NHW Co-ordinators Responsibilities

SAFER HOMES
Whether out and about or at home, bear in mind: 1) Violent 
crime is rare and your chance of being a victim of it is very low, 2) 
Young men are more likely to be victims of violent crime than 
women or the elderly. 
Nevertheless, there are steps you can take to make yourself safer. 
This module advises on home safety. You might also like to read 
our modules on staying safe in your neighbourhood, personal safety 
and fire safety.
Bogus callers and rogue traders
‘Not sure? Don’t open the door!’ 
Most callers are genuine, but watch out for alleged utility 
workers, council workers, police or repairmen who haven’t 
made an appointment. If you’re alone and unsure, ask them 
to come back later when someone else will be there. 
See Gov.uk for more information on bogus callers:
www.gov.uk/browse/business/sale-goods-services-data
Read the Home Office leaflet ‘Your Doorstep, Your Decision’:
www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/consumer_leaflets/general/
oft733a.pdf
Your local Neighbourhood or Home Watch can help establish 
a No Cold Calling zone in your area. 
1 WWW.OURWATCH.ORG.UK





Safer homes

Download a pdf version of this advice here.

Bogus Callers and Rogue Traders

‘Not sure? Don't open the door!’ Most callers are genuine, but watch out for alleged utility workers, council workers, police or repair workers who haven’t made an appointment. If you’re alone and unsure, ask them to come back later when someone else will be there.

See Gov.uk for more information on bogus callers and read about the Home Office campaign against rogue traders: Your Doorstep, Your Decision.

Your local Neighbourhood or Home Watch can help establish a No Cold Calling zone in your area.

Example 1: Larchwood Neighbourhood Watch, Stafford

A No Cold Calling Zone has increased reports to police and reduced cold calls. A scheme is planned in which residents will look after neighbours’ properties while they’re away.

Example 2: Peel Estate, Withenshawe

Neighbourhood Watch ran an awareness campaign and provided vulnerable residents with alarms against cowboy traders and criminals pretending to be door-to-door salespeople.

Home Security

Most burglaries are opportunistic, not planned, so they’re easy to prevent:

Lock up

Deadlock doors and close and secure lockable windows if you go out or upstairs. Unlocked UPVC units can be sprung. Keep keys away from doors and windows in a place where they are not visible to anyone looking in, and don’t hide them outside.

Get a strong door with insurance company-approved locks.

Fit an entry viewer and/or a good door chain or door bar. A letterbox cage will prevent lock release or theft via the letterbox. Change locks in new houses so only you have keys. Don't give keys to anyone you do not know well.

The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) licenses its approved locksmiths through a process of vetting and checking. Visit the MLA website to search for an MLA-approved and registered locksmith.

Windows

Visible window locks may deter thieves. Secure easily accessible windows. Draw the curtains in the evening.

Lighting

Lighting with timers, movement or night sensitive switches on external doors, gardens etc. will deter thieves. Neighbours get used to movement sensors being set off by cats etc. so don’t rely on them alone.

Valuables

Keep valuables hidden out of sight and not viewable from windows. Keep jewellery and credit cards secure and house deeds and other important legal documents in banks. Burglars look in ‘safe’ spots such as under mattresses and in shoeboxes and tins. Never keep large amounts of cash at home. Never leave packaging from new valuables such as computers and televisions visible with your general rubbish. Secure bikes by locking them to an immovable object inside a locked shed or garage. If possible, use a property marking service - your local Neighbourhood Policing Team should be able to tell you where you can get property marking from.

Alarms

Visible alarms can deter burglars. Insurance companies, your local Neighbourhood/Home Watch or Crime Prevention Officers can recommend approved local alarm companies who can offer you quotations. Always seek at least three like-for-like quotations before making any decisions, and think carefully before buying any goods or services from cold callers at your door or over the telephone.

Gardens

These can be routes into homes. Secure yours with lockable gates and good quality fences, with 12 inch/300mm trellising and/or thorny plants. Lock away tools and ladders so thieves can’t use them to access your home. Lock outbuildings. Don’t store valuables in sheds unless well secured, e.g. with anchor bolts for large items, and use electronic shed alarms or padlock alarms to deter thieves.

Click here to download a presentation about garden crime.

While you’re away

Don’t make it obvious that your home is empty. Use timer switches for lights and radios (tuned to talk stations). Ask a neighbour to keep a car parked in the driveway. Ask someone to take in mail, milk, dustbins etc. If you have a trusted neighbour, friend or relative with a key, ask them to close the curtains at night and open them in the morning.

