‘VehicleMania’, a ward-exclusive campaign incorporating both theft of and theft from vehicle crime will main event the team’s preventative efforts this spring. Owners of the most at-risk vehicles will be visited and encouraged to make use of independent security measures, including steering wheel locks, while checks will be conducted to ensure items of potential value are not left on display inside vehicles to help remove opportunities for theft. The team’s social media platforms will also be used to further remind residents and visitors to the ward of the best ways to keep their vehicles safe and secure.

The ’Road to VehicleMania’ began on March 15th, with 15 vehicle owners spoken to about steering wheel locks, wheel clamps and collapsible bollards. In recent years, the types of vehicle being reported stolen have become less predictable so everything from the Toyota to the Kia were subject of these visits. Meanwhile, the opening week of April saw 448 vehicles checked in the Rush Green area, resulting in 6 incidents of items of potential value being found on display, ranging from cash to golf clubs.

VehicleMania aims to be the team’s biggest vehicle crime-related initiative in its 18-year history.

Two-wheeled vehicle-based anti-social behaviour (ASB) and two recent robberies earlier on in the year will form the basis for continued patrols of the park, with keys times for these issues factored in. As part of a planned tie-in with after school patrols, Central Park will be visited to provide safety for students passing through, while the late afternoon, along with weekends, will see a greater presence to detect and deter mopeds being driven in the park. With 10 access points to the park, preventing entry to vehicles will be a challenge. Previous efforts have seen an Environmental Visual Audit (EVA) requested to seek means to restrict illegal access without hindering legitimate visitors to the park. The team will look to act on any information provided in relation to individuals believed involved in ASB around Central Park and neighbouring Fels Field.

Two-wheeled vehicle-based anti-social behaviour (ASB) and two recent robberies earlier on in the year will form the basis for continued patrols of the park, with keys times for these issues factored in. As part of a planned tie-in with after school patrols, Central Park will be visited to provide safety for students passing through, while the late afternoon, along with weekends, will see a greater presence to detect and deter mopeds being driven in the park. With 10 access points to the park, preventing entry to vehicles will be a challenge. Previous efforts have seen an Environmental Visual Audit (EVA) requested to seek means to restrict illegal access without hindering legitimate visitors to the park. The team will look to act on any information provided in relation to individuals believed involved in ASB around Central Park and neighbouring Fels Field.

Vehicle-related crime, namely theft from and theft of vehicle, will be more thoroughly addressed over the summer months, building on previous campaigns to drive down crime. Strategies for combating vehicle theft will include visiting residents hyperlocal to incidents and those who own same-type vehicles to those being targeted. A similar approach was taken between 2019-2021, which saw 478 visits across the ward, with 87 Ford Fiesta, 46 BMW and 20 Range Rover owners among those provided advice. A methodical measure will also be used to remove opportunities for theft from vehicle offences, including a ‘car-by-car’ approach to identify items of potential value left on display. A day in April this year saw 246 vehicles checked, while July 2020 recorded 470 checks in a single day, including 316 on Parish Fields. On the latter occasion, 11 items of potential value were noted and brought to the attention of the owners.

Eastbrook and Rush Green ward continues to be a safe place to live and visit, with violent incidents in public places among the borough’s lowest. The team have continued to provide a precautionary presence around Rush Green’s Barking and Dagenham College, a potential hotspot for robbery given the high number of young people attending the venue, along with coverage of open spaces, with a recent patrol in March taking in 2.5 miles of the Eastbrookend Country Park and surrounding area. Early evening foot patrols remain a staple of the SNT’s efforts to provide reassurance for those heading home to the ward after work, which has included Footpath 155, a cut-through between Rush Green Road and Gorseway often used by residents.