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CRIME
PREVENTION ADVICE...
Check
out the newsletters page to see leaflets ready for download.
HOW TO GET CRIME
PREVENTION ADVICE & INFORMATION...
By contacting
your local Community Crime Prevention Officer or local Police Officer.
The Community Crime Prevention Officer is happy to receive telephone
calls and emails from members of neighbourhood watch schemes and the general
public alike.
Your Community Crime Prevention Officer can provide you with Crime
Prevention and leaflets.
“Burglary in
Lancashire
remains low and
we are
determined to
keep it that
way."
Assistant Chief
Constable Andy Cooke
Assistant Chief
Constable Andy Cooke,
who is leading the
campaign, said:
“Burglary in Lancashire
remains low and we are
determined to keep it
that way.
“We know the negative
impact burglary can
have, not only to
victims but to the wider
community. This campaign
is about focusing our
activities on those
people who persistently
commit burglary so we
can reduce even further
the number of victims
affected by these
crimes.
“It is disappointing
to know that amongst
those that have taken
place, many could have
been avoided through
simple crime prevention
measures. We need
residents to work with
us when it comes to
combating crime and
locking out thieves.”
Residents are being
urged to;
-
Keep front and
back doors locked
and windows closed
-
If windows are
open keep them on
the latch so that
they cannot be
opened further from
outside
-
Fit a door chain
and use it whenever
you answer the door
to an unexpected
caller
-
Keep side gates
locked
-
Use a strong
lock on sheds,
garages and other
outbuildings
-
Consider fitting
outdoor security
lighting
-
Keep an eye on
neighbouring
properties and if
you see anything
suspicious contact
police.
Further crime
prevention advice is
available by visiting
www.lancashire.police.uk.
Anyone with
information or concerns
about burglary can
contact police on 101 or
the independent charity
Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800 555
111. No personal details
are taken, information
is not traced or
recorded and you will
not go to court.
By returning to this website...
This web site
will also be used to provide general, together with
topical and seasonal,
crime prevention advice.
By visiting other websites...
There are a
number of websites where crime prevention advice can also be obtained.
www.crimereduction.gov.uk is a very
comprehensive site covering many aspects of community safety. It includes a
neighbourhood watch mini-site and advice on how to carry out a domestic
security survey. It also contains links to many other sites, including
neighbourhood watch websites. Please see our
Links page for details of further
websites.
PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY

Card Watch is a
UK banking industry initiative that aims to raise
awareness of card fraud
prevention. It is managed by
APACS, the UK payments association. Visit the
site for
more information.