Example 1: Londonderry Road Neighbourhood Watch, Stockton-on-Tees

The group operates a service where members visit each others’ properties when they’re away to make them look occupied.

Example 2: Beeches Neighbourhood Watch, Uppingham, Rutland

Residents responded to a slight burglary increase by looking after people’s properties when they were away.

Watch out! Keep watch for unusual callers, call the police if you see anyone suspicious and keep pens and paper ready to jot down number plates. If you return to your house and think you might have been broken into, don't go into the house - the burglar might still be inside. Call the police.

Useful resources

You can get more home safety tips from this Security Advice document by the Master Locksmiths Association and this home security tips and advice document produced by ACPO Secured by Design. Secured by Design has also produced a useful guide to buying and fitting doors, locks and windows.

The Master Locksmiths Association has handy example diagrams of a secure house and an unsecure house. (Accompanying text for the diagrams can be downloaded here.)

Car security at home

Most vehicle crime is preventable. Don’t leave valuables on show - not even a coat or an empty carrier bag. Park somewhere open and lock up. Use your garage if you have one or a car park, especially one with a ‘Park Mark’, showing it meets recognised security levels. Keep car keys away from your front door and out of sight in the home.

Remember to close the windows and the sunroof when you leave your car. Try not to store things in the boot, particularly overnight; take them with you if possible. Store car ownership information in your home, not your car. When you leave the car, especially overnight, take removable stereos, radios and satnav equipment with you.

Number plates are often stolen for criminal use. Use Secure Plates or plates secured with anti-theft screws available from car accessory stores or your local police.

Check with your local force for upcoming car crime prevention events.

Choosing the right security products for your home

When looking to improve or upgrade your home security we work with ACPO Secured by Designand promote their recognised security standards for all home security products such as windows, locks and doors.

Owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers, Secured by Design is the official UK Police initiative that focuses on crime prevention for homes and commercial premises. SBD works with the industry creating security standards that are proven to reduce burglary by 75%.

A not for profit organisation, Secured by Design run a licensing scheme that awards companies that meet its high level security standards; these companies are entitled to use the Secured by Design logo and promote the term 'Police Preferred Specification'. These products have been tested to higher security standards and so will withstand a higher level of attack then other products.

For further information of how to protect your home against burglars and for SBD member companies please visit: www.securedbydesign.com

Designing out Crime

Being inherently linked to the government's planning objective of creating secure, quality places where people wish to live and work, Secured by Design has been cited as a key model in the guide 'Safer Places - The Planning System & Crime Prevention' and in the Home Office's 'Crime Reduction Strategy 2008-11'.

Download the full version of this module.

Crime Prevention tips include:

·  When leaving your home, or just nipping upstairs or popping into the garden even for a short period, always lock all external doors and windows
·  Ensure all doors and windows have security locks, and use them 
·  Even if you're at home, make sure you close all windows and doors at night 
·  Put away all tools and equipment and ensure that all sheds, garages and store cupboards are securely locked when not in use
·  Invest in a time switch or a sensor to control your lighting so your home looks occupied when it is not 
·  Make sure your front and back doors have at least two locks on them, of which one should be a mortice or deadlock
·  Don’t leave your house keys within easy reach of the letterbox 
·  Turn on your alarm if you're going out.

 “It’s a sad fact that properties that appear unoccupied and insecure are far more likely to be targeted than those which are properly secured. So please do all you can to lock out thieves.”

Remove keys from locks

Recent burglaries over the festive period in Sutton have highlighted that access is being gained to homes due to keys being visible from outside the property. Back doors, patio doors and windows have been targeted where the keys have been left on the inside. This can encourage the criminal to smash or force glass panels to get at the key to gain easy access. This also provides them with a ready means of escape if disturbed. Please make sure you remove the key from your door or window after you have locked it and put the key out of sight, such as in a drawer or cupboard.

Vigilance in your neighbourhood

There have been recent cases where residents have come forward with information about suspicious behaviour, such as unknown people hanging about in back gardens or loitering near vehicles, but not given us the information until later.

It is important that if you see someone acting suspiciously to call us on 999 immediately .

We would much prefer to speak to those ‘suspicious’ people there and then than deal with a crime after it has happened.

Criminals rely on communities not wishing to become involved. We all need to be involved to beat them. You will not be wasting our time by calling us on 999!