Hitting back: Lincolnshire Police are working hard to tackle car crime after a large number of car thefts in the run up to Christmas.
Lincolnshire Police have detailed a list of the top streets in Lincoln for car-related crimes, and has launched a campaign to stop thefts in the run up to Christmas.
In the period between November 1 to 19, there were 29 incidents of car crime on Outer Circle Road, topping the list of most targets areas.
Other roads which saw high numbers of vehicle crime were Greetwell Road (26), Monks Road (20), Carholme Road and Lindum Terrace (18) and High Street (17).
The figures are despite a reported 11% drop in vehicle crime this year in the city.
Typically, these thefts rise during the festive period, due to people shopping for presents and leaving items in their cars.
Item stolen from broken-in cars include sat navs, iPhones and iPods, wallets, CDs and cash.
One recent victim of car crime in Lincoln is Louise Dowky, who was shopping in the city centre at the time of the incident. Despite taking precautionary steps, her vehicle was targeted by thieves.
She said: “We came into Lincoln shopping one Saturday afternoon, but unfortunately when we returned to our car in the early evening the passenger door and window had been smashed and [thieves] had been into the glove box and stole the sat nav.
“If I could go back, I’d definitely park somewhere that was well lit, with CCTV if that is possible. If not, I’d take my valuables with me.”
So far, police have made 40 arrests in Lincoln over the past few months relating to car crime, and also use “trap cars” to catch criminals out.
The campaign also aims to target those handling stolen goods (including city shops that sell the items on), and make residents more aware of how to prevent these kinds of crimes taking place.
Police will make regular random checks on those believed to be handling stolen goods, and £200 is offered to the public who help police get information catch and convict a handler.
Targeted intelligence patrols will identify crime hotspots and the police presence will be increased.
Inspector Pat Coates said: “We’re really lucky to live in a city like this, particularly at this time of year with one of Europe’s best Christmas markets on our doorstep. Crime is low and falling, but that doesn’t mean we can get complacent.
“We do have a real issue with thefts from vehicles and historically it does get worse at this time of year, but we do have an opportunity to stop that happening this year. The message is really very simple. If you don’t leave anything in your car – there’s nothing to steal.
“We all have a responsibility to tackle this problem together. We will do our part to the best of our ability and we have demonstrated that with the number of arrests we have made and continue to make in this area.
“But we do need the public to work with us. Always lock your car, always remove all valuables, especially expensive items like sat navs, smart phones and MP3 players and always call us immediately if you see a crime in progress, anyone trying car doors, or even just someone looking into car windows.
“The call is never wasted and many of the arrests we’ve made have been on the back of such communications.
“If we really work together we really can drastically reduce this type of crime.”
Social media will also be used by police to describe examples of people not protecting their cars or property properly (locations and identification of the vehicle protected).
Smartphones also come with application that help you trace your valuables with GPS if they go missing, such as Apple’s iCloud/Find my iPhone feature.
The UK National Property Register, Immobilise, is recommended for items like sat naves, phones, laptops and tablets. It helps residents retrieve property if police retrieve it.
Lincolnshire Police demonstrate how easy it is to get something stolen out of your car, especially if left on show.
A dramatic video shows a car engulfed in flames in the car park at Lincoln County Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
An on-call crew from Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue attended the scene on Greetwell Road shortly before 5pm on Tuesday, April 13.
The crew used one hose reel to extinguish the fire and fortunately no casualties were reported.
The car is probably a write-off. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Dramatic pictures from the scene show the severe damage that was caused to the front of the car.
Fall in county infections but a Boston spike
There have been 50 new coronavirus cases and three COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday — compared to 58 cases and no deaths this time last week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 26 new cases in Lincolnshire, 19 in North Lincolnshire and five in North East Lincolnshire.
On Tuesday, three deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, none in North East Lincolnshire and -1 in North Lincolnshire. Fluctuations in data are usually due to some deaths in those areas being reallocated to other regions across the UK or a miscount. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England has reported two new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust hospitals.
On Tuesday, national cases increased by 2,472 to 4,375,814, while deaths rose by 23 to 127,123.
In local news, people aged over 45 can now book their COVID vaccinations on the NHS website after the government reached its target of offering a first dose to the nine most vulnerable groups.
There were recently some technical difficulties for people accessing the NHS website, but vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the issues have been fixed – book a vaccine online here and find out if you are eligible.
Over the weekend, Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate has fallen, with a spike in Boston only.
Similarly, the England average has also seen a drop in infections, but still remains nearly half Greater Lincolnshire’s rates.
Lincoln has dropped by more than half over the weekend and now has one of the smallest rates in the UK, with just 9.1 per 100,000 of the population infected with COVID-19.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s COVID-19 infection rates up to April 12:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 5 to Apr 12. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
In national news, Boris Johnson has warned that the reduction in coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths “has not been achieved” by the rollout of COVID vaccines.
The prime minister, speaking the day after the latest easing of lockdown restrictions, instead said it was the national shutdown that had been “overwhelmingly important” in driving down COVID rates.
England is giving out its first doses of the Moderna jab, the third COVID-19 vaccine in the nation’s rollout.
It will be available at 21 sites, included the Madejski Stadium in Reading and the Sheffield Arena.
Along with the Pfizer jab, it offers an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for under-30s, after concerns about a possible link to very rare blood clots.
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,772 cases (up 50)
2,184 deaths (up three)
of which 1,302 hospital deaths (up two)
4,375,814 UK cases, 127,123 deaths
There will be another Kill The Bill protest in Lincoln next week, rallying against a new government bill that diminishes protesting rights.
Protests have been rife across the country since the government’s proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was first discussed, with scenes turning violent in Bristol.
Over two hundred people peacefully took part in the city’s first march at Speakers’ Corner on April 3, including Extinction Rebellion activists and Socialist and Labour supporters.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Now, after a post started doing the rounds on social media, another protest has apparently been scheduled for 2pm on Monday, April 17 at the same location on Lincoln High Street, as part of a national day of action.
A poster promoting a second event has been shared across social media platforms.
Protests are lawful once again after the government eased lockdown restrictions on March 29, but organisers are required to submit a risk assessment prior to any event.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Organisers of the last protest were in close communication with police to make the event safe, and The Lincolnite has asked Lincolnshire Police if they have been made aware of another protest, but are yet to receive a reply.
Whatsapp
