Ferndale Area Residents Association (FARA)

At the AGM your wishlist priorities were:

• Burglary / theft / mugging
• Anti-social behaviour
• Rubbish / fly-tipping
• Dog fouling
• Motor vehicle crime

FARA has set up a working group to address these issues. Anyone is welcome to join us, please email wishlist@fara-leytonstone.org.uk. There are other useful contacts at the bottom of this page.

Here’s how we are tackling these issues with YOUR help:

FARA is a neighbourhood watch scheme as well as a residents’ association, and we look out for each other and forge close links with our Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team and our Council Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer (contact details at bottom of this page). Here is the advice that they provided to help keep you safe:

• PVC doors are a target for thieves. Make sure they are locked properly, which means that when you leave the house you must lift the handle, turn the key, then release the handle, in order for the door to be locked. Give it a test before you walk away!
• Doors and windows – do not leave them open when you are out, or overnight. This applies to back doors as last year we had some burglars attempting entry via back gardens, and also to all ground floor windows. If you want to leave windows open while you are out, make sure there is a key-operated lock limiting how far they can be opened.
• TAKE ACTION! Use timers so that lights and radios come on when you are out, so it looks like someone is home. FARA can supply you with free timers – just ask your street co-ordinator.
• TAKE ACTION! Mark your property using UV pens. If your property is stolen and it is not marked, you will not get it back. Your FARA street co-ordinator holds a UV pen that you can borrow – just ask them.
• Make sure you do not have hedges over 1 metre high. Although hedges may afford you some privacy, they also provide shelter for burglars. If you keep hedges low, nobody will be able to approach your property without being seen.
• Locks should be 5 lever mortice or better. Generally this will be specified by your contents insurance provider. In any case this is the standard to follow to ensure that it’s harder to break in to your home.
• TAKE ACTION! Let your contents insurance provider know that you are an active member of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme – often this will give you a discount. (And if you are not yet a member of FARA, what are you waiting for? Join up here now!)
• TAKE ACTION Display your neighbourhood watch sticker in your front window – this is a real deterrent to burglars. Recently someone from the Probation Service, responsible for supervising offenders on Community Service, told us that criminals will avoid streets where most of the houses display a Neighbourhood Watch sticker – so make sure yours is on display! (The sticker features meerkats and was part of your FARA membership pack. If you cannot find it, please contact Flash for a replacement. And if you are not yet a FARA member, please join!)
• TAKE ACTION! FARA has a stock of leaflets from the police, which advise on securing your property and valuables. They are entitled “Keep it safe. Keep it hidden. Keep it locked.” For a leaflet please contact Flash.
• TAKE ACTION! Other items that FARA can provide (via the local police service) include hollow Heinz food cans in which you can hide valuables, and metal chains to secure your wallet to a belt hook. To obtain these items just ask your Street Co-Ordinator.

Bear in mind that often the fear of crime is far higher than the likelihood of it happening. FARA is an area with a low crime rate. Partly this is thanks to being in a neighbourhood watch area, and partly this is due to us being very aware of crime and taking steps to prevent it.

In particular there is a very low risk of mugging in the FARA area, however there is a hotspot around Leytonstone tube station where you are advised to take care.

FARA is working closely with the community and the local police to reduce anti-social behavior in the area. In particular we have a good working relationship with the Single Homeless Project and Pastures Youth Centre (both in Davies Lane).

• For example, the behavior of young people in our street before and after Pastures “open house” events has been worrying and even threatening to our members. These events have now been stopped while they are reviewed. FARA supports Pastures in their work with young people, and via our regular meetings we are able to address any issues.
• We also work closely with staff at the Single Homeless Project and are happy to welcome people living at Edward House into our community.
• We have noticed an influx of stickers advertising “Masage” (sic), attached to lampposts and other street furniture in the FARA area. We report these for removal to the council but you could do so too: the number to call is 020 8496 3000 then press 6 to speak to someone.
• The police also have dispersal orders in force, which cover spaces near to the FARA area including John Walsh and Fred Wigg tower blocks. The council provides a dedicated anti-social behavior officer, Caron Sandbrook.

Generally we feel that the situation in our area is good, but we are working to improve the locality and will be happy to hear of any issues from members.

If you experience any anti-social behavior please do let us know via your street representative or any committee member (click here for contact details.) It is helpful if you can let us know at the time or as soon as possible, as it is hard to address issues a few weeks after they have passed.

Of course in any emergency, i.e. where there is a crime in progress or where you feel in immediate danger, you should always dial 999 and ask for the police.

• You should report any instances to the council. Although rubbish and fly-tipping was a concern selected by members at the AGM, it does not appear to be a current problem in the FARA area.
• Of course if you are affected, let us know (click here for contact details) so that we can keep tabs on the situation. You should also report any fly-tipping to the council – call 020 8496 3000 then press 6 to speak to someone.

• TAKE ACTION! If you are a disabled blue badge holder, the police can provide free security locks to secure your blue badge to the steering wheel, thus making it much harder to steal and providing a deterrent. Note, these were previously available at £12 but are now free, although they do not fit the newest blue badges. To request a blue badge lock, please contact Flash who will order one from the police for you. However we understand that stock is limited.
• Don’t leave valuables on display – it only takes a few seconds to break in and grab your stereo or sat nav. Remember to wipe the inside of the windscreen so that sat nav sucker marks are not visible.
• Make sure that if you have a car alarm, it is armed when you leave the car.
• TAKE ACTION! Use a “crook lock” to secure the steering wheel. If your car was registered before the year 2000, you can get a free crook lock. Speak to your local police (contact details below) to order one.
• TAKE ACTION! Display a “No valuables inside” flyer on your car’s dashboard, to tell criminals that there’s nothing worth stealing in the car. FARA has a stock of these flyers, contact Flash if you’d like one.

This is the #1 hot topic mentioned by members both during membership drives and on comment forms. Therefore, FARA held an action event on 14 May to draw attention to the issue of dog fouling.

• Before the day we asked the council to clean our streets of dog mess.
• On the day a team of FARA members approached dog walkers, offering a free goody bag containing dog treats and other lovely things! The goody bag also contained some “doggie doo” bags and leaflets on responsible dog ownership. This means that we were able to speak to dog owners and give them a gift, while at the same time asking that their dog does not leave any ‘presents’ behind!
• After the day we have asked the Safer Neighbourhoods Team to be vigilant in ticketing any offenders who do not clean up after their dog in our streets. Following our day of action there is no excuse!

FARA also asked the council to provide a bin at the end of Ferndale Road, not just Davies Lane, as we believe this would reduce the dog mess left on our streets. This was provided in March 2010 along with an extra bin in Davies Lane as well.

FARA:
Wishlist team:           wishlist@fara-leytonstone.org.uk
Events team:             events@fara-leytonstone.org.uk
Flash (chair):             chair@fara-leytonstone.org.uk or text 07939 579090
Your street co-ordinator:  please see our contact details page.

Police:
Cann Hall Safer Neighbourhoods Team: 020 8721 2036
Leytonstone Safer Neighbourhoods Team: 020 8721 2874

Waltham Forest Council:
Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer: Bill Nisbet 020 8345 3178