Neighbourhood Watch in
Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby
eNewsletter #480 - 22 December 2020
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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.
🚓 Reading our eNewsletter for the first time? Click here to subscribe.
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21 December, from NSW Health: Restrictions for Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong
In response to an increase in COVID-19 cases, changes to restrictions are being introduced under a Public Health Order. These rules and restrictions apply to Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong from Monday 21 December 2020.
The following restrictions are now in place:
- -The number of visitors allowed in a place of residence will be limited to 10 people. The total number of visitors includes adults and children. The limit to the number of visitors applies until midnight on 23 December 2020.
- -A maximum of 10 people are permitted in holiday homes and short-term rentals unless everyone is from the same household.
- This applies until midnight on 23 December 2020. However, for premises that had already been rented out to more than 10 people before 21 December, the people can continue to stay there.
- -Existing capacity requirements of 1 person per 2 square metres will be tightened to 1 person per 4 square metres in indoor areas.
- -A maximum of 300 people, subject to the 1 person per 4 square metres rule applies for each separate area of:
- o hospitality venues
- o places of public worship.
- -Religious services held indoors are limited to a maximum of 300 people, subject to the 1 person per 4 square metres rule.
- -Singing and chanting at indoor venues will not be allowed.
- -Dance floors will not be permitted, except for weddings, where a maximum of 20 people from the bridal party will be permitted.
For information about what you can and can’t do under the rules, and a list of Local Government Areas affected by the changes, visit here.
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18 December, from NSW Health: PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – URGENT CALL FOR TESTING
Due to increasing COVID-19 case numbers associated with the Avalon cluster and concerns over wider transmission, NSW Health is issuing an urgent call to all residents of NSW – not only those in the Northern Beaches – to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. Anyone in the state with even the mildest symptoms such as headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or runny nose, is asked to come forward immediately for testing, then isolate until a negative result is received. The source of these infections remains under investigation, though genome sequencing points to the strain being of US origin. Residents of the Northern Beaches have been asked to stay home as much as possible over the next three days to assist with contact tracing and reducing transmission. Anyone in the Northern Beaches LGA has also been asked today to wear a mask when indoors for at least the next 72 hours, excepting your own home. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have visited a number of locations around Sydney.
For full up-to-date information on the latest COVID-19 case locations in NSW, please see the NSW Health website here.
Many other locations have been added to the list of venues of concern visited by confirmed cases in recent days. The complete list of these venues are available on the NSW Health website here.
Everyone is urged to ensure they maintain physical distance at all times. Please wear a mask in places where this is not possible, such as on public transport and in taxis and rideshares, in supermarkets, shopping centres and at places of worship.
All businesses are urged to ensure full compliance with their COVID-Safe plans, including appropriate electronic recording of patrons’ contact details.
There are more than 300 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit
here or contact your GP.
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18 December, from NSW Police Force: A man has been arrested following an alleged ram raid in Sydney’s Upper North Shore this morning.
About 4:30am (Friday 18 December 2020), a white Volkswagen Amrok utility was driven through the front doors of a car dealership on the Pacific Highway, Waitara. Police have been told the driver attempted to steal a vehicle, then stole some personal items before leaving on foot. Officers from Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command established a crime scene and commenced an investigation. Inquiries revealed the Amrok had been stolen from the Queanbeyan area on Tuesday (15 December 2020). Following inquiries, a 26-year-old man was arrested at a hotel on the Pacific Highway, Waitara, about 10.15am today. He has been taken to Hornsby Police Station where he is assisting with inquiries.
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18 December, from Ku-ring-gai command: Last night Hornsby police attended a local optometrist where a thief had removed tiles from the roof and broke into the building through the ceiling.
While attempting to remove some ceiling panels the would-be thief had fallen through the ceiling, landing heavily on top of a large display box of lenses. He was arrested at the scene, conveyed to Hornsby Police Station and subsequently charged. The entire incident was captured on CCTV where it was shown later in court that the thief had made a real spectacle of himself.
Have a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year and remember that as of 24 December until 3 January (inclusive), double demerits are in place. Stay under the speed limit, wear your seat belt and keep your phone out of reach. Have a great weekend 
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18 December, from Ku-ring-gai command: What’s happening that may affect you this Christmas holiday season and New Year?
Are you going away, staying at home, going out for day trips perhaps?
