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Crime prevention advice in Mid Sussex and Hassocks, Keymer and Clayton

On this page direct links:  house & garden - personal - car - holidays - bank cards - identity theft - facts - links

Crime Prevention Advice

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The basic advice given here is based on common sense and good standard practice.  For more detailed advice please check out some of the links on this page and also see the links page.
 

IN THE HOUSE AND GARDEN...
Locks -
It goes without saying that homes shouldDownstairs windows should be fitted with locks be protected with good quality locks on external doors and windows.  A five-lever mortice deadlock or sash locks to British Standard 3621 or EN 12209 should be fitted and outside doors and patio doors should have lockable bolts top and bottom.  Window locks should have removable keys.  Further information from the Master Locksmiths Association, on the Home Security page there's a downloadable guidelines leaflet.  Never leave keys on a string behind the letterbox or under the mat - these are the first places a thief looks!  Cat flaps have provided an entrance to the burglar too, with keys left in the lock offenders can just reach up and let themselves in.  It's best to keep keys well out of reach of any home openings anyway as thieves have used hooked sticks to reach through.  If out of the house ensure all keys, including car keys and office keys, are locked away.
Valuables should be postcode and house number marked with a UV pen - see products page - and photos or videos taken of them.  This can all help with identification if recovered.  Marking should be visible to the naked eye where possible, if you've used covert marking then a sticker on the article should indicate this, remember items often land up in auctions or boot sales where purchasers will not carry a UV light or scanner.
Alarms and external PIR (passive infa-red) security lighting can be a useful deterrent.  Make your home appear occupied at all timesThe alarm you fit can either simply activate a bell or sounder or it can be connected to the alarm company's central station.  The monitoring station will ascertain that the call is genuine and if the company is a member of a regulatory body (see contacts), the central station will automatically put an emergency call through to the Police.  If you have a bells only alarm then please alert your neighbours to the fact that, should they report the bell ringing to the Police, they must accompany this information with positive sighting of suspicious activity.  For example, the door may be open and they know you are out, or they see an intruder entering or leaving the property.   When selecting your alarm company remember that:

  • You can only get automatic police response from an alarm monitored by a regulatory body

  • You should get at least three quotes

  • You should consider maintenance, monitoring and installation charges as well as the cost of the system

  • You should look at the contract carefully and find out if you are offered ownership of the system

When going out, leave a light and/or radio on to give the impression of being occupied.  Remember, anonymity is the offenders strongest weapon, they want to see you far less than you want to see them!  If going away for a while, have a neighbour pop in to draw or open curtains and switch on/off lights.  They can also park a car on your drive during your holidays.
Sheds and Garages are particularly at risk and should always be fitted with suitable good quality locks and locked at all times.  Keep valuable garden equipment locked inside when not in use, especially ladders.  A shed alarm is featured on the products page.  All property should be marked, particularly strimmers and chainsaws and if you're in doubt about the integrity of your security in relation to the value of the property you're storing, then fit ground anchors, you may be able to make your own.  Sold Secure test security products and Thatcham test vehicle security products.
Join a Neighourbourhood Watch scheme if you haven't already - see the scheme start page for details.
Bogus callers are a growing menace, see the bogus page for details on how to deal with them.

On display, easy prey - wallets, bags, valuables, costly garden tools.

ON HOLIDAY...
Before you leave, think about the security of your property.  Ask a trusted neighbour to pop in and draw/open curtains, switch on/off lights, park their car on your drive, etc to make the home look occupied.  A light on a timer switch is also an idea.  Lock all doors/windows and set any alarm and secure any garden equipment and furniture away safely.
If flying, never Take care with security at airportshave your home address on any luggage labels - criminals visit airports to spot addresses of outward bound passengers.  Keep passports, foreign money, travellers cheques and valuables in hand luggage.  Obey the airport and airlines security procedures and co-operate fully.  Never agree to carry anything through airport check-ins or customs for anyone - many countries have the death penalty for drug carriers!

It's easy to be lax on holiday with security, but the points covered on personal safety, motoring, bank cards and so on still apply!  The crime rate in some countries is much higher than the UK and penalties more severe.

