New website shows crime stats on interactive map

Queensland Police have just launched a new website which shows crime stats on an interactive map.

You can specify areas such as postcodes (eg enter 4032 to view our local area) or specific Neighbourhood Watch areas and you can also specify a particular date range. You can also narrow down the search by particular types of offences.

Note that to select a NHW area you need to type a zero in front of the number for single digit numbered areas, so for Carseldine 6 you would need to enter it as Carseldine 06.

Once you have made your selections, dots will appear on the map showing the number of crimes in that area. Hover your mouse over the numeral and a number of dots appear around the number, each dot representing a specific reported offence. If you hover your mouse over one of the dots, it will show a summary of the offence and indicate whether or not it has yet been solved.

Note that dots are located near where the offence occurred, but for privacy reasons it will not show the exact address.

It will be updated every night but the data will be up to one week old. So for example, on Thursday it will show data up to Thursday of the previous week. Data will be loaded for the last 13 years.

To have a look at the map, go to: http://www.police.qld.gov.au/forms/CrimeStatsDesktop.asp

Local Crime Stats - May

There were no reported offences in our NHW area in May.

However, there were reported offences in nearby NHW areas, including West Chermside, so it is important that we always remain vigilant and take precautions to ensure our safety and protect our property.

In particular, nearby offences included:

Opening letterboxes. Tip - lock your letterbox with a good quality padlock. Thieves can take items such as credit cards from letterboxes, but even other mail can be used by criminals to steal your identity so it is important to protect your mailbox.

Entering house through unlocked door while occupants were working in the garden. Tip - always keep the doors locked, even when home, especially when out in the garden, doing the laundry etc. Don't forget to take the key with you - you might like to keep it on a cord that you can hang around your neck so you don't lose it while gardening).

Stealing of motor vehicle - may have been unlocked and key may have been left in the ignition. Tip - ensure car is always locked and keep the keys hidden. As was mentioned at one of our recent NHW update meetings, modern cars are now very difficult to steal without the keys, and so many car thieves break into homes specifically to get the car keys. Don't make it easy for them by leaving the keys out in plain sight on the kitchen bench or a keyhook etc. Put them away out of sight.

Police request help to identify potential crime sites

A message from Carseldine Crime Prevention:

At approximately 1735hrs on Thursday 30^th May 2013 on Lacey Rd (near the intersection with Beams Rd) Carseldine a woman was raped while walking home.  This offence was facilitated by utilising the overgrown footpath as cover for the offender.

It is requested that whilst out and about in the Carseldine division particular attention is paid to public areas such as parks, walkways and footpaths for areas that are overgrown and pose a risk to public safety.  Should any such areas be observed please notify me ASAP so I can arrange for the council to rectify.

The QPS needs your help to identify areas that have the potential to become sites of crime due to overgrown foliage, poor lighting etc.

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In our own NHW area, our Area Co-ordinator has been following up with Cr Fiona King’s office about the installation of lights in Huxtable Park, as mentioned at our last Update meeting.

Cr King’s office has advised that there has been a hold up with supply of light poles but they anticipate having the lights operating by 30 June.

Turning the screws on crime

The Brisbane West Crime Prevention Unit is offering residents the opportunity to have ‘one way’ screws attached to their vehicle number plates.

These prevent thieves stealing your number plates.

Police will be available to fit these special screws free of charge.

 

DATE: Wednesday 12 June 2103

TIME: between 11 am and 1 pm

PLACE: Brookside Shopping Centre – East Car Park – outside Woolworths.

One way screws prevent thieves stealing your number plates as they can only be removed by the police with a special tool.

Keeping children safe in car seats

Up to ninety-three percent of child car restraints in Queensland are incorrectly installed or used, according to a recent study by Kidsafe  - a non-government, not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the prevention of unintentional childhood injuries.

They concluded that this places too many of our babies, toddlers and children at risk of serious injury or death in the event of a car accident.

Kidsafe recently visited a major regional centre in Queensland and found that 93% of child car restraints checked did not secure children safely.

Kidsafe and a local news network randomly selected cars at a North Side shopping centre to check the child car restraints and found 100% of the restraints checked put the kids at risk. Most common problem found was harnesses not at the right height for the child, twisted straps, seat belts and tether straps.

An analysis from Kidsafe’s Brisbane child car restraint checking and fitting centre confirmed that between 70 and 90% of child car restraints were not correctly used, installed or the right restraint for the child.

It is essential when installing a child car restraint to read the instructions carefully. The instruction booklet will tell you how to use the child car restraint, how to install it and what child the car restraint is suitable for.  

Many people are also not sure of the child car restraint laws and are selecting the wrong restraint for their baby or child. If there are any doubts people can call Kidsafe on 3854 1829 for clarification of the rules or how to use a child car restraint.  

Further information is also available at their website http://www.kidsafeqld.com.au/