26 April, 2018 | Local News
Tweed Valley Neighbourhood Watch over the last few months has been generating more schools into this Tweed NHW initiative of School Watch.
As it stands at the moment we have six schools participating with another three being investigated this program is designed to keep children’s parents plus the general public informed of the importance of keeping watch over our schools during school holidays, weekends, and the night hours.
Recently with the assistance of NHWA we have been able to print a very attractive brochure with our new School Watch logo plus a School Watch sign. This brochure carries very important messages advising the young folk about Social Networking and Online Safety. Page two covers the LOOK – LISTEN – REPORT information (download here) about the School Watch Program plus how to contact police telephone numbers and Crime Stoppers.
As well as this our NHW Volunteers phone the participating Schools every few weeks just to keep the contact open and check if all is well, plus the Combined NHW Secretary sends out safety hints for the schools to include in their Newsletters.
The important factor of the School Watch Program is keeping in touch and keeping the interest going.
Follow up is the name of the game. Show you are interested and the schools will stay interested. Also bear in mind we are also promoting NHW.
Should any group be interested in starting a School Watch Program contact Gordon Levenson 0404029230 Tweed Valley NHW.
23 February, 2018 | Safety and Security
Download the Home Safe Brochure
Home should be a place where you and your family can enjoy safety and security.
Criminals are often opportunists, and will will target homes with poor home security to steal belongings.
You can secure your home by taking a few simple steps which will significantly lower the risk of your home being the target of thieves.
Here are some simple steps we all can take to protect our home.
Secure your home
- Fit quality security doors, windows, locks, alarms, lighting and warning signs
- Secure all windows and doors
- Activate your alarm, smoke detectors and security lighting
- Lock your gates, sheds and garages
Check your home
- Ensure your street number is clearly visible
- Keep trees and shrubs trimmed to improve visibility around your home
- Lock away items such as ladders, tools and gardening equipment
- Don’t leave spare keys outside the home
- Don’t leave valuables, mobile devices or keys (home or vehicle) in clear view
- Mark valuable property and record details
When away from home
- Use a timer to activate an internal light or radio to give the impression someone is home
- Have family, a trusted friend or neighbour check on your home. Inform them of your travel plans, park a vehicle in the driveway, collect the garbage bins and mail
- Consider redirecting your mail, newspapers and deliveries
- Never advertise your travel on social media sites
For further information about protecting your home, please download the Home Safe brochure.
For more crime prevention information visit www.police.nsw.gov.au
13 December, 2017 | Safety and Security
The ACCC is warning the community to be wary of scammers trying to ruin their Christmas holidays.
“Scammers often try to take advantage of people during the busy Christmas period and prey on our vulnerabilities at this time of year. For example, they may take advantage of you looking for a good deal on a family holiday, searching for a loved one’s present at an online store, or even that you’re expecting a present from someone through the post.”
Watch out for three common holiday season scams:
- Travel scams: scammers trick their victims into believing they’ve won a travel prize or scored a really good deal on a travel package, like a cruise. Unfortunately these seemingly too-good-to-be-true holidays are nothing more than a scammer’s con. In the past 12 months, nearly $86,000 has been lost to this scam, with about 1750 reports.
- Online shopping scams: scammers will set up believable looking online stores to trick people into goods that don’t really exist. They might also set up fake online classified or auction site listings. They entice people with legitimate looking discounts and may even advertise items as the perfect Christmas present for a loved one. This scam has cost Australians more than $1.3 million in the past 12 months, with more than 6440 reports.
- Parcel delivery scams: with millions of packages moving across the country to get under a Christmas tree in time, scammers will send fake ‘missed delivery’ notices to potential victims. These scams are aimed at getting people to download malware or ransomware onto their PCs, which can be costly to remove; or steal their personal information. Scamwatch has received about 1700 reports of this scam in the past 12 months.
“Your personal information is often just as valuable to a scammer as your money so always be careful about the information you give out online,” Ms Rickard said.
“There are some simple tips you can follow to stay ahead of scammers these holidays.”
“If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do your research on any online stores you’re using, especially if it’s for the first time. Never do a deal or make a payment outside the online auction site you are using. If you are buying from a classified website only hand over the money when you have physically inspected the goods. Finally, never open attachments or download files you receive out of the blue—no matter who the email comes from or how legitimate it looks,” Ms Rickard said.
Follow @scamwatch_gov on Twitter and subscribe to Scamwatch radar alerts to get up-to-date warnings.