Here are a few simple tips that may help us all with having a safer and enjoyable Christmas and New Year this year.
YOUR HOME:
If going on holidays, ensure your home and property looks lived in, have the mailbox emptied and the grass looking kept.
Be vigilant and keep your doors and windows locked, especially when not at home, even if going shopping for a short time.
Activate your house alarms if you have one
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YOUR NEIGHBOURS:
Keep an eye out for your neighbour and their property if you’re at home and your neighbour is away.
Tell someone you trust that you’re going away on holidays and for how long. Leave a contact number with them.
Ask them to put your bins out, or you put their bins out.
Check on your elderly neighbour. Make sure they’re ok.
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LOCK YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE:
Keep your vehicle locked when parked at home, in the garage or on the street. We have those who love nothing better than to open your doors and take what isn’t theirs.
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DOUBLE DEMERITS:
Double demerits are in place from 24 December until 3 January (inclusive). Stay under the speed limit, wear a seat belt and keep your phone out of reach.
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SAFE DRIVING:
Don’t drink and drive
Check your vehicle or have it serviced before going on that road trip.
Check your tyres, oil and water levels
Get a good night's sleep before leaving on your road trip.
Stop Revive survive. Don't drive when tired.
Take regular breaks – Every two hours is recommended.
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GOING SHOPPING:
Don’t leave children or animals in vehicles when shopping – or at any time.
Place the gifts you’ve bought in the boot out of sight if possible. If this isn’t possible then cover the gifts you’ve bought and placed in your vehicle.
Lock your vehicles and wind the windows up when unattended and take your valuables with you.
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These are just a few simple things to think about as we come into this Christmas season.
Hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year.
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Please remember that if you see or hear something suspicious, report it to us as quickly as possible. It is often the timeliness of a report to us that gives us the best chance of catching the offender. Ways of reporting to police:
- 000 Triple Zero for emergency or life-threatening situations
- 131444 Police Assistance Line (PAL) for non-emergencies
- 1800 333 000 Crime Stoppers – to provide crime information
- Hornsby Police Station 9476 9799
- Gordon Police Station 9418 5399
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17 December, from NSW Government: Double demerits are in place from 24 December until 3 January (inclusive).
Stay under the speed limit, wear a seatbelt and keep your phone out of reach this silly season.
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17 December, from NSW Road Safety: Sadly between 2015 and 2019, there were 232 casualty crashes involving a vehicle towing a caravan on NSW roads.
These crashes resulted in 14 fatalities and 392 people injured, including 126 seriously injured. #EnjoyOurRoadsSafely
Check out our caravan safety tips before heading off these holidays here.
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17 December, from Fire & Rescue NSW Station 037 Gordon: Another massive 24hr shift for Gordon firefighters which include an involved house fire, an electrical fire, two motor vehicle accidents with people trapped, a lift rescue involving a couple caught in a residential lift, a dozen fire alarms and in between all that we managed to squeeze in a fitness assessment.
That’s a busy shift. The only thing missing was a partridge in a pear tree. Please take care as we enter the silly season folks.
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16 December, from Ku-ring-gai command: Ku-ring-gai Police are seeking the assistance from the public regarding a break and enter incident that occurred on Mona Vale Rd, St Ives, between Woodbury Rd and Douglas St, St Ives.
Police are appealing for anyone with dash-cam footage who was driving in a westerly direction between Woodbury Rd and Douglas St, St Ives (towards Pymble) between 8:30am and 11:00am on Tuesday 15 December 2020, who may have footage of a vehicle parked in or across a driveway, or parked on the nature strip, and or person/s carrying items from a premises located within that section of Mona Vale Rd, to contact police.
Anyone with information and or footage is encouraged to contact Hornsby Police on 9476 9799 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence. Event number E1076680290 relates.
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15 December, from Ku-ring-gai command: Let’s not make it easier for the thieves to break into our cars and homes.
Lock our doors, lock the windows and set alarms if we have them. A number of vehicles have been broken into throughout the command in recent times. They were simply opened, and had property stolen from them. They’re after anything they can find, from phones, sunglasses, keys, wallets, coins. Here’s a short video clip from within the Command, that shows how locking your vehicle can save you from the trauma and/or monetary loss from having your vehicle broken in to.
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22 December, from Neighbourhood Watch Australasia: Don't be an easy target this Christmas.
