Covid 19 News from Neighbourhood Watch

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Please see the following updates from our local Neighbourhood Watch team relating to the coronavirus situation:

Working together

I am sure you are all keeping abreast of the latest developments with Coronavirus in the UK at the moment and are aware of the necessary actions required if you feel unwell. These are unprecedented times and communities need to work together.

Neighbourhood Watch is all about caring for our residents and the communities in which we live, and we try to be positively responsive in times of need.

I would therefore encourage everyone to help and support their local elderly and vulnerable residents. This could be by joining a local volunteer force set up by the councils or other organisations, or with simple tasks like shopping, posting letters, collecting prescriptions for your friends and close neighbours. By keeping it local, there is a good chance that you know all or most of these people and they know you! It helps to prevent unwanted scammers and fraudsters from operating in the area and taking advantage of the current situation.

Now that self-isolation has been introduced for those over 70, we also need to ensure that residents are not lonely during this time, especially if families and friends are unable to visit. A friendly phone call every now and again would probably mean a lot!

Please contact your local councils,church groups or volunteer organisations to register interest if you have time to spare.

Scam alerts

In these unprecedented times, the spirit shown nationally, to help each other, has been tremendous, however please be aware that opportunists and criminals can take advantage of the elderly and vulnerable who are self-isolating. Anyone being offered ‘kindness’ by cold callers by way of running errands, collecting prescriptions and doing shopping should not accept services from strangers who may ask for cash up front, a credit card and its PIN, or gain trust simply to execute a more elaborate scam. e.g. to access savings.

Most people offering to help elderly people in their neighbourhood are genuinely kind, honest and caring. The elderly self-isolating will be stuck for food, supplies and someone to talk to if they don’t have friends, family or a nearby neighbour that they already know.

If everyone makes contact now with their nearest elderly neighbours WHO THEY ALREADY KNOW and gives them their phone number and offer of help for when they need it, it will reduce the chances of them accepting help from a stranger who may turn out to be an opportunist, confidence trickster and thief.

If you are suspicious that fraudulent activity is underway, please call the Police on the non-emergency number 101 and inform Action Fraud on www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Hertfordshire Beacon Victim Care Service

Due to the current COVID-19 situation we would like to re-assure you that the Hertfordshire Beacon Victim Care Service is still providing a service for anyone who has been affected by crime in Hertfordshire. If you require support from Beacon, please email info.hertfordshirebeacon@catch-22.org.uk and a Case Manager can get in touch to provide support. We can help with:

  • Providing someone to talk to about the crime
  • Practical support and information, for example, how to keep safe
  • Support with contacting other organisations who are involved, for example, the police
  • Information about other organisations that can help

If you’re unable to email us on the address above we do still have access to our main phone line, however this is more limited than usual. You can leave a voicemail and we can get back to you as soon as we can: 0300 0115 555 (option 3).

We also have lots of information on our website at www.hertfordshirebeacon.org.