You probably
know that personal information can be accessed via
publicly available
databases, such as electoral roles and Royal Mail
address files. The growth
of the internet has seen an increase in the
number of such online
facilities. Always guard personal information.
Crime Prevention Advice
Prevention is better than
cure when it comes to
falling foul of fraud.
Here's five tips to keep you
safe: Do not give any personal
information (name, address,
bank details, email or phone
number) to anyone without
verifying their credentials.
This includes people cold
calling you on the phone, on
your doorstep or online.
Do not respond......
to unsolicited emails from
banks and other
organisations that ask you
to click on a link and
confirm your bank details.
If in doubt, contact your
bank using the phone number
on a genuine piece of
correspondence, website
(typed directly into the
address bar) or the phone
book – but not from the
email.
Destroy and preferably shred
receipts with your card
details on and post with
your name and address on.
Identity fraudsters don’t
need much information in
order to be able to clone
your identity.
Make sure your computer has
up-to-date anti-virus
software and a firewall
installed. Ensure your
browser is set to the
highest level of security
notification and monitoring.
If you have been a victim of
fraud, be aware of fraud
recovery fraud. This is when
fraudsters pretend to be a
lawyer or a law enforcement
officer and tell you they
can help you recover the
money you’ve already lost.
UNDERSTANDING CRIME PREVENTION
There are many
reasons why crimes are committed and there are many ways to prevent or
reduce crime. Sometimes the risk can be reduced by taking one simple measure
but in other cases a possible solution may require several actions being
taken.
There are Ten Principles of Crime Prevention and these are used by Crime
Prevention Officers all over the country for a wide variety of scenarios,
including domestic security. These are outlined below:
1 Target Hardening
Making targets more resistant to attack or difficult to remove/damage etc.
(fitting better doors, windows, shutters. Window locks, door locks, burglar
alarms. Screens in banks and building societies. Repairing damage to
property to reduce the possibility of crime or repeat victimisation etc).
2 Target Removal
Permanent or temporary removal of vulnerable persons or property (replacing
coin meters on gas and electricity systems in homes, replacing coin boxes in
booths with card phones, removing radios from parked cars, jewellery from
shop windows at night etc).
3 Remove the Means to Commit Crime
Trying to promote good work and management practices ensure that material
capable of being used to help the criminal commit crime is not left lying
around with easy access. Similar for domestic properties. (Building material
such as scaffolding poles, tools, ladders, garden tools etc are secured or
stored in a safe place. Restricting availability and access to means to
commit crime, for example recent firearms and knife regulations. Use of
plastic glasses in venues where there is a likelihood or potential for
trouble or disorder).
4 Reducing the Payoff
Employing means to reduce the value of loss if a crime is committed. (The
use of a main safe plus a time-lock floor safe to reduce cash value in the
till, property marking, post coding, use of replica for display purposes
etc).
5 Access Control
Restricting access to sites, buildings or parts of sites or buildings
(through the use of identity systems, proximity card readers, baggage
screening, entry/exit systems etc).
6 Surveillance
a) Natural – maximising routine surveillance by residents, employees and the
community. (Pruning or removal of shrubbery, improving or installing
lighting, increasing usage, neighbourhood watch, business watch etc).
b) Formal – Using technology and staff to deter and identify potential and
actual offenders. (Deployment of police and security staff, store
detectives, caretakers, utilising alarm systems, CCTV etc).
c) Employee – Encouraging non-specialist staff to be vigilant
(receptionists, counter staff, till operators, office staff, managers etc).
7 Environmental Design
Using changes in the environment of a building, a site, an estate or town,
to reduce crime opportunities. (Pedestrianisation of shopping areas in
towns, using planters, bollards, seating, fixtures, garden areas etc to make
premises less vulnerable).
8 Rule Setting
Introduction of legislation, bylaws, codes of conduct, to attain acceptable
social behaviour. (Wearing of ID badges, local rules regarding consumption
of alcohol in the street or public places, internal rules within business,
commerce, public services etc).
9 Increase the Chance of Being Caught
Management and use of security and technology, use of plain clothes security
staff. (Monitoring, recording, system management of CCTV. Maintenance of
security equipment. Training of security personnel and non-security staff
etc).
10 Deflecting Offenders
Diverting offenders and potential offenders from committing crime. Working
with other agencies to influence standards, thinking and attitudes.
Education programmes. (Multi-agency work, schools programmes, youth groups
or organisations, work experience and training etc).
When Crime Prevention Officers carry out a survey for a building they do so
by applying the ten principles to four different layers:
These are:
ENVIRONMENT ..... The environment where the
building is situated and relevant external factors impacting on security,
e.g. licensed premises, open fields etc.
PERIMETER ..... Walls and fences etc.
SHELL ..... The walls, doors, windows, roof of the building.
INTERIOR ..... Inside the building.
This method is known as the ‘Onion Peeling’ principle.
------------------------------------------------
CRIME PREVENTION TIPS FROM YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY CRIME
PREVENTION OFFICER...
The following
tips are based on information about recorded crime and incidents in the
South Ribble area.
-
Do not be complacent about crime. South
Ribble is a relatively low-crime area and domestic burglaries in
particular are at a low level. However crime can occur at any time and if
people are complacent it makes it easier for the offender to commit the
crime. Be vigilant and report suspicious activity.
-
Ensure that you lock your doors and
windows, especially at night. Many burglaries are committed by opportunist
thieves. Some of these crimes occur when the householders are in the
premises and watching television but have not locked their doors, thereby
allowing a burglar to ‘sneak in’ and steal property.
-
If you have a garden shed or other
outbuilding ensure that it has adequate security measures such as
substantial locks and a shed alarm. Shed burglaries are not uncommon and
sometimes a thief will enter a shed and then use property contained within
the shed to force an entry into the house.
-
Do not leave keys, purses or other small
valuable items within easy reach of letter boxes, cat flaps, open windows
etc.
-
Criminal Damage is a problem in our area.
Damaged property gives the impression of lack of ownership and that no-one
cares for it. Research has shown that unrepaired damage is likely to lead
to further damage occurring. You are advised to repair damaged property as
soon as possible.
-
Boundary walls and fences which are in
poor repair may easily be damaged. Walls and fences which are well maintained
offer greater protection to your home, particularly when they are designed
with security in mind. The police recommend that rear boundary fencing
should be at least 1.8m high. If you back on to a footpath or open land
then 2m is the recommended height (you do not need planning permission for
2m rear fencing – if unsure contact your local council planning
department). Fencing panels should be secured to their posts or base to
prevent removal. A good alternative to fencing are decorative railings,
which look attractive and are more difficult to damage.
-
Many of the criminal damage offences that
are committed involve motor vehicles, e.g. broken wing mirrors and
windscreen wipers, scratches etc. Many of these occur on the highway but
some take place on private driveways. Some of these could be avoided if
vehicles were garaged overnight. If you have to park on the highway ensure
that it is a well lit area which has good natural surveillance.
-
Do not leave valuable items on display in
your vehicle. Either put them in the boot where they will be out of sight,
or better still remove them from the vehicle altogether.
-
On winter mornings, do not
leave your car unattended to defrost with the engine running. It is an
open invitation to a thief, and many vehicles have been stolen in just
this way.
-
To prevent an offender from entering your
car and stealing the car or its contents you should consider fitting
security devices. Check out
www.soldsecure.com for further
information about security devices.
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Many crime prevention leaflets are available from
your NHW Co-ordinator or
Crime Prevention Officer.
Check out the newsletters page to download leaflets.
KEEP IT SAFE - KEEP IT HIDDEN - KEEP IT LOCKED
General crime prevention
tips

BE SAFE – BE SECURE
A comprehensive crime
prevention advice booklet
SHEDS, GARAGES, & OUTBUILDINGS
Advice on security for
garages & sheds.
CODED FOR KEEPS
A leaflet giving advice
on post coding your property.
BURGLARS BEWARE
window stickers.
To advise that
property has been marked.
HOW TO BEAT THE BOGUS CALLER
A booklet aimed at
preventing people from becoming victims of doorstep crime.
PEACE OF MIND WHILE YOU'RE AWAY
A leaflet giving advice
on the security precautions you should take when you go on holiday.
PEACE OF MIND WHILE YOU MOVE HOME
A leaflet
giving advice on the security precautions you should take when you move
home.
STEER CLEAR OF CAR CRIME
A general guide
providing security advice for car owners.
STEER CLEAR OF BIKE CRIME
A general guide
providing security advice for motorcycle and motor scooter users.
STEER CLEAR OF CARAVAN CRIME
Security advice
for caravan owners.
CYCLE SECURITY FOR CYCLISTS
An advice
leaflet from the National Cycling Forum.
A GUIDE
TO HOME SECURITY
General home security advice.

Vehicle
Security
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