Stay safe, stay protected.....
It's that time of the year again - good cheer and happy times can be ruined by opportunistic thieves.
House-breaking is one of the most common crimes. It is not always necessary to spend a lot of money on home security. Most house break-ins appear to be crimes of opportunity with entry gained through an open or unlocked window or door. There are things you can do to limit your risk that will cost you nothing.
• Get to know your neighbours. Exchange telephone numbers and keep and eye on each other’s homes. Observant neighbours can decrease prowling, loitering and burglary by reporting suspicious people or vehicles to police.
• Keep doors and windows locked in areas of the home that are unoccupied, even when you are at home.
• Secure the house when you leave by locking all doors and windows. Remove keys from internal doors and windows
when you are not at home.
• Give your house the “lived in” look when you’re out by leaving a light on and the radio or television playing.Timing devices are effective for this.You can also turn down the telephone so it doesn’t give away that no one is at home.
• Ensure your house is visible to neighbours and passers-by, and not shielded by trees, so that offenders can be observed.
• Keep cash and valuables out of sight and out of easy reach.
• Avoid leaving notes on the door as they suggest that no one is home.
• Avoid leaving a house key under the door mat or a pot plant, in the letterbox or in any other obvious place.
• Ensure your house number is clearly visible so it can be located quickly in an emergency.
• Mark valuable property using the Police Property Identification System.
• Know which doors and windows you can use as an exit in an emergency so you can leave quickly and safely.
• In an emergency always ring 000. Use the speed dial of your telephone to record other important numbers.
