SEPTEMBER 2009
CONTENTS
• Herts comes top in National Awards – page 2
• Tens of Thousands of DVDs seized – page 3
• Lead, leads to SmartWater arrests – page 4
• Guardian to crack down on Burglary – page 5
• Man caught twelve years on – page 7
Introduction
Welcome to In the Loop – your regular update on news from Hertfordshire
Constabulary.
In this issue there is some important news about Operation Guardian – our
campaign to tackle burglary which historically shows an increase in Autumn and
some encouraging news on how modern technology is helping catch offenders.
I hope you find this edition helpful - please use the feedback details at the end of
this bulletin if you have any suggestions or comments to make.
Frank Whiteley
Chief Constable
(L-R) Mike Astbury, a Director of Alexander, Awards sponsors, Detective Superintendent Mark Drew, Detective Inspector Stuart
Campfield and Chief Constable Steve Finnigan QPM of Lancashire Constabulary, who is Head of the ACPO Performance
Management Business Area and Chair of the Excellence in Policing Conference.
CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES (C2) WINS NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Hertfordshire’s Choices and Consequences (C2) programme, which aims to steer prolific, acquisitive
criminals away from a life of crime, has scooped the prestigious national Association of Chief Police
Officers (ACPO) Excellence in Policing Award 2009.
The ground-breaking project was voted the winner at the Excellence in Policing Conference on Tuesday
(September 22) coming top over three other shortlisters. In total there were 55 entries from 20 police force
and police organisations.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Miller, who developed the programme, commented: “C2 is a new and
challenging way of working, and whilst we still have a way to go, there’s no doubt that it has already
achieved some very positive outcomes for the local community, both in terms of crime detection and
reduction.
“I would like to thank all those involved in the project, including our partners, for their continued
commitment in breaking the cycle of crime for the long term. In targeting the small number of offenders
who have the biggest criminal impact in Hertfordshire, we hope to make it even safer.”
The C2 programme is the first of its kind nationally. Offenders accepted onto the project must comply with
all the conditions of their C2 order. This includes actively participating in the C2 project, abstaining from
using any form of drugs – regular tests will be carried out to ensure there are no substances in their system and attending a number of interim court hearings.
Any sentence C2 candidates may have received had they not been on the C2 project is deferred for a period
set by the courts, and they must stay away from offending and deal with any addiction for a period of up to
three years - if they don't, they will be brought back before the court to be re-sentenced.
The C2 programme is run by Hertfordshire Constabulary in partnership with Hertfordshire Probation
Service, The Rank Foundation, Crown Prosecution Service, the Drug Intervention Programme, the Regional
Offender Management Service, Herts in Trust, the Regional Offender Learning & Skills Centre, Turning
Point, the Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board and Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust.
The Excellence in Policing Award was set up by ACPO to enable forces and partnerships to share details of
the most innovative policing projects throughout England and Wales.
THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL DVDS CONFISCATED BY NEIGHBOURHOOD OFFICERS
More than 10,000 DVDs have been confiscated by the Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood team following a
number of proactive covert operations to stop illegal DVDs being sold to members of the public in Hatfield.
On Sunday September 20, 486 DVDs were seized from a car boot sale in Birchwood, Hatfield. A man, aged
in his 20s, was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property and given a formal police caution.
Last month, two men were arrested and 9,574 DVDs and CDs confiscated as well as 3,841 printed sleeves.
A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property and is on police bail until
November 2, 2009. A second man was released without charge.
As with other police teams across the County, Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood team regularly carries out
plain-clothed patrols at car boot sales across their district including Brookmans Park, Cuffley and
Birchwood and have been working closely with the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).
If you suspect anyone of being involved in the illegal sale or production of DVDs or CDs, please contact
police on 0845 33 00 222.
TWO MEN ARRESTED IN BURGLARY REDUCTION CAMPAIGN
Just a few days after its SmartWater’s official launch two men have been arrested on suspicion of burglary
after a quantity of lead was checked for traces of SmartWater, the forensic property marking fluid which was
launched this month across Dacorum.
