw in a little trivia for good measure. And yes, we do enjoy reading your replies and comments.

As police officers we see the effects crime has on us all, the effects that scams, break and enters, stealing, assaults have on us all. We will always continue to work towards a crime free society (Utopia some would call it), but we are also realistic and know that policing in our community relies not just on ourselves, but on the involvement of both the police and the community working together.

Without the timely reporting of crime, offences, suspicious persons and or actions, many leads would not come to light and many crimes committed would go unsolved.

Some of you have in boxed us here at Kuring Gai, where we have offered some guidance, and we always welcome that.

We have said it before and will say it again, we live and work in one of the best parts of Sydney. Let’s continue to work together to make our community even greater and safer.

Methods of reporting crime:

• Triple zero (000) for emergencies or life-threatening situations

• Police Assistance Line (131444) for non-emergencies

• Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000) to provide crime information

• Hornsby Police 9476 9799.

09 December, from NSW Police Force :

[Edited]The NSW Government, together with the NSW Police Force, has announced a $1 million reward for information into the murder of Hunter woman, Melissa Hunt, more than 26 years ago.

The body of Melissa Hunt, then aged 22, was found near the weir wall of Burrenjim Dam, Bluegum Creek via Stockrington, on Monday 25 April 1994.

A post mortem examination revealed she died from severe head injuries.

Strike Force Impey, comprised of detectives from the Lake Macquarie Police District and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, was formed to investigate her death; however, no arrests have been made.

Following a Coronial Inquest in 1998, the matter was sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and referred to the Unsolved Homicide Unit.

A formal review of the investigation was conducted under the new unsolved framework and is now under reinvestigation by detectives attached to Strike Force Circulo.

As inquiries continue, police are renewing their appeal to the community to come forward with any information that may assist detectives with their investigation.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott, said he hopes the $1 million NSW Government incentive will bring detectives a step closer to finding answers for Melissa’s family.

14 December, from NSW Police Force

Organised Crime Squad detectives, together with RSPCA NSW Inspectors, have dismantled an illegal cockfighting syndicate and seized 71 fighting cockerels, following a joint investigation into animal cruelty offences.

Earlier this year, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad, together with the NSW Crime Commission and RSPCA NSW, commenced inquiries following reports of animal cruelty offences in Sydney’s south-west.

Following extensive investigations, detectives executed a search warrant at a property at Camden Valley Way at Catherine Field, from 11am yesterday (Sunday 13 December 2020).

Detectives were assisted throughout the operation by RSPCA NSW Inspectors, Bass Hill Region Enforcement Squad (RES), South West Metropolitan Operations Support Group (OSG), the Dog Unit and PolAir.

During a search of the property, officers uncovered a designated cockfighting area and several large sheds used to house 71 fighting cockerels, as well as metal spikes, spurs and other cockfighting paraphernalia.

Officers also seized $107,170 cash and several electronic devices from the premises, which will undergo further examination.

The animals were seized by RSPCA NSW Inspectors, several of which were taken into veterinary care for serious injuries.

Thirty-five men were detained at the property and spoken to by police.

Investigations by Organised Crime Squad detectives are continuing and charges relating to animal cruelty offences and proceeds of crime are expected to be laid.

A 35-year-old Heckenberg man was charged with contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic). He was refused bail to appear at Picton Local Court today (Monday 14 December 2020).

A 28-year-old Cabramatta man was charged with possess prohibited drug and knowingly produce false/misleading document. He is due to appear at Picton Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 15 December 2020).

Investigators are working with the Department of Home Affairs regarding the visa status of a 56-year-old man.

Inquiries continue.

Anyone with information about animal cruelty offences is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or website here. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

14 December, Shared with permission from the Thornleigh, Westleigh and Normanhurst Community group:

Someone ripped my porch camera off the wall tonight around 7PM in Normanhurst (in the area of Normanhurst Boys Public School.).

I have the last few minutes of the video stream which I'll share with the police.

Please verify your cameras if they didn't disappear.

Dates for the diary

Saturday 19 December: 5pm Makeup Masterclass raising money for Care Australia. $20pp. St Ives. Info 0414989642.
Sunday 20 December: 3pm Makeup Masterclass raising money for Care Australia. $20pp. St Ives. Info 0414989642.
Sunday 20 December: Westleigh Rural Fire Brigade Annual Santa Run 8:30am, Westleigh & parts of Thornleigh & Normanhurst. Collecting non-perishable food to be donated to The Salvation Army Hornsby Gateway Corps

13 December, from Cadbury Dairy Milk

Every year, fake Cadbury and Cadbury Dairy Milk Facebook pages are created to trick people into liking and commenting by offering free samples of Cadbury chocolate or Cadbury chocolate hampers.