Source: ScamWatch website (11 December 2017)
24 October, 2017 | Safety and Security
As hordes of children, or ghouls, vampires, zombies or whatever the case may be, prepare to head out onto the streets this Halloween, the NSW Police have provided some advice on ensuring children remain safe.
NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Crime Prevention, Chief Superintendent Brad Shepherd, said with more and more children celebrating Halloween in New South Wales it is a timely reminder to provide everyone with some simple guidelines to ensure ‘trick or treating’ activities are done safely.
“Younger children should always be supervised by a parent, carer or responsible adult at all times.”
“It is important to recognise that not everyone celebrates Halloween each year — so it is best to stick to houses with decorations on their properties.”
Police will not tolerate damage to property.
“While it is an exciting time for everyone, remember to be aware of your surroundings and take extra care when crossing roads and driveways,” Ch Supt Shepherd said.
“If you’re a parent or carer heading out to join in the ‘trick or treating’ fun, make sure your house is locked and secure.”
It’s also a good idea to drive with extra care around the neighbourhood, as there will be a lot of excited kids around the streets and they may forget to look out for cars and bikes. “
Halloween safety tips for big kids
- Tell your parents or a responsible adult where you’re going and what time you’ll be home;
- Be respectful of your neighbours;
- Remain in familiar well-lit areas in your neighbourhood and don’t take short cuts;
- Be sure to stick to the footpaths and take extra care when crossing driveways or roads;
- Stay with your friends at all times and carry a mobile phone when ‘trick or treating’ in case of emergency;
- If you’re riding a bike or using a skateboard, ensure you’re wearing a helmet;
- Under no circumstances should you get into a vehicle with someone you don’t know; and,
- Don’t ever enter a stranger’s home, even if they invite you inside.”
A reminder on Useful Phone Numbers:
Tweed Heads Police Station: 07 5506 9499
Police Assistance Line: 131 444
Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000
In the event of an emergency or life-threatening situation, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
24 October, 2017 | National News
Neighbourhood Watch Australasia’s Remote and Vulnerable Communities Project (RAVC) received a bronze award in the community-led category of the 2017 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPA).
The ACVPAs recognise best practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia.
“Neighbourhood Watch Australasia has produced a print based, highly visual, culturally relevant, large stand alone, flip chart education resource called Speak Up, designed to educate people who don’t hold English as a first language, on how to seek help,” said Neighbourhood Watch Australasia’s inaugural Chief Executive Officer Ingrid Stonhill, who developed the program.
“The educational resource gives examples of what situations match which emergency service and how the call needs to be made.
“Speak Up, which has been implemented following broad community consultation, addresses the lack of understanding and confidence in reporting crime. All too often we assume people know how to seek help.
“Educating people on how to ask for help also encourages reporting and ensures police are being made aware of community safety issues they might not otherwise have been alerted to,” said Mrs Stonhill.
Neighbourhood Watch Australasia (NHWA) is the overarching organisation of all member Neighbourhood Watch programs, working collaboratively to offer higher calibre resources.
“To now have an Award Winning resource is a wonderful testament to the significant contribution we make to creating safe, connected and inclusive communities,” said NHWA President, Bernie Durkin.
These annual awards recognise the outstanding contributions being made across Australia for crime prevention, including the development and implementation of practical projects to reduce violence and other types of crime in the community.
“The Neighbourhood Watch Australasia RAVC Project provides education and awareness resources to remote Indigenous communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, encouraging local residents to report crime and seek assistance through emergency services,” said acting Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) Director, Nicole Rose PSM.
“By addressing the communication break down between local police, emergency services and community members, the visual Speak Up resource produced in simple English is working towards reducing both violent and property crime in these remote communities.”
All projects are assessed each year by the ACVPA Board, which consists of senior law enforcement representatives from each state and territory police service, and chaired by the acting AIC Director.
Northern Territory ACVPA Board representative, Superintendent Virginia Read said the Speak Up resources are an excellent tool to assist those needing emergency services to provide accurate information and improve response times.
“Northern Territory Police recognise the efforts of Neighbourhood Watch Australasia to improve personal safety of those who live in remote areas. The services we have in urban areas are often restricted and what we take for granted is not always the case when you live somewhere like Maningrida for example,” said Superintendent Read.
The awards are a joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments, coordinated by the AIC and co-sponsored by the Law, Crime and Community Safety Council.
For information about the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards visit www.aic.gov.au/acvpa
Tweed Valley Neighbourhood Watch over the last few months has been generating more schools into this Tweed NHW initiative of School Watch.
