Heritage Crime
Heritage crime is any offence which harms the value of heritage
assets and their settings to this and future generations. It covers
a wide variety of activity that is responsible for damaging assets
that are of particular historical interest.
This activity can damage assets beyond recovery which can lead
to the loss of a piece of history forever.
Due to the very nature of heritage assets putting right damage
is costly to the public purse. For example, the recent rise in
metal theft from ancient monuments is leading to repair bills of
hundreds of thousands of pounds when damage is caused by the
removal of the metal and weather damage when roofs are left open to
the elements.
For more information visit the Heritage
Crime page
Policing The Past
A number of different agencies have been looking at the problem
of heritage crime and have come together to see what can be done to
protect heritage assets for future generations.
What is Heritage Watch?
Heritage Watch is a network of partners and community groups who
hold knowledge and current information relating to heritage
locations within their community. Heritage Watch brings communities
together to care for the environment in which they live and is a
fantastic approach to preserving Cheshire's Heritage for future
generations.
This is the first scheme of its kind in the country and
will connect local people to heritage sites within their
community.
This is achieved by:
Receiving and cascading information:
- Neighbourhood police updates
- Crime reduction information
- Warnings e.g: rogue traders, scams, safety
- Sharing community information with: Each other, police,
agencies and voluntary groups
- Working with the police and other agencies to solve problems
where there are community concerns
- Help to increase the security of heritage assets through
awareness, prevention and action.
Activities undertaken by a Heritage Watch Group
- Members will agree to share their contact information with
their local Heritage Watch Champion
- Each Heritage Watch Group will be registered with the police
via their local Champion
- Groups will use an e-mail system to share weekly updates from
the police and other agencies and will provide verbal or written
updates for non email members
- Each group will receive and cascade information between members
such as
- policing updates, crime reduction information and other
information e.g. unauthorised building work
- Sharing community information with each other, police, other
agencies and voluntary groups
- Use their local knowledge of Heritage sites to keep a special
‘watch’ on Heritage assets ‘at risk’
- Work with Police and other agencies to solve Heritage issues /
problems.
How you can get involved
- Find out what heritage assets exist in your community at:
http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/
- Become a Heritage Watch champion
- Start up a Heritage Watch group
- Share this information with other people who live in your local
area
- Report anything suspicious relating to assets in your community
that you are concerned about
To become a Heritage Watch champion or to get involved in
starting a local Heritage Watch Group, either fill in the Contact form or contact the Communities
Unit by email: communities@cheshire.pnn.police.uk
Report it
When reporting crimes against anti-social behaviour against a
heritage asset, it would help us if you could:
- State the type of crime that has occurred/is occurring
- If known, state the type of asset that has been affected
- Name the asset, the asset's address and your contact
details.
In an emergency always dial 999
Non emergencies - 101
Crimestoppers - 0845 555 111
To report a past heritage crime online, visit:
http://www.talkingwestcheshire.org