These promises are almost never honoured and because you have liked or commented on those pages, it is taken as consent to send you unsolicited SPAM. In short, they are scams. We advise everyone to be careful when engaging with any promotions of this nature from pages that don’t have an official blue tick verification.

10 December, Shared with permission from the Turramurra and Wahroonga Community group:

MISSING KEYS. My stolen vehicle is found (cnr Kintore St and Westbrook Ave) thanks to a similar fb group after my number plates where discovered dumped in a drain in Clissold Rd. I just wanted to flag that my keys are likely tossed with the following items (images of general items on set) somewhere in the general area. Worked well the first time!

09 December, from North West Hospital and Health Service

DON'T FORGET to let the water flow from your garden hose for a few minutes before spraying on people or animals.

Things are heating up

, and a garden hose exposed to direct sunlight during summer can heat the water inside the hose (not flowing) to 60 degrees Celsius

, which can cause burns especially to children AND animals.

Two years ago this baby boy suffered second-degree burns to over 30 per cent of his body from being accidentally sprayed with a garden hose, and health experts have issued a fresh warning as we head into a hot summer.

Courtesy of the Woodger Family

Taken from 'Our 20 Favourite Crime Prevention Tips for Travel:
Tip #5: Scan your itinerary, passport & travel insurance documents and save them to a
secure USB and/or cloud-based storage. Include your Emergency Contact numbers,
Consulate & Embassy contact details. Copy both sides of the cards in your wallet (the
back has emergency contact numbers).
Tip #6. If you are away for an extended period, consider house-sitters, inform your insurance
& burglar alarm companies, set TV and lights on timers, and make your home look
lived in. Ask a neighbour or friend to:
 put your bins out and in each week;
 regularly empty mailbox, collect mail & remove junk mail/freebie newspapers;
 park in your driveway;
 mow lawn and/or nature strip;
 regularly check the outside of your property to remove any clues that your home
is empty (eg a note/business card in your door, package on doorstep).
Tip #7. Do NOT change the answering machine message to indicate you are away. Similarly,
don’t post on Social Media that you are going to be away, or do any check-ins, or
 NHWKuringgaiHornsby.org.au  WatchOut.org.au @ NHWKuringgaiHornsby@gmail.com
PTO Continued overleaf...
OUR 20 FAVOURITE CRIME PREVENTION TIPS FOR TRAVEL continued from overleaf
share travel photos – wait til you return. Keep your travel SECRET! Do not change your
(public) social media profile picture. Consider NOT setting up an auto response to emails.
Tip #8. If you drop anything on train tracks, ask staff for assistance, or use the emergency help
point, or phone CityRail’s Security Hotline 9379 4444. If you are on railway tracks, it’s
not only incredibly dangerous, it’s a criminal offence.
Tip #9. If you feel intimidated by someone with you in a train carriage, jump out at the next exit,
go down a carriage and hop back on.
Tip #10. Text to a friend or relative, the uber/taxi number, driver's name, driver's licence number,
and to and from locations. Discretely, send a photo(s) with this information.

09 December, from 9news.com.au: Australians urged to be vigilant to Christmas terrorism threat

You can't blame Australians for wanting to party hard this holiday season, to get back to the beach, get back to the shops, to gather in groups and not have to worry too much about social-distancing.

But there's a timely warning that as we return to some kind of normal, we should not forget the threat of terrorism, which remains as dangerous as ever.

The deputy chair of the federal parliamentary intelligence committee, Anthony Byrne, says those who want to do us harm are likely to take advantage of any complacency over Christmas to inflict maximum damage to the morale of society as we come out of the pandemic.

"They have looked at places of mass congregation and thought how can they cause mass casualties," he told 9News.

But, he has warned, it's not just Islamic extremists who present a risk.

Mr Byrne says ASIO is facing an alarming spike in the number of cases involving extreme right-wing terrorism threats, similar to that involving the Christchurch attack in March last year.

"Two years ago it was 15 per cent of the caseload related to right-wing extremism, it's now 30 to 40 per cent," he said.

Neighbourhood Watch in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby

eNewsletter #479 - 15 December 2020

Neighbourhood Watch in
Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby