Advice from Nottinghamshire Police’s Crime Prevention Unit

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SECURING YOUR HOME

Home security checklist

Windows and doors

• Whenyougoout,alwayscloseandlockexternaldoorsandwindows,evenifyouarejustgoingoutforashorttime.

• Fitafivelevermorticelock(British Standard3621)toallexteriorwooden

doors.Thelockisonlyaseffectiveastheframeitisfittedtosomakesurethisisingoodcondition.PatioandFrenchdoorsshouldhavetopandbottomboltsfitted.Ifyouarehavingnewwindowsanddoorsinstalled,ensuretheyarecertifiedtoBritishStandard7950(windows)orPAS24(doors).

• UPVCorcompositedoorshavemulti-lockingsystems,butitisstronglyrecommendedtheyarefittedwithananti-snaplockcylinder(TS007)of3*standardasaminimum.

• Windowlocks,especiallyonolderwindows,willhelpstoppeoplegettingintoyourhouse.Remember,aburglarislesslikelytobreakinifitwouldmeantheyhadtosmashawindow,asthesoundofbreakingglasscouldattractattention.Oneinthreeburglarsgetinsidehomesthrougharearwindow.Windowlockscanbeseenfromtheoutsideandcoulddeteraburglarfromforcingthewindow.

• BeforefittingextralockstoUPVCwindows,talktothefittertomakesureitwon’taffectthewarranty.

• Ifyouhavedeadlocks,usethem.Theymakeitmoredifficultforathieftogetoutagain.Butdon’tleavethekeynearthedoororinanobviousplacenearby.

• Ifyouhaveaflatroofextensionthewindowsaboveitshouldalwaysbelocked.

• Aspyholeinyourfrontdoorallowsyoutoseewhoisthere.Adoorchainallowsyoutoopenthedooralittlewaytotalktothecallerwithoutopen-ingitfully.

Keys

• Ensureyourkeysarekeptinasafeplaceoutofsightandwellawayfromyourletterbox.

• Don’ttagkeyssotheycanbeeasilyidentified.

• Keepallsparekeysinasafeplace.

• Don’tleavesparekeysoutsideorinagarageorshed.

Outside your home

• Neverleavegaragesorshedun-locked,especiallyiftheyconnecttoyourproperty.

• Visibleburglaralarmsandcarefullydirectedsecuritylightingcandeterburglars.Makesurealarmsstopsoundingafter20minutesandlightsdon’tdisturbyourneighbours.

Your home

Contrarytopopularbelief,mostdomesticburglariesarecommittedbyopportunistthieveslookingfortheeasiestwayofgettingintoyourhomewithoutbeingseenordisturbed.Sometimestheydon’tevenhavetouseforce-theygetthroughanopenwindowordoor.

Lookatyourhomethroughtheeyesofaburglar.Arethereplaceswhereaburglarcouldbreakintoyourhomewithoutbeingseen?Howwouldyougetinifyouhadforgottenyourkeys?Ifyoucouldgetinside,socouldaburglar.

Securingyourhomeisthebestwaytoreducethechancesofyoubecomingavictimofburglary.Followthisadvicetoensureyourhomeisassecureaspossible.

Securing your home

Protecting the perimeter of your property

• Planningregulationsgovernmanychangesyoucanmaketotheoutsideofyourhome,includingerectingwallsandfences.However,youdon’tneedtoap-plyforplanningpermissiontomakeeverychangeyoumightwantto.Checkwithyourlocalplanningauthority.

• UnlessyouliveinaListedBuilding,oryourlocalcouncilhasremovedyour‘permitteddevelopmentrights’(yourrighttocarryoutlimiteddevelopmentwithoutapplyingforplanningpermission),youcanbuildafenceorboundarywallupto1metrehighwhereitwillbenexttoaroadorfootpath,orupto2metreshighelse-where.

• Yourfrontgardenshouldnotprovidecoverforaburglar.Hedgesorfencesatthefrontofyourhomeshouldbelimitedto1metrehigh.

• Attherearofyourproperty,hedges,fencesorwallscanbeupto1.8metreshigh.Gatesleadingtotherearofyourpropertyshouldbethesameheightandpadlocked.

• Foraddedsecurity,placeatrellisalongthetopofyourfenceandplantpricklyorthornybushesalongsideit.

• Fitlightinginyourgarden.Considersecuritylightsthatarecontrolledbyapassiveinfraredsensorthatdetectsmovement,orlowwattagelightscontrolledbydusktodawnsensorsthatstayonallnightandarerelativelycheaptorun.

• Lightsshouldbefittedhighandoutofreach.

Intruder alarms

Ifyouareconsideringbuyinganewintruderalarm,it’sagoodideatoobtainatleastthreequotesfromindustryapprovedinstallers(NACOSSorSSAIB)ortalktoyourinsurerwhomayhavesomerecommendations.

YoucouldalsousetheTradingStandardswebsitewww.buywithconfidence.gov.uktocheckforvettedsuppliersinyourarea.

Threetypesofintruderalarmsareavailable:

Monitored alarm

Ifthesystemisbreached,amonitoringsta-tioninformsthekeyholdersandpolicewithinminutes.

Audible only alarms

Ifactivated,analarmsoundwillalertyourneighbours.Thesealarmsarelessexpensivethanmonitoredsystemsandareagooddeterrent.However,youcannotguaranteeanyoneintheareawillreacttoitandalertyouorthepolice.

Auto-dialling alarm

Ifthealarmisactivated,thesoundwillalertyourneighboursandthesystemwilldialaseriesoftelephonenumbers.Thisallowsthereceivertorespondtothealarm.

Contact Nottinghamshire Police’sPre Crime Unit for more information and advice on all of these security options.

Securing your home

Garages and sheds

Garagesandshedsareoftenusedtostoreexpensivetoolsandequipment.Aburglarcouldusethesetobreakintoyourhome.

Toreducethechanceofthishappening,fitastronghaspandpadlocktoyourshedandgaragedoors.Makesurethedoorsarestrongenoughtoresistbeingkickedorpushedin.

Considerfittinganintruderalarm,eitherlinkedtothehousealarmoraseparatestandalonesystem.

Moveladders,tables,chairsandwheeliebinssothattheycannotbeusedtoclimbon.Ifpossible,chainandpadlockthemtoastronganchorpoint.

Visiblymarkthepropertyyoukeepinyourshedandgarageanduseanchorpointstosecurelargertoolsandequipment.

RegisteryourvaluablesatthenationalonlinepropertydatabaseImmobilisesothatpolicecanreuniteyouwiththemiftheyareeverstolenandlaterrecovered.

Visitwww.immobilise.com

Be a good neighbour

Ifyouseeanyoneactingsuspicouslyinyourneighbourhood,callthepoliceon101or,inanemergency,999.

Living in a flat or shared housing

• Considerhavingaphoneentrysystemfittedtothemaindoorofyourbuilding,ifthereisn’tonealready.Neverbuzzopenthedoorforstrangersorholdopenthedoorforsomeoneyoudon’tknow.

• Gethomecontentsinsurance.

• Ifyouareastudent,takeallofyourhighvaluebelongingswithyouwhenyougohomefortheholidays,orusesecurestorageschemesrunbyyourcollegeoruniversityifavailable.

• Ifyouliveinhallsofresidence,alwayslockyourroomevenifyouarejustgoingdownthecorridor.

Going on holiday

• Suspendanydeliveries,suchasmilkornewspapers.

• Askafriendorneighbourtokeepaneyeonyourproperty.

• Trytomakeyourhomelookoccipiedwhileyouarenotthere.Usetimerswitchesonlampsoryourradio.

Fire safety

• Whenfittingsecuritydevices,considerhowyouwouldescapeiftherewasafire.

• Fitatleastonesmokedetectoroneveryfloorofyourhome.Followthemanufacturer’sinstructionscarefullyandchecktheyareworkingatleastonceamonth.

• Agreeaplanwithyourfamilyforgettingoutofyourhomeinanemergency.

• Knowwhereyourkeysareatalltimes.

Join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme

Therearemorethan15,000schemesintheUK.AnyonecanstartaNeighbourhoodWatchscheme.Askfordetailsatyourlocalpolicesta-tionorvisitwww.ourwatch.org.uk

Securing your home

Marking your property

Therearemanywaysofmarkingyourvaluables.Somewouldbeeasytoreplaceiftheywerestolen,butothersholdimmensesentimentalvalueandwouldbeimpossibletoreplace.

Considerbuyingasafeforpersonalpapers,passportsandsmallitemsofjewellery.Thismustbesecuredtothefloororawall.

Manystolenitemsarerecoveredbythepoliceeveryyearbutcannotbereturnedtotheirrightfulownerbecausetheycannotbeidentified.Belowaresomeexamplesofhowyoucanmarkorregisteryourpropertytoensureitisreturnedtoyouifitiseverstolen.

Ultraviolet or invisible marking Itcanonlybeseenbyanultravioletlamp,althoughitdoesfadeovertimeandcanbewashedoffeventually.

Permanent markingSuitableforhardsurfacesbyengravingoretching.

Tracking for laptops and smartphonesThesecannowbetracedifstolenbyusingonlinetrackingsoftware,whichisusuallyfree.Searchonlineandregisteryourlaptoporphone.

Know your IMEI numberIfyourmobilephoneislostorstolen,yournetworkproviderwillwanttoknowyourIMEInumber.Thiscanbefoundbytyping*#06#intoyourphone.Makeanoteofthenumberthatappearsandkeepitsafe.

If you have antiques, artwork or other items that require specialist security marking, download our ‘Protecting your art and antiques’ guide.

Personal safety at home

Whilesecuringyourpropertycankeepyouandyourbelongingssafe,therearestepsyoucantaketoensureyouaresafeindifferentsituationsyoumayfindyourselfin.

Ifyouthinkanintruderisinyourhome,onlyyoucandecidehowtodealwiththesituation.Thinknowaboutwhatyoumightdo-youmightnotbethinkingclearlyifiteverhappenstoyou.

Ifyouarrivehomeandyouthinkanintrudercouldbeinside,don’tgoinsidealone.Gotoaneighbourorfriend’shouseandraisethealarm.Callthepoliceimmediatelyon999.

Intheunlikelyeventthatyouareathomeandanintruderentersyourhome,callthepoliceimmediately.Makesureyouhaveaphonewithinreachingdistanceatalltimessoyoucaneasilyraisethealarm.

Itisbestnottochallengeanintruderbuttoalertthepolicestraightaway.

Securing your home

Older people

Attimes,youmayfeelmorevulnerableathome,butafewsimplestepscanhelpreducetheriskofyoubecomingavictimofcrime.

• Don’tkeeplargesumsofcashathome-useabankaccountinstead.

• Manyareasrunschemesspecificallyaimedatassistingolderpeoplewithhomesecurityandgeneralmaintenance.Youshouldaskadvicefromyourlocalpoliceofficers,localauthorityorcommunitygroups.

• Ifyourareahasacommunityalarmsystem,considerjoiningtheschemesoyoucanalertsomeoneifyoutriporfallorarefeelingunsafeathome.

• Keepalistofusefultelephonenumbersbyyourphone.Thiscouldincludemembersofyourfamily,101foryourlocalpoliceandyourlocalcouncil.

Bogus callers

Mostpeoplewhocallatyourhomewillbegenuine,butsometimescriminalsdotrytotricktheirwayintopeople’shomes.

