Local Bobby - Parish of Rufford with Holmeswood

CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE FROM PC BYCROFT

February 2008
Cold frosty mornings are with us again (along with some rain). Police officers regularly see vehicles left "defrosting" unlocked keys in, engine running! An opportunity too good to miss for the opportunist thief. It is also worth noting that a lot of insurance companies WILL NOT PAY OUT if a car is stolen this way. Let's make it difficult for them - don't leave your car unattended like this. On a further note PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT go into your house and leave the keys for your (probably) expensive car, near the door. No doubt many of you will have heard of "Hook and Cane" burglaries where thieves push a rod through the letterbox and take keys from near the door allowing them to either break in to the house and/or steal the car. Once again good old insurance companies can be funny about paying out on claims where this has happened. Christmas has gone but the presents haven't. We all probably have a few shiny new EXPENSIVE toys lying about the place. Keep a note of serial numbers and get them security marked with a UV (Ultra Violet) pen. These are available from lots of stores very cheaply or alternatively most Police stations have stocks somewhere. There is also the crime prevention officer at Ormskirk police station who can be contacted on 01695 566353.
March 2008
BOGUS CALLERS - There have been a number of incidents recently in surrounding areas of 'BOGUS CALLERS' people who knock at your door saying they are from official organisations such as utilities or security companies or sometimes using cover stories such as feeling unwell, needing a glass of water or being desperate for the toilet. These all share a common goal:- to get inside YOUR HOUSE. One person who has been trying this locally is described as a White Male in his early 40's with short slightly wavy ginger hair.
ALWAYS ask for identification if they say they are from utilities or official organisations, if they don't have it;
DON'T LET THEM IN
Even if they do and you are still not happy with them or feel unsure in any way ask them to call back at another time that is better for you (when you have someone else there for example) or ask for their head office number to ring and make an appointment. Genuine callers will not mind this and be more than willing to cooperate as they are used to it in this day and age. If you have any caller you suspect, try to get a description, colour, height, hair colour/style, and clothing and most important if they have one what type of vehicle are they in? Always try to get a colour, then a make/model and obviously if possible a registration and direction it left in. Make it hard for them DON'T leave doors open/unlocked, use security chains, keep ground floor windows secure. Fit shed alarms these are available cheaply in DIY shops and some stocks may be available by contacting the local Crime Prevention Officer at Ormskirk Police Station 01695 566353. Above all look at your home and property yourself and THINK, "If I where a criminal how easy would it be for me to get in? To steal something?" If the answer is easy, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
April 2008
Well the weather is getting a bit warmer and people are starting to open their windows to let a bit of fresh air in. But is that all they are going to let in? It is a sad fact that a third of all burglars get in through windows, not all of them left open but many are. Try looking at your house like a burglar, how would you get in? Open doors/windows, other areas out of public view around the side/rear, how much noise would you have to make? If you can get in easily so can a burglar.
How can we reduce the risk?
Close your gates, don't allow unrestricted access to your property. Fit external security lighting, criminals don't like to be seen. Keep doors and windows shut and locked, even when in if possible. However if you are going to have them open try to lock them partially open, cheap key operated window locks are widely available. If re glazing fit laminated glass it is very hard to break and makes a lot of noise whilst trying. Fit a minimum of five lever mortise deadlocks to all outside doors (viewers so you can see who is calling is also a good idea) and when you move in to a house it's a good idea to change the locks as you never know how many keys there where for the locks previously.
Fit good locks to sheds and garages. Shed alarms are widely available cheaply. Remember sheds and garages generally contain tools many of which can be used to force an entry like spades and hammers. Think about fitting alarms both to Houses and Garages/sheds, these vary greatly from relatively cheap DIY systems through to professionally fitted monitored systems. Small battery operated window alarms are available in bulk packs very cheaply that just stick on and emit a piercing screech when set off. Think about the use of timers within the house to turn on and off lights and appliances, lets face it a lot of people leave lights on and although this is a deterrent to some degree its far from a guarantee, however think about leaving a radio or Television on these are things that people only have on when they are in the house and will greatly deter a potential burglar.
Let a neighbour you trust have details of when and where you are going if going out and how long you expect to be so they know to keep an eye out and also to call the Police if they hear or see anything suspicious. Security mark all your property with postcodes or your name, this can be done by engraving, etching, stamping or UV (ultra violet) pen. Keep a note of serial numbers of cycles, TV's, videos, computers and any other items such as mobile phones, PDA's (handheld computers) the list is endless and keep the list safe.
The price of scrap metal is currently 'through the roof' and as such there have been a good number of incidents recently involving 'thefts' of scrap. Many of these items are genuinely scrap and the owners had left them out at the side or front of the house but it has been taken without their permission and on occasion the offenders have also taken the opportunity to help themselves to the odd cycle or anything else that happens to be lying around.(Stuff left outside/at the side of houses gives the more unscrupulous scrap dealers the perfect 'excuse' to go poking around your property) making it nearly impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their intentions where dishonest if we catch up with them. Hopefully if we take relatively simple and cheap steps to secure our property we can prevent a huge amount of opportunist crime as most of it is.