Police are urging people to be on their guard to help ‘beat the burglars’ following a series of burglaries in Rushcliffe.
Preventing and reducing burglary is one of the top policing priorities currently being tackled head-on across the district, following an increase in reports.
While a number of significant arrests have recently been made, the local neighbourhood policing team and force CID colleagues are continuing to work hard to investigate reports, assess intelligence, and protect communities and individuals most impacted by this crime type.
As part of this ongoing joint work, Nottinghamshire Police crime prevention officers have visited victims in affected areas to speak with house burglary victims, offering them valuable advice and suggestions on how to protect themselves by upgrading their security, and issuing grateful residents with free security products to help deter burglars and help them feel safer in their homes.
They also handed out new crime prevention packs to victims, packed with helpful advice on how to secure their homes and reduce their chances of falling victim to burglars as well as advice on personal safety.
The crime prevention officers are part of the force’s Prevention Hub – a collaboration between multiple force departments responsible for developing and delivering strategies to prevent crime and disorder throughout the city and county.
They work across the city and county engaging with homeowners, businesses, and other victims of burglary to provide expert advice on a case-by-case basis.
They can provide risk assessments to identify vulnerable properties and suggest security measures to residents, to reduce repeat victims of crime and deter offenders.
Recommendations can include improving lighting, CCTV, and perimeter fencing in an area to make it harder for criminals to operate.
Following an assessment, the officers can suggest and provide burglary prevention equipment such as window jammers, vibration alarms, fence defender strips, and signage free of charge.
Window jammers will prevent a door or window from being opened should the locking mechanism be disabled, while vibration alarms trigger a loud siren if a potential intruder attempts to hit or smash a window.
Ultraviolent pens to security mark personal electronic items may also be provided to vulnerable victims.
Installing appropriate lighting, perimeter fencing, and robust, close-shackle padlocks as effective methods to deter intruders should also be considered.
Crime prevention officer Tom Ford said: “Behind every burglary is a victim of a deeply upsetting and unsettling crime. That’s why we take reports of burglary so seriously as a force.
“In our own crime prevention officer roles, most of the time we get referrals from different policing team from across the force area.
“They ask us to come out and work with them, as well as partner agencies, to help tackle issues affecting the community.
“Regarding burglary, a lot of our specific requests come from CID teams.
“The idea is that we come out and find ways of problem-solving, whether that’s by working directly with victims or with police teams and partners.
“Generally, it’s about people identifying vulnerabilities as soon as possible by having a look around their homes, finding the best security solutions, and being extra vigilant at all times.
“The key tips are really the basic ones: first and foremost, making sure that all of your doors and windows are locked.
“Don’t even leave windows slightly ajar because that might give space for someone to jemmy a window to gain access.
“If you’ve got a door or window that isn’t working correctly – make sure you rectify it as soon as possible.”
He added: “When we come out and carry out a home visit we focus on the property as a whole.
“We look from the perimeter of a property, checking the exterior security, before moving inwardly and looking at the interior security.
“It’s a step-by-step process where we want to tick all of the right boxes and give the right advice at each and every point of our survey.
“Burglars will use a variety of ways to avoid being noticed and identified by neighbours, but there are often solutions available to make it more difficult for criminals to operate, such as improving lighting, fencing, and locks.
“We are urging people to be vigilant at all times and report any suspicious activity to the police as soon as possible.”
