Crime Prevention Advice
Please find below, effective crime prevention advice for your Home, your Vehicle and Personal Safety:
Home
When you go out, always lock the door and close the windows - even if you are just going out for a short time.
- Window locks, especially on older windows, will help stop people getting in (and remember, a burglar is less likely to break in if they have to smash a window).
- If you have deadlocks, use them. They make it harder for a thief to get out again. But don’t leave the key near the door, or in an obvious place.
- Don’t leave spare keys outside, or in a garage or shed, and put car keys or garage keys out of sight in the house.
- Use timers for lights and radios if you need to be away from home overnight. They will create the impression that someone is in.
- Visible burglar alarms, good lighting, and carefully directed and limited security lighting can act as deterrents. But make sure that lights don’t disturb your neighbours, and that alarms turn off after 20 minutes.
- Fences at the back of the house may make this area more secure, but walls and solid fencing may let a thief break in without being seen. A good compromise is chain-link fencing, or trellises with prickly shrubs.
- Fitting a ’spy hole’ allows you to see who is at the door. Having a door chain means you can open the door a little way to talk to them.
Vehicles
- Lock the doors and close the windows when you leave the car - for any length of time.
- Don’t leave anything on display - even a jacket can seem like an appealing target for a thief.
- Remove the stereo if you can. Also, tuck in wing mirrors and put the aerial down to discourage vandals.
- Never store your car’s documents in the car.
- A Thatcham-approved immobiliser or steering lock can help secure older vehicles.
- Think about having components the windows etched with the car’s vehicle registration number (VRN), and make a note of its chassis number.
- Keep your car keys in a safe place, even in your house, so that someone breaking in cannot steal your car too.
Personal Safety
The chances of you or a member of your family becoming a victim of violent crime are low. Violent crimes by strangers in public places are still rare and account for a very small part of recorded crime.
However, you can make yourself even less likely to be the victim of a violent crime, for example, robbery (mugging) or assault by taking a few sensible precautions. Many are common sense, and may be things you already do. Making yourself safer doesn’t mean changing your entire lifestyle, personality or wardrobe, and it doesn’t mean never going out at all.
Some general points:
- You will be safest in bright, well lit and busy areas.
- Try to look and act confident, look like you know where you are going and walk tall.
- You might like to spread your valuables around your body. For example, keep your phone in your bag, your house keys in your trouser pocket and your money in your jacket.
- If someone tries to take something from you, it may just be better to let them take it rather than to get into a confrontation and risk injury.
- You can use reasonable force in self-defence. You are allowed to protect yourself with something you are carrying anyway (for example, keys or a can of deodorant), but you may not carry a weapon.
- If you decide to defend yourself, be aware that your attacker might be stronger than you, or may take what you are using in self-defence and use it against you. It is often better just to shout loudly and run away!
- Shout ‘fire’ rather than ‘help’ it can get more results.
- If you use a wheelchair, keep your things beside you rather than at the back of the chair.
- Try not to be conspicuous about the valuables you are carrying. Talking on your mobile phone, carrying a laptop, or showing your friend your new gold ring all show thieves that you are worth robbing.
- When out walking or jogging, you should not listen to a personal stereo through headphones, so you can stay more alert to your surroundings.
- Try not to be conspicuous about the valuables you are carrying. Talking on your mobile phone, carrying a laptop, or showing your friend your new gold ring all show thieves that you are worth robbing.
Finally
If you require any further crime prevention please free to contact your local SCT on the details provided on the home police page, as we will be able to contact you directly either via the phone, email or a home visit.