WITH Halloween and Bonfire Night falling within a few days of each other, this is always a busy time for us. As usual, we have been focusing on anti-social behaviour, and officers have been carrying out patrols to disrupt potential criminal activities.

Safer Neighbourhoods teams have been visiting firework outlets ensuring that they are sold responsibly and encouraging shopkeepers not to sell flour and eggs to children. We dispersed a few groups of rowdy youths, across the borough, on Halloween, but there were no related arrests.

The festival of Diwali takes place next week; this is often a time when we experience robberies where Asian gold is targeted.

Festivals are a time for celebration so please don’t let somebody spoil it for you. Always travel to and from the festival in a group, avoid travelling alone and park your car in a well-lit area. Keep your jewellery covered until you are inside the venue.

Officers of the week are PCs Simon Limb and Tony McGovern who have been concentrating their patrols in Wealdstone, tackling street crime and anti-social behaviour. We recognise that there is still work to be done, however, we are already seeing some good results and have received positive feedback from business owners and residents. If you know of anyone who is involved in crime contact us on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

I would like to thank our police cadets who have recently been taking part in a drive initiated by Harrow Council to recruit more Neighbourhood Champions. As a result of this activity, 33 new Neighbourhood Champions were recruited in the Stanmore, Queensbury and Harrow on the Hill areas.

Future events on other wards are being planned. For more details about becoming a Neighbourhood Champion visit www.harrow.gov.uk/ncsignup.

As part of our Autumn Nights crime prevention campaign, PSCO Suzanne Keys has been holding a number of crime prevention events in different locations across the borough. The next one is on Wednesday, November 14, at The Cube, St Ann’s Road, Harrow, between 10 am and 3pm.

On this occasion, PCSO Keys will be focusing on the elderly, to ensure that they are aware of how they can better protect themselves and their homes. Come and have a chat. Visit http://content.met.police.uk/Site/crimepreventionhomesecurity.

Last week, Detective Inspector James McEvoy was presented with his long service medal and Elaine Young, who is a member of police staff, was presented with her long service certificate at a ceremony hosted by the Commissioner at Hendon Police Training College. Both James and Elaine joined the MPS in 1991.

On leaving training school, James took up his first post as a young PC at Chiswick, while Elaine’s first role was a clerk at Notting Hill police station. They are both extremely dedicated to the service and are valued members of Harrow’s staff.

An update on the stolen bicycles: We have been contacted by Brompton Cycles who are assisting us in identifying the owners of the cycles that were recently recovered at an address in Stanmore.

Since the appeal, 12 people have contacted us and so far we have confirmed that three of the bikes are stolen. We are still in the process of trying to locate the owners of the remaining bikes.

If you have recently had your Brompton folding bicycle stolen, contact PS Dave McCarthy by email at dave.mccarthy@met.police.uk.

Finally, a member of public contacted his police in Kentish Town last week informing them that his bike, which he had reported stolen a year ago, was for sale on eBay. The officer investigating the theft contacted colleagues in Harrow and the following morning PS Dave McCarthy executed a search warrant at an address in Harrow and recovered the stolen bicycle.

Thankfully, before the theft, the original owner had his bike property marked by Camden Police and the frame number was recorded and placed on www.bikeregister.com, thus making the process of verifying and reuniting the owner with his bike, much simpler.

Unfortunately for the current holder of the bike, it transpired he was a genuine, but misguided buyer.