17/08/12….Turning the tide on rogue traders

THE tide has been turned on rogue traders who mostly target older or vulnerable people in Oxfordshire, thanks to the efforts of the county council?s Trading Standards Service, in partnership with Thames Valley Police.

While doorstep crime incidents are on the increase nationally, in Oxfordshire reports of this type of crime fell by 10 per cent last year.

This is the first year the team has seen a small reduction in reported incidents in Oxfordshire – down from 524 to 480 (April 2011 to March 2012).

Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police adopt a joint approach to tackling this problem. This includes a rapid response to reported incidents, as well as joint investigations and raising awareness through publicity campaigns, such as the current advice about doorstep crime.

Intervened to save cash

In the past year the joint Doorstep Crime Team intervened to save Oxfordshire residents