At the hotel use the room safe for valuables, including passports, or the hotel safety deposit boxes.  Never leave anything lying about a hotel room that may tempt staff.  Treat unexpected visitors knocking on the door as you would bogus callers, check with reception if unsure.
Local customs are often different to the UK, comply with them as much as possible to avoid Relax when on holidayoffending the locals and breaking local laws.  The pace of life is sometimes much slower, try to adjust and don't get impatient, after all you're on holiday and supposed to be relaxing - what's the hurry?  Also worth checking is the Suzy Lamplugh site on staying safe abroad.
Backpacking and Gap Year travelling - Horror stories from Australia, Malaysia and other places in recent years may cause concern to young people and their parents, but incidents are very rare.  It's probably no less safe backpacking than any other type of holiday if care is taken and the crime prevention points already highlighted are noted.
Before you go, carefully research the areas you plan to visit and take guides, maps and GPS with you.  Let friends and family know your plans and keep in touch by phone or e-mail.  If taking your laptop or PDA, remember Wi-Fi isn't nearly so widespread in many countries as it is in the UK.  Internet cafés are useful for e-mailing home and keeping up with world events to avoid trouble spots, see the Foreign Office site.  You'll need a tri or quad band mobile phone if travelling through many countries, but it won't work in remote areas.  Remember distances can be vast in some countries - take plenty of supplies, water, first aid kit, etc and if motoring fuel up regularly.

On display, easy prey - passports, luggage labels, cameras.

Please visit the links page for links to many other crime related websites.  Some useful links are provided here for further crime prevention advice in general:

Home Office advice
Sussex Police Community Safety
BBCi crime prevention advice
Government Crime Reduction advice

Also see our bogus page for advice on dealing with callers at the door.

Remember, if you see a crime in progress, dial 999 immediately.  The non emergency number of 0845 60 70 999 can be used for cases that don't need such an immediate response.  You can also ring CRIMESTOPPERS anonymously on 0800 555 111.

ABOUT THE PERSON...
Be aware of people around you and walk purposefully on the outside of pavements facing oncoming traffic when possible.  Keep bag openings on the insideAvoid dark alleys and shortcuts, use well lit routes.  Any bags should have the opening facing inwards towards your body and keys should be carried in your pocket.  Keep expensive jewellery and your mobile hidden.  Only use your phone when necessary and try not to use it in crowded areas.  Keep a note of the IMEI number - keying *#06# into most phones gives this.  Most mobile phone theft is 'young male on young male'.  Carry an attack alarm if you feel vulnerable - see the products page.
Clubbing, pubbing and partying should be enjoyable but young females especially should never accept drinks from strangers or leave their drink unintended and only accept drinks from closed containers at parties as the use of so called date-rape drugs is on the increase.  The effects can last up to six hours and leave the body after twelve, making their use difficult to prove.  Those such as GHB, Rohypnol and Ketamine are tasteless and belong to the sedatives family called Benzodiazepines, be aware that testing kits on sale are largely ineffective, see Consumer Direct.  Let someone know when you expect to be back and if delayed, ring them.  Avoid confrontational situations in pubs and clubs and use the secure storage facilities for valuables where available.  Use only licensed taxis, never ones touting for trade, it may not be a licensed mini-cab at all.  On buses, sit near the driver if possible and on trains sit in compartments with other people.

On display, easy prey - open bag, wallet in the open pocket, mobile phone.