Thisadvicewillhelptokeepyousafeathome.

LOCK -keepyourfrontandbackdoorslockedevenwhenyouareathome.

STOP -Beforeyouanswer,stopandthinkwhetheryouareexpectinganyone.Checkyouhavelockedthebackdoorandtakenthekeyout.Lookthroughaspyholeorwindowtoseewhothecalleris.

CHAIN -Ifyoudecidetoopenthedoor,putthechainordoorbaronfirst,ifyouhaveone.Keepthechainorbaronwhileyouaretalkingtothecaller.

CHECK -Evenifthecallerhasapre-arrangedappointmentwithyou,checktheiridentitycardcarefully.Closethedoorwhileyoudothis.Ifyouarestillunsure,callthecompanyconcernedtoverifytheirrepresentative’sidentity.Don’tuseaphonenumberonthecard,asitcouldbefake.Lookupthecompanyinthephonebookifyoucan.

Mostutilitycompaniesoperateapasswordschemeforolderorvulnerablecustomers.Youcanregisterwiththeschemeandtheirrepresentativewillhavetoconfirmyourpasswordwhentheyvisittoprovetheyareagenuineemployeeofthecompany.

Boguscallersmaybesmartlydressedandoftenclaimtobefromthepolice,thecouncilorthe‘waterboard’.Theysometimesclaimtobebuildersorgardenersandtrytotrickpeopleintopayingforunnecessarywork.Youshouldneveragreetohavingworkdonebysomeonewhoisjustpassingby.Ifyouneedworkdoing,getatleasttwoquotesfromreputablecompanies.

If you think a bogus caller has been to your home, call the police immediately on 999.

If you have any doubts KEEP THEM OUT!

Nottinghamshire Alert

NottinghamshireAlertisasystemwhichallowsNottinghamshirePolice,NeighbourhoodWatchinNottinghamshireandotherorganisationsthatworkforthepublictosendcommunitysafetymessagestoyouquicklyandefficiently.

Ifyouareinterestedingettingupdatesonmajorincidents,adviceoncrimepreventionandcommunitysafetyandalertsaboutcriminalsoperatinginyourarea,makesureyouareregisteredwiththesystem.

YoucanreportantisocialbehaviourinyourareaandreceiveresponsesfrompoliceabouttheincidentyouhavereportedandfindouthowtojoinaNeighbourhoodWatchschemeorsetupyourowninyourstreetbyregistering.

What do I get?

• Atotallyfreeservice—youcancontrolyourmessagesettingsandchoosetoreceivealertsviaemail,textmessagetoyourmobilephoneorrecordedvoicemail.Youcanunsubscribeatanytime.

• Informationaboutcrimetrends,incidentsandappealsfromauthorisedpoliceofficersandpolicestaff.

• Reportsuspiciousandantisocialbehaviour(notcrime),receiveupdatesandresponsesaboutthem.

• Start,manageorrequesttojoinaNeighbourhoodWatchschemeinyourarea.

• Configurehow,whenandwhichmessagesyou’dliketoreceive.

IfyouwanttoknowmoreaboutNottinghamshireAlert,contactNottinghamshirePolice’sPreCrimeUnit.

Tel: 101, extension 800 3011

Email: nottinghamshirealert@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk

ToregisterforNottinghamshireAlert,visitwww.nottinghamshirealert.co.uk

Ifyouwouldlikeapapercopyoftheregistrationform,call101orvisityourlocalpolicestationtorequestone.

Formoreadviceoncrimepreventioncontact

NottinghamshirePolice’sPreCrimeUnitArrowCentreHucknallNottinghamshireNG158AY

Tel:101

Telluswhatprioritiesyouwantyourlocalpolicetofocusonwithouronlinesurvey

www.neighbourhoodprioritysurvey.co.uk

Ifyouhaveinformationaboutcriminalsoperatinginyourarea,callCrimestoppersanonymouslyon

0800 555 111