If you're going away, even for a short break, put your lights on a timer.
And from NHW in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby: Merry Xmas everyone, and a thank you to all our volunteers! 🎅🥰🎁
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22 December, from the Australian Government Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) | Know Your Drone: Test Your Knowledge - Take the Quiz
With more Australians flying drones, it’s important everyone knows the rules.
Take the quiz here.
How well do you know your drone? Review the rules. If you’re flying for fun, the drone safety rules apply. However, you do not need to get accredited yet.
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22 December, shared from a local community group:
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22 December, shared from Gordon Neighbourhood Watch: Please check the official NSW Health website here for the most up-to-date and comprehensive information here.
Gordon: USA Nails, 788A Pacific Highway, Gordon 12.30pm-1.30pm on Thursday 17 December
Anyone who was at this venue on the dates and times specified should get tested immediately and self-isolate until NSW Health provides further information.
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21 December, from NSW Health: PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT – NEW AND UPDATED VENUES
NSW Health has been notified of new venues on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and expanded exposure times for previously announced venues, which have been visited by confirmed cases of COVID-19. The website will be updated with these case locations shortly.
Full information by suburb, is on the NSW Health website Latest COVID-19 news and updates page here. [Note: Asquith Golf Club, Mt Colah has been officially removed from this list.]
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21 December, from NSW Road Safety: Which car must give way?
ANSWER: Vehicle B (yellow) must give way to Vehicle A (white). When you're travelling on a road where the number of lanes or lines of traffic is reduced and there are no longer any road markings, you must give way to the vehicle that’s ahead of you. This is called a zipper merge. Always take extra care when merging and don’t rush to get in front.
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21 December, Update from NSW Health: Turramurra: Salon for Hair, 3/1335 Pacific Highway
Anyone who attended this venue anytime between Tuesday 15 December and Friday 18 December inclusive should get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
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20 December, from Anglers Rest Hotel: Please note this person showed no symptoms and decided to do a test on Saturday as they had visited a venue that has since had a case. Thank You.
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Dates for the diary
Thursday 24 December - Sunday 03 January: Double demerits
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20 December, from NSW Police Force: The NSW Police Force is warning the community about an elaborate phone scam, believed to be linked to transnational organised crime syndicates, which are targeting people across the state. [edited due to length.]
In the past month, several people across NSW have reported receiving a call from someone purporting to be a NSW Police Force officer or government agency representative, demanding money under the threat of violence or arrest. Many of these calls are made using caller ID spoofing, where the number appears to be that of the agency they claim to represent. The caller then convinces the person to divulge personal information, before giving instructions to purchase gifts cards or withdraw money and provide it to a nominated person.
“If a call is received, the best course of action is to hang-up and report to police,” Det Supt Howlett said.
Further, police remind the public to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of being scammed by cold-callers:
- • If you receive a threatening phone call (and demanding money), hang up immediately;
- • Do not disclose personal details to the caller;
- • Never provide your personal or banking details to a person who calls you;
- • Never provide your financial PIN or account passwords to anyone;
- • Do not make any payments to the caller, either via phone, internet, or cash;
- • If you are suspicious about the credentials of a person on the phone, ask questions of them. If they avoid answering or refuse to provide information, hang up;
- • Don’t let scammers pressure you – scammers use detailed scripts to convince you that they’re the real deal and create a high-pressure situation to make a decision on the spot;
- • If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately; and
- • Contact police immediately to report the incident.
To find out more information about scams or to find out other ways to protect yourself, visit here.
If you have been the victim of a scam, you can report it to local police or to the ACCC online at the ‘SCAMwatch report a scam’ page here or by calling 1300 795 995.
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17 December, from 7News Sydney: A slingshot might have been a normal Christmas present once, but police are now warning of a new type of weapon that could now land you in a lot of trouble.
The 'Doomsday' slingshot and others like it are advertised online as toys but authorities now have them firmly in their sights.
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16 December, Shared from the St Ives Community Page today
ST IVES ROBBERY (so far there have been 4 in St Ives today)
Hi everyone, Need your community help please 
Today in broad daylight we were ROBBED. I live on ### Mona Vale Rd St Ives ( across the Rd from the new daycare " The Orchard ". They are professionals! I'm posting here hoping that if anyone saw anything between 8.30-11am that you would let me know. I came home on my work break to find a house upside down. My whole house was ransacked today. They took so many valuables & sentimental items. If you see some of these things on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, etc, please report it to the police or let me know so I can ask them to get in contact with you.
