Dales Police Report – April 2021

Dales Police Report April 2021

Firstly, an update on the planned move of Leyburn Police Station to the shared facility at Leyburn Fire Station. The sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed that this has not happened yet. It is still going ahead but has been delayed due to a technical problem with IT. We will keep you posted as to when we are moving.

The last month has seen little in the way of crime. One stand out offence was the theft overnight on 23rd March of 10 chimney pots, valued at over £500, from outside Cellar Antiques in Hawes. Please contact us with any information.

We have taken a number of reports of attempted scams. Please remember that a genuine bank or organisation will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or to move money to another account. Only give out your personal or financial details to use a service that you have given your consent to, that you trust and that you are expecting to be contacted by.  Also, don’t be tricked into giving a fraudster access to your personal or financial details. Never click on a link in an unexpected email or text. And finally, always question uninvited approaches in case it’s a scam. Instead contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.  If you have been affected by fraud, report it to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk).

On a personal note, I shall be retiring in May from the police and my role as Beat Manager and Wildlife Crime Officer at Leyburn. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the many past and present colleagues who I have worked with in the last 29 years, and whose support and friendship has been much appreciated. Policing is a unique and varied career, with many challenges. When I joined we were largely focused on crime, whereas your average officer today has a wide range of demands, not only investigating crime and disorder, but also working with partners to safeguard victims and the vulnerable.  Personally, when dealing with people I have always tried to work on the principle that behaviour breeds behaviour. This approach must have had some success as I very rarely needed to draw my truncheon, and was only shot at once (he missed!).  A big thank you to the dedicated volunteers, such as Dales Watch, who help to keep crime levels low, and Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, who are always there to help with the seemingly impossible. They are just two examples of the support which is freely given in our amazing Dales.  Others, such as my friends in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and RSPB deserve a mention, but this risks becoming an Oscar acceptance speech!

Stay safe

Julian Sutcliffe

Northern Dales Neighbourhood Police Team