This month............ April


It can sometimes be quite shocking as to what comes through your front door first thing in the morning!
I recently received mail which can only be described as ‘bonkers’ - the junk  in circulation is truly astounding. We seem to be bombarded relentlessly, not just with mail, but also spam email, misleading adverts, dodgy doorstep callers and telephone scams. Every year the British public loses billions of pounds to scammers. 
So beware! The old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is”, still rings true. Strathclyde Police would like to alert you to the Little Book of BIG Scams, reproduced by kind permission of the Metropolitan Police Service. They were inspired by The Little Black Book of Scams, originally created by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as inspiration. The Police hope this booklet will increase your awareness of the vast array of scams that are being used and teach you some easy steps you can take to protect yourself. It should be seen as a general guide to many of the scams currently operating in the UK. Download the booklet at http://www.sbcc.org.uk/news-events/latest/the-little-book-of-big-scams.aspx 
And on the theme of Police, did you know that there is a new number to contact the Police on for non-emergency situations? 
The non-emergency number 101 has been launched by Strathclyde Police across Scotland and replaces the range of existing police force non-emergency numbers, which will gradually be phased out. 
The introduction of the 101 non-emergency number gives the people of Scotland a new way to contact the Police, seek advice, speak to a local officer or to report a crime that doesn’t need an emergency response, for example, car theft, damage to property, a minor traffic collision, suspected drug use or dealing, or information about crime in their area. It’s available 24/7 and chargeable at a flat rate of 15p per call. 
In the case of an emergency, please continue to dial 999. That’s when a crime is in progress, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when a life is in danger, or when violence is being used or threatened.
And finally, on a lighter note and taking a lead from the original ‘bonkers’ theme, I have just been made aware of an unusual contest, “How long can you sustain a chip on the shoulder?” The Guinness Book of Records presently makes no reference to such a challenge, so this could be your chance to get yourself a record, of some sort, if you haven’t done so already. However, in the interest of fairness, honesty and integrity, some criteria have to be fulfilled. The chip has to be obtained legally, it cannot be taken from someone else’s stash without their prior consent, and posing as someone else in order to obtain a chip is strictly forbidden. A date is still to be set, but stay alert for the announcement of the Public Event at which the contenders will have an opportunity to trial their unique prowess. Well, I did say... ‘bonkers’!