- •Canon DSL camera - with all my family photos on it
- •My wedding /engagement rings
- •Traditional wedding solid gold chain
- •2 x Brand New IPad 8 (Christmas gifts for the kids to be used for school next year - unopened - we have serial numbers
- •Brand New IPhone 12 Plus - My birthday present (unopened) we have serial numbers
- •Collection of watches - 2 x Breitling watches, Raymond Weill watch, Michael Kors - Rose Gold watch
- •Our Grey Safe was taken also. All of which had passports, all of our family birthday certificates.
- •house keys, spare car keys & remote for our gates
- 2 gold chains, husbands wedding band, 4 rings, thick solid chain, Kids gold jewellery bangles, earrings and my solid gold bangles (4 in total)
There are more valuables gone and also some of the kids Xmas presents, however forensics have just left so will a better look soon. Once I find more pictures, I will post here, but thought if anyone saw anyone in the area they could let me know ASAP. Just so thankful we weren't at home with the kids at the time  Lock up everything before you leave home and stay safe! Thanks so much for all your help & Thanks to all the amazing people who have tried to get in contact to help me! You guys are amazing!
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16 December, from Neighbourhood Watch in Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby: Introducing a photo of our driveway white line marking stencil that residents can borrow from Neighbourhood Watch.
We have had so many requests that we are putting together a second kit, including high vis vests, traffic cones, rules & regs, etc.
- Please would you have a high vis vest(s) to donate?
- Please would you have a traffic cone(s) to donate?
If so  please email NHWKuringgaiHornsby@gmail.com and we'll ask one of our friendly volunteers to come and collect. Thank you in anticipation. This and other crime prevention ideas to borrow through our website 'Borrow' page: https://nhwkuringgaihornsby.org.au/borrow/
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16 December, from NHW - Galston, Glenorie, Arcadia & Dural - Rural Areas: Break-in and stolen vehicle reported in Tecoma Drive Glenorie earlier today.
Police are investigating. If you saw anything around 5-6am this morning please report to local police.
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16 December, from Crime Stoppers NSW: Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence and can lead to an injury or death.
If you are drink driving, you are breaking the law. Someone is watching and you will get caught. Everyone can help keep our roads safe. If you see, suspect, or know something call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at nsw.crimestoppers.com.au
Save Triple Zero (000) for emergencies.
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Taken from 'Our 20 Favourite Crime Prevention Tips for the Festive Season:
- Tip # 13: Do not share anything on Social Media to indicate you are on holiday. If possible, avoid setting up auto-replies to emails. [See also ‘Our 20 Favourite Crime Prevention Tips for Travel’ and WatchOut.org.au/Travel/.]
- Tip # 14: Consider temporary travel locks, or a simple door wedge to secure hotel doors. See also info from the Travel page on our watchout.org.au/travel/ website and our 20 Tips for Travel on our nhwkuringgaihornsby.org.au/tips/ website.
- Tip # 15: Beware allowing parcels to be delivered to your empty house doorstep. Thieves follow delivery vans. Consider requesting a FREE 24/7 parcel locker, or have mail held at the local post office. Maybe ask family or neighbours to help out?
- Tip # 16: Consider the deterrent of a dog. Put a dog bowl, warning sign, lead, tennis ball etc. at the front of your property. Consider a plug-in that attaches to sensor lighting and emulates a dog barking. See other 20 Tips for your home on our nhwkuringgaihornsby.org.au/tips/ website.
- Tip # 17: If you are going on a road trip, check your car’s safety before you travel. Service your vehicle, tyres and trailer. Check the safety of any load or trailer: www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/safety-rules/road-rules/towing.html.
- Tip # 18: If you are going on a road trip, secure any pet with a dog belt/pet cage/seat belt. Plan entertainment for any children so they are not a distraction to the driver. Stay hydrated and get fresh air. Check your route. Plan frequent rest stops. Swap drivers regularly.
Did you know our website has a Tips page with "Our 20 Favourite Crime Prevention Tips for the Festive Season" along with many others to download free? https://nhwkuringgaihornsby.org.au/tips/
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Thanks to Ku-ring-gai command.
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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 (Only victims may report.)
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
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