Here are some simple ways you can protect your home and property against burglaries over the festive period:
- Lock doors and don’t leave keys in the inside lock.
- Lock windows – even small ones.
- Lock your vehicle and close windows when leaving it – even for a short time.
- Remove possessions from your vehicle and, either take them inside with you, or, put them out of sight in the boot of your car.
- If you are going on holiday – make sure that a friend/neighbour/family member goes into your home and shuts or opens the curtains and ask them to take in any post. Remember to stop your milk or newspapers.
- Consider installing a CCTV camera and marking your possessions with a UV pen.
- If you have a side gate make sure it’s locked. Don’t leave ladders outside.
- If tools are left out they may use these to gain entry to your property. Secure them away in a safe place.
- Empty homes mean no one to raise the alarm – if you’re out; make it look like someone’s in. Draw curtains, use a light-timer switch and leave a radio on.
- Holidays give extra time to target properties – Cancel milk and papers and ask a trusted neighbour to remove mail from your letter box and keep an eye on your home while you are gone. Set your burglar alarm, or fit a dummy alarm.
- Valuables on display are like a market stall for thieves – if they can see something worth stealing, they are more likely to break-in. Don’t leave valuable or expensive items on show.
Basically, do all you can to stop YOUR home being burgled!
If you see a crime in progress (such as someone breaking into a property, trying door handles, breaking into a car, damaging property etc.), then phone the 999 Emergency number and ask for the Police. In a non-emergency situation (for example, there is someone or something suspicious going on which doesn’t look ‘quite right’), you can contact the Police by phoning 101, or by email via the Police ‘doitonline’ link below. This link is very useful if you have information to pass on, you want to report anything, need an update or want to contact an Officer then you can do this on ‘doitonline’. You won’t need to phone 101 as there is an Officer dedicated to receiving messages via the link, which is: https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/ Please do try it.
Are you and your Watch Members signed up to ‘In the Know’ (ITK)? If not, and they would like to be, please ask them to log into http://www.stayintheknow.co.uk. Alternatively, ask them to email me with their name, address, email, mobile and home number (if they have one) and I will put their details on the ITK system.
Have a Lovely festive season look after yourself and your property.
ALL THE BEST FOR 2017 from
Sam blincow (watch liaison officer) & DAVE SPINDLEY (VOLUNTEER)