IN THE CAR...
When driving, keep Never leave valuables on the passenger seatdoors locked in town and windows up.  Don't leave valuables like a mobile, laptop or handbag/wallet on the passenger seats.  If someone tries to enter your vehicle, sound the horn and flash the lights to draw attention to your situation.  Never leave the keys in the ignition, even if you're loading/unloading and lock it at fuel stations.
Road Rage incidents have increased in recent years, to minimise the risk drive with consideration for others and obey the rules of the highway code.  Pay attention to your speed and avoid tailgating, cutting in, unnecessary lane swapping or any unusual manoeuvres.  Try to stay calm in stressful situations such as traffic jams, listen to your favourite music!
Parking - When parking consider the situation when you return to your vehicle.  Choose a well lit, populated area that'll still look secure if you return after dark and reverse into a Park in a well lit and populated areaspace to ensure speedy exit.  Lock all doors, remove all valuables and coats and take them with you or put them in the boot.  To check how secure your car is, see Secure Your Motor.  Set any alarm and immobiliser, if you don't have one consider fitting one.  There are a host of other options too these days, such as a tracking device.
Car Jacking - Modern cars are much harder to break into these days, so criminals try to obtain the keys instead.  And don't feel you're immune if you drive an older or ordinary vehicle either.  Always have your key ready when you return to your car and if someone appears to flag you down or you think you're being followed, drive on until you come to a safe area to report it.  Never give a stranger a lift or pick up hitchhikers.  If bumped, make sure you have the doors locked and wait for the other driver to get out first.  If you're at all suspicious, ask them to follow you to a safer area.  Use horn and lights to alert others if you feel threatened.Back to Top

On display, easy prey - wallet, handbag, mobile, camera, laptop, shopping, audio.

USING BANK CARDS...
Treat your credit and debit cards like cash, keeping them safe at all times.  Your PIN shouldn't be written down and never be kept with the cards, you can change it to a more memorable one if necessary.  Never reveal the PIN to anyone - it's personal to you only.  Always take any bank card receipts and shred bank statements, etc, that contain card and account numbers.  See APACS for more information about the banking system.
ATMs (cash machines) Take care when using an ATMare a target for criminals.  Always try to use an ATM inside the bank as it's more secure and likely to be covered by CCTV.  If the machine looks or behaves oddly, don't use it and report it to the bank immediately, it may have been tampered with.  There are pictures of a tampered card slot on the scams page.  Shield the keypad when you key in the number (do this at Chip and Pin terminals too) and if your card is retained, report it to the bank straight away.  The Cardwatch website has a lot of information.
Watch out for tricks used by criminals at ATMs, if told you've dropped a fiver, recover your card first before looking down - in the blink of an eye a thief can 'skim' your card into a portable machine then clone it to use to empty your account if they got your PIN when you keyed it in.  Another trick is to tamper with the card slot so it retains the card (the so called Lebanese Loop), then watch you try several times to key in your PIN before you walk away in frustration, they then recover the card and empty your account!
See the PC Security page for computer banking security issues and the scams page for the latest scams.

On display, easy prey - bank cards, wallet, money.

IDENTITY THEFT...
This has become a growing problem in recent years, and the worrying thing is the ease with which it's possible.  Criminals steal the identity of a living - or dead - person by obtaining personal documents from the dustbin, mail or when breaking into a property, then applying for bank accounts, passports, driving licence, etc in that persons name.  Sometimes the first the victim knows about it is when they notice credit card transactions on their card that they haven't made or start to get demands for payment of overdrawn accounts, traffic offences and maybe more serious crimes.  It can be very difficult and time consuming to prove innocence.  To minimise your risk, always shred documents with personal information on them, such as bank statements, utility bills, even junk mail with your address on and cut up old credit/debit cards.  Never give your personal details to anyone you don't know who asks for them, eg telesales or marketing companies.  Lock away personal documents in your home and ensure your private information remains private.  In June 2006 it was made an offence under the Identity Cards Act for a person to possess or control an identity document without valid reason, which is false, improperly obtained or which relates to someone else.  The Home Office has a dedicated ID theft website that has masses of info, also see CIFAS.  You may like to register with the Mailing Preference Service to minimise the amount of junk mail and phone calls you receive.

 

SOME FACTS...
If all this seems worrying and news of ever increasing crime rates depressing, remember to keep it all in perspective.  Most violent crime is committed by young males against young males.  Unless you fit into this category, the chances of you becoming a victim of violent crime are small, especially if you take note of the prevention tips on this page.  Bogus callers usually target older people and anyone can be the target of credit card fraud or car crime.
Criminals look for an easy target - if you make yourself, your property, your vehicle and possessions a difficult target they'll look elsewhere.  It's debatable if crime rates are actually rising - these days people are much more likely to report crime than they were in previous years.  The fear of crime is often greater than its actual incidence!

Revised November 2006

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