Community Engagement and Reassurance
PC Steven Graham and PC Gary Martin are based at Balfron Police Office and can be contacted on 101 or at ForthEndrickCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk. It is recommended that this email address is used by the local community for email contact.
We cover all of the 13 villages that are contained within this large area from Gargunnock all the way beyond Strathblane and everywhere in between. It is large but also a very beautiful and picturesque area.
There is a Community Council in almost every village, and we attempt to attend all the monthly Community Council meetings where possible so if there is any issue that requires our attention, you can speak to us there also if required. We are also organising village surgeries in as many villages as is possible in order we can address any pressing problems.
Theft
There have been no thefts reported in the Village, however there has recently been an increase in Theft by Housebreakings reported in some of the villages in the Forth and Endrick area. We urge residents to be ever- vigilant and contact the Police should anyone see anything suspicious.
Please remember to follow basic home security rules and help to make it make it harder for the thieves.
Please consider the following:
- Use timer switches on lights and radios to make it look as if your home is occupied.
- Ensure all doors and windows are secure when you leave and when you go to bed.
- If possible, use secure lighting at the front and back of your property.
- Make sure all garden tools and ladders are locked away when not being used. Don’t give the thieves the tools to break into your house.
- Use a good quality lock on any garden sheds and outhouses.
- Make a note of all makes, models and serial numbers of expensive items in your home.
- If your house is fitted with an alarm, then please use it. This is a good deterrent should thieves manage to force entry to your house.
- create a FREE and secure inventory of all your personal property at http://www.immobilise.com
- If you note anything suspicious in your neighbourhood report it on 101.
We appreciate any calls in relation to suspicious persons or vehicles. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you observe anything suspicious as these types of reports are taken very seriously and your report may assist us with any ongoing enquiries.
Road Safety
In May, near to Kippen Roundabout, a female was arrested in relation to drunk driving. She was released on an undertaking to attend court at a later date.
There was also a two- vehicle Road Traffic Accident on the A811 near to the Kippen Roundabout. No injuries and both parties exchanged details.
There were a further 2 minor Road Traffic Accidents in Main St, Kippen. On both occasions there were no injuries and details were exchanged.
The Central Scotland Safety Camera Partnership have continued to operate on the A811 near to Kippen, one driver being reported directly to PF for driving at 85mph in a 60-mph limit.
We have attended Kippen Primary School in relation to a report of inconsiderate parking outside the school in the morning and in the afternoon.
PHISHING
The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness around Phishing attacks. Criminals and Organised Crime Groups launch Phishing attacks, targeting personal/business accounts either by email, social media, or text. They encourage users to click on malicious link/attachments which compromise their email or social media accounts, asking users to divulge banking information or access sensitive information.
The advice below describes how you can spot suspicious emails, and the steps you can take to ensure that you don’t fall victim, both at work and home:
- Confirm details of the actual email address it came from; you can do this by hovering mouse over the senders email address.
- Many phishing emails have poor grammar, punctuation and spelling.
- Is the design and overall quality what would you’d expect from the organisation the email is supposed to come from?
- Is it addressed to you by name, or does it refer to ‘valued customer’, or ‘friend’, or ‘colleague’? This can be a sign that the sender does not actually know you, and that it is part of a phishing scam.
- Does the email contain a veiled threat that asks you to act urgently, or cause intrigue? Be suspicious of words like ‘send these details within 24 hours’ or ‘you have been a victim of crime, click here immediately’.
- Look at the sender’s name. Does it sound legitimate, or is it trying to mimic someone you know?
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It’s most unlikely that someone will want to give you money, or give you access to a secret part of the Internet.
- Your bank, or any other official source, should never ask you to supply personal information from an email.
For more information on how you can stay safe and secure online, visit the following websites:
https://www.scotland.police.uk/keep-safe/keep-secure-online/
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/suspicious-email-actions
https://www.cpni.gov.uk/dont-take-bait
https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/