Between 6pm on September 14 and 9am on September 15, St Mary's Church in Tring had lead stolen from
its roof. Officers soon located a quantity of lead at a nearby scrap metal merchant, and checked it for traces
of SmartWater. The search proved positive and officers seized the materials.
Two men - a 23 year old man and a 24 year old man, both from Hemel Hempstead - were arrested. They are
currently on police bail while enquiries continue, and are due to return on October 3.
SmartWater is the ultimate theft deterrent which uses state-of-the-art forensic technology to protect homes
and businesses from criminals.
Each SmartWater system contains a unique DNA-style forensic code which is simply dabbed into the nooks
and crannies of your valuables. Each SmartWater code is stored on a secure database together with the
owner’s details making them uniquely identifiable.
Once dry, SmartWater is virtually impossible to remove and any traces will glow under ultra-violet light.
SmartWater irrefutably links criminals to the crime scene and property back to its owner. Traceability is
something criminals hate, so they will avoid it at all costs. SmartWater can also used to protect premises by
forensically tagging intruders.
Dacorum Chief Inspector Mike Pryce commented: "Not only have we distributed SmartWater across Hemel
Hempstead in vehicles, homes and other premises, but we are also proactively checking for traces of
SmartWater and other property markings across Dacorum - every individual and their property brought into
custody will be checked.
I'd also advise residents to register their valuables on the free online database www.immobilise.com that
way if your property is lost or stolen, it can help us return it to you."
For more crime prevention advice, visit www.herts.police.uk, or call your local Crime Prevention Officer on
the non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222.
OPERATION GUARDIAN LAUNCHED TO CRACK BURGLARY
Hertfordshire Constabulary this month launched a new campaign to prevent and reduce burglary across the
whole county over the coming months.
The campaign, called Operation Guardian, will include activity including road-shows to help people register
and mark their property, a new range of advice leaflets and increased enforcement across Hertfordshire - and
with this new initiative the county is primed to take on burglars and help deal with any increases in burglary
levels, should they occur, over the autumn and winter months.
Assistant Chief Constable Alison Roome-Gifford is leading the campaign. She said: “Whilst we have seen
successes with tacking burglary in Hertfordshire so far this year, nationally there tends to be an increase over
the coming months and we want to make sure we're well prepared to buck the national trend - one victim is
one victim too many in what can be not only an incredibly inconvenient crime but also a distressing one. We
are looking to educate residents about the few simple ways they can help keep their possessions secure and,
perhaps more importantly, help motivate people to take just a few moments out of their daily routine to
follow these steps.”
Crime Prevention Advice:
1. If you have a UPVC door, always make sure you lift the handle AND use the key to properly lock it.
2. Check that ground floor windows and doors are closed and locked when you leave the house or go to
bed. Upstairs windows should be closed and locked when the house is unoccupied.
3. Secure your rear garden by shutting and locking any gates - burglars can use garden tools to break in,
so make sure you securely lock away any tools after use.
Chair of Hertfordshire Police Authority, Stuart Nagler, said: “Hertfordshire is a low crime county but we
must all remain vigilant to keep it that way. All too often, burglary affects the more vulnerable people in our
communities, such as the elderly. Not only do we need to take the basic steps to keep our own property safe,
we also need to help our more vulnerable relatives, neighbours and friends to keep safe.”
For more advice, visit www.herts.police.uk and click on ‘Crime Prevention’.
As well as countywide initiatives, a whole range of activities are taking place in towns and villages across
Hertfordshire, all under Operation Guardian. Activities include:
•
•
•
Dacorum is running a pilot with Smartwater, a forensic property marking fluid which links property
to its owner and criminals to the scene of the crime.
Teams in Hatfield are looking to help their residents, particularly the student population, keep their
possessions secure by working with the student union's website, leaflets being handed out at local
supermarkets and letters with key advice to residents in local area.
In the east of the county, the neighbourhood teams are out and about helping residents register their
property on the free online property register www.immobilise.com – which can help police return
your property to you if it’s lost or stolen.
