Police Scotland have reported the following to Cluny, Midmar & Monymusk Community Council:

Crime figures remain low in the area with only 3 offences being reported within the Cluny, Monymusk and Midmar area since the last meeting on Thursday 19 March 2015.

Around the 25 March 2015 a complaint of theft of plastic shed flooring from the Monymusk area was recorded. This was later disposed of as NO CRIME as informant advised that estate workers had removed the flooring. by mistake.

Around the 2 April 2015 a window was broken at an unoccupied property within the Castle Fraser Estate. A possible line of enquiry has been identified.

There has also been one recorded road traffic offence reported within the area resulting in one driver being reported to the Procurator Fiscal in relation to drink driving.

No other crimes have been reported.

Members of the public are encouraged to report any incidents they feel are suspicious or instances where they feel Police assistance would be necessary.

Police Scotland continues to emphasise the importance of ensuring commercial and domestic properties are secured to reduce the likelihood of Theft within the area.

Thanks to the quick response of a neighbour, Police Scotland have responded to sightings of would-be thieves in the Burnland area of Elrick. Two males were spotted in a residential street, acting suspiciously.

For quite some time now Police Scotland have been trying to get the message out to lock up and look out. It seems that the normal practice of what we now know is a “gang” of car thieves is to target unlocked doors to access car keys and other valuables before making off with the vehicle.

Aberdeenshire is a relatively safe place to live in, but with that knowledge we can become complacent. Please make sure your property is secure and that your car keys are not within easy reach of an unlocked house door!

Community activists in Westhill were last night undeterred at the recent theft and vandalism of their latest project designed to brighten up the town in the lead up to Gala day this Saturday.

Scarecrows that were placed around the town as part of a Westhill Art Project initiative suffered at the hands of vandals over the last few days. A 5ft tall pink pig in a red jumper was nabbed from the town centre and at one time spotted at Aberdeen Airport. I spoke to volunteer Rosemary Murray, one of the leaders of the project last night, and she had just received positive news from Police Scotland and was hoping for a reunion soon.

Another scarecrow designed by Costco was ripped off a fence and thrown in to a nearby burn. It was rescued and could be seen resting forlornly on a park bench. Hopefully with the dry spell of weather, it will have dried out in time for the Gala.

This project has brought the community together and many groups including Police Scotland, The Westhill Wheelers, local shops and businesses have shown real community spirit and contributed so that the Scarecrow Trail could be enjoyed by young and old alike. It certainly has brightened up the town. Many, many hours of hard work is spent by volunteers in organising the Gala week for the residents of Westhill & Elrick. But the show will go on; I suggest that the culprits of the theft and vandalism spend some time in the company of our community stalwarts for a bit of character-building.

Scams Awareness Month is a chance to empower consumers and their representatives so that more people know how to Spot and Stop Scams. We can do this by spreading knowledge, experience and support. Scams Awareness Month is also an important start in creating a year-round network that can support people less able to identify scams.

Citizens Advice Scotland, Citizens Advice and Trading Standards Services are leading activities throughout the month of May.

Scams are cruel crimes that blight lives and yet so many people suffer them in silence. We sometimes think “it couldn’t happen to me”, but people do get caught out. That’s why I am very pleased to support this campaign and will be posting regular updates throughout the month of May.

Social Work and Housing Committee today acknowledged the progress made in implementing Community Payback Orders and approved ongoing initiatives to further improve performance. The Criminal Juctice & Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 introduced the ‘Community Payback Order’ as the principle community based disposal to Scottish Courts.

Westhill facilities who have benefited from the CPOs are:

Ashdale Hall – planting of shrubs

Clearing pathways around Westhill

Denman Playgroup – digging up tree roots to enable children to have a garden area

Westdyke Sports Centre – weeding and clearance works

Lawsondale Sports Ground – groundworks

Homeowners and businesses are being warned to be on guard as rising fuel prices has meant an increase in the theft of domestic heating oil and Bio-Fuels.  Many people keep their storage tanks topped up during the autumn and winter so the risk of theft is increased. Several recent incidents from a variety of areas in Scotland have seen thieves target quiet, rural communities, siphoning fuel from oil storage tanks outside people’s homes and fuelling yards, leaving them with little or no fuel. Most victims have been completely unaware that anything was wrong until their heating stopped working because they had run out of oil.

To help protect your fuel supply please consider the following precautions to minimise the chances of fuel theft

.   Make sure your oil tank is not visible for the road – fences, trellising, trees or hedging can be used to disguise the tank, although remember your delivery driver will need to gain access to your tank. Make sure any screening should be a minimum distance away from the tank so it doesn’t cause a fire hazard. If you are storing Bio Fuels for conversion ensure the substance is secured away from occupied buildings under lock and key.

·   If you have a drive/entrance with gates, keeping them closed and locked may also act as a deterrent.

·  Check the fuel levels regularly to make sure that none has gone missing.

·  Lock the tank. Most tanks can be locked at the inspection cover or a lockable filler cap can be fitted to existing oil tanks.

·   Install automatic movement sensor security lighting around the tank.

·  Consider installing a CCTV system – placing a visible camera on your property may act as a deterrent.

·  Consider having an alarm system fitted to the tank which will warn if oil levels drop suddenly. This could also be useful if an oil leak occurs.

·  Be vigilant following a delivery – some fuel distributors have reported that their delivery vehicles have been followed in the past. Thieves may also return to steal replacement oil following an initial theft. If you are securing used oil awaiting uplift from a reputable company ensure you know when they will be attending to uplift and that the driver has the proper paper work. If you have any doubts contact the company directly and confirm the uplift.  Use a telephone number from the telephone book or other reputable source and not just the number given to you from the driver or his work mate.

.  Report any suspicious activity to the police by dialling 101 for non emergency calls and 999 for all other emergencies.Theft of heating oil tends to be a rural problem but not in all cases. The majority of those homes do not have access to mains gas and rely on alternative forms of heating such as oil. When fuel prices rise heating oil becomes a lucrative commodity for thieves, with both homes and businesses being targeted.

Scrap metal theft was under discussion in a meeting with Grampian Police today. Officers were asked for an update on policing of this crime. New legislation is likely to make a positive impact. The rules will see all scrap metal dealers with a turnover of £1million or less requiring a licence to trade. Licencing could ensure that better records are kept, CCTV cameras are installed and checks on customer identification are carried out. The public are being encouraged to work with the police to identify both scrap metal thieves and rogue traders. Theft of metal has increased all over Scotland in recent times and has seen communities being targeted for power cables, manhole covers, lead from church and other community facility roofs and even plaques from war memorials.