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Essex Police Pet Theft Survey Results
During lockdown, a local resident rediscovered her love of art. Trish Gough has always loved to draw, but decided during lockdown that she would try to her hand at painting and has found a new way to spend her time, in between working and walking her beloved dog, by painting beautiful pictures. So far, she has shared photos of her paintings with
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friends mainly via social media and has made some sales this way. Trisha has set up her own Facebook page, @MaisBon Arts, the name she selected was in honour of her beloved Springer Spaniel Maisie who is no longer with her and Bonnie Trish’s current springer spaniel. Like many people Trish wanted something to keep her busy during lockdown and to keep her sane. She now loves to do acrylic paining and her paintings range from modern to traditional pictures. So if you would like to see some of the new local artist, please take a look at Trish’s Facebbook page. You can see examples of Trish’s work and even purchase a new locally painted picture for your home. Keep painting Trish, it is great that something good has come from lockdown.
PROTECTING OUR PETS – RESPONSE TO NATIONAL DOG THEFT SURVEY
We must do more to help protect your pets – that’s the message Essex Police have heard loud and clear from the thousands of people who have taken part in our national survey about dog thefts. More than 124,000 people took part in the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Survey and over 11,000 from the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk). The results were recently published to coincide with the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance Dog Theft Awareness Day and the start of Pet Theft Awareness Week.
Out of those who participated in the survey, 418 have had a dog stolen but over 27,000 knew somebody who have had a dog stolen. 94% had seen reports of dog theft on social media with the majority seeing this on facebook book and in community pages. Pleasingly 92% of participants said they would report it to the police if it happened to them, though 65% said they had become more fearful of dog theft over the last year. Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “We have had an overwhelming response to the survey. Thank you to everyone who has taken part. “We are fortunate in Essex to have had a low number of reported dog thefts but even those few are too many especially for those directly affected. We can and must do more to protect our pets. As dog owners we understand the impact that this crime can have, and these survey results clearly show the strength of feeling within our communities. “I am pleased to see the positive way Essex Police has responded to the increased public attention on this subject, including their efforts to find stolen dogs and help people know how to protect their pets. “It is clear to me that the issue is important to you and we need to do more to strengthen the law, change how pet theft is reported and increase awareness and prevention activity so that you all know how to keep your dogs safe and protected. “I will be speaking to the Home Secretary to provide my thoughts and input into the review of dog thefts that she has started. I will also be working with my colleagues across the country to look for ways we can help forces work together to provide a robust deterrent and will continue to work in Essex to keep our owns pets safe. Please be assured we will be acting on your comments and views and taking this forward.”
Essex County Council are pleased to announce that, following Government guidance for the roadmap out of lockdown, they are planning to reopen libraries to the public on Monday 12 April with new opening times. They have listened to the feedback rgey have received from customers during lockdown about o their temporary winter opening hours timetable and have adjusted their opening hours accordingly. However we don’t know if there are any changes to local libraries. The new timetable will remain in place until the end of March 2022 and can be reviewed on their website from 12th April. Essex and Thurrock Library Services are also about to start the transfer to their new Library Management System (LMS). The new LMS will deliver a modern, interactive experience that will continue to evolve and develop and give residents a system that is fit for the future. Over time the new system will have the following benefits: • Access to over 6 million new items of stock • Socially interactive platform • Users will be able to follow their favourite authors, friends, read press releases on forthcoming titles • It will enable authors to engage with their readers • It will display the most popular titles, the current content and latest releases • It will host virtual book clubs • It will follow the customer, build a profile and make recommendations • Customer recommendations – star rating system and post reviews • Events bookings system In order to transfer the data and set up the new LMS, the library catalogue and app will be unavailable 6-21 April. During that period customers will be unable to search for items, place reservations or check their account. Customers will still be able to collect any reservations they have previously been notified are available.
Illuminated 'Gadgets' shop sign opposed
An internally-illuminated fascia sign at the 'Gadgets' shop in Epping High Street is being opposed by the town council after it was put up without planning permission. The town council has a policy to oppose internally-lit shop signs with a district council policy supporting the view if the signage affects the character of historic town centres.
Councillor Cherry McCredie told a recent planning and general purposes committee: "I'm really getting a bit fed up with retrospective applications. "People think they can do what they like, put in the application and it will go through. We have to be seen that we have teeth. We have to be strong here." Committee chairman councillor Nigel Avey said: "We should stick to our guns. Previously we have said 'no' to illuminated signs." Councillor Barbara Scruton said: "It is not going to affect their trade. Town Mayor Grahame Scruton said: If this had come to us before it was put in we would have objected because it is internally illuminated."
