As the weather improves (allegedly), local residents are being urged to ‘Spring into action’ and take special measures to prevent themselves from becoming victims of crime.
With the clocks going forward to provide more hours of daylight people may be tempted out into their gardens – and thieves might be tempted to steal things from them. Lancashire Police are now advising residents to include a little crime prevention into their garden maintenance to keep the criminals at bay.
• Cut back overgrown areas where criminals may hide.
• Lock away your tools when you’ve finished each day – they could be used to break into your home.
• Use chains to secure ladders and wheelie bins when not in use – they could be used as climbing aids.
• Do you have any walls or fences which would be easy to climb? Trellis can be an effective way of preventing burglars gaining access to your garden. They will add extra height to a fence or wall and will probably not support a burglar’s weight.
• Defensive planting – consider planting prickly plants, bushes and shrubs around vulnerable areas such as windows, fences and boundary walls. This will help deter burglars.
• Make sure locks on sheds and garages are in good repair.
• Fit a good quality closed shackle padlock to your shed and make sure you use it.
• Consider fitting a shed alarm to deter any would be intruder.
• Property mark your expensive mowers and power tools with your postcode and house number – thieves do no like property that is easily identifiable.
• What type of crime is happening in your area: maps.police.uk
• Home Office Crime Prevention Tips here
• Crime Reduction www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk
Another comprehensive Home Office website which offers a wide variety of crime prevention advice, with topics such as industrial, home and vehicle security to name but a few
• Safe from Scams – www.safefromscams.co.uk
A very useful and informative site providing information on scams and frauds of which members of the public should be aware