…and much more.
Enforcement is also a key priority for officers, with activity planned across the
county to target offenders and check any property for markings which could
indicate it is stolen.
“I’d also like to send a message out any criminals tempted to come into
Hertfordshire,” continued Alison. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of
burglars across the county. Officers will be proactively checking you and your
property for traces of forensic markings, and we will be making full use of
ANPR to target you."
Alison concluded: “We will be playing our part with our partners in the local
authorities to keep burglary low, but residents can help too. You are often best placed to know if something
is unusual in your neighbourhood – I’d ask you to look out for your neighbours, and report any suspicious
behaviour to police. Together we can help keep Hertfordshire a low crime county.”
In an emergency or if you see anything that requires immediate police response always dial 999. If you
know someone who may be handling stolen goods, or who you suspect is a burglar, contact police on 0845
33 00 222 or call Crimestoppers (an independent charity) anonymously on 0800 555 111.
DRINK DRIVER FINALLY TRACED AFTER 12 YEARS EVADING JUSTICE
A drink driver who gave a false name at court and tried to evade justice for more than a decade is now
serving a motoring ban and suspended prison sentence after officers finally caught up with him.
Insisting that Anis Nowaz remain circulated as wanted, officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary saw their
tenacity pay-off last month with his sentence at St Albans Crown Court (August 26). Nowaz, now aged 40,
was originally arrested on October 7, 1996 after his car, a Fiat Punto, was seen by officers travelling at 52
miles per hour in a 30 mile limit zone in St Albans. The driver, who was more than twice over the legal
limit, gave officers a false name, that of Hitesh Raja. The driver’s finger prints were taken whilst he was in
custody and he was bailed to appear in court.
Shortly afterwards, fingerprint identification made it clear that ‘Hitesh Raja’ was in fact Anis Nowaz.
Officers then worked hard to track down Nowaz and even appeared on BBC Crimewatch making an appeal
for information in December 1997.
Detective Sergeant Ken Townsend, who was is based at Hatfield and works on the Offender Management
Unit was originally involved in the inquiry. He explained: “Numerous reports were received linking Nowaz
to the Bolton area of the county, however the overall belief was that he had moved back home to Pakistan.
The trail went cold but we hoped that his connections to the UK may see him return one day so we
maintained his status on the Police National Computer (PNC) as ‘wanted’.”
At 09:15 on February 27 this year in Bolton, a police officer was on patrol and stopped a car as it was not
displaying a valid vehicle excise licence. Ken continued: “The driver of the vehicle gave conflicting address
details and different dates of birth. It was established that the driver was uninsured and did not hold a driving
licence. He was arrested and taken to Bolton police station and his hands placed on the livescan fingerprint
recognition system which identified him to be Nowaz and wanted by us at Hertfordshire.”
A Hertfordshire finger print expert then corroborated this information. Livescan was not available in 1996,
had it been Nowaz would have been identified by his fingerprints immediately at that point. The
introduction of Livescan has dramatically assisted the police in the immediate identification of offenders.
During interview, Nowaz fully admitted his deceitful actions and further admitted that he had never held a
valid UK driving licence. He was charged with perverting the course of justice and for the more recent
matters in Bolton of having no insurance and driving with no licence. He pleaded guilty to all matters and
was finally sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on August 26.
Nowaz was sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months for perverting the course of
justice, ordered to pay a fine of £1000 or in default serve 28 days imprisonment. In relation to the historic
drink drive matter he was disqualified for 12 months. Nowaz was also fined £280 for the driving offences in
Bolton earlier this year.
Ken said: “This was a man who thought he had escaped justice and showed no respect for the law or anyone
he came in contact with on the roads. However over the years he had changed his ways and become a
respected member of his community and recognising an opportunity to make amends for his crimes, pleaded
guilty.
“We are totally committed to bringing offenders to justice no matter over how long a time period – those out
there who think they can get away with crime, think again. Your past will catch up with you at some point
and when you least expect it we will be waiting there to catch you.”
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