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IN THE HOUSE AND GARDEN...
Locks - It goes without saying that homes should 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 marked with a UV pen by writing
an identification on the object, eg. postcode + house no., telephone
number or birthdate. The UV torch shows this up under UV
light. Photos or videos can taken of items too, 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.  The 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:
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You can only get automatic police response from an
alarm monitored by a regulatory body
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You should get at least three quotes
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You should consider maintenance, monitoring and
installation charges as well as the cost of the system
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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. 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  have 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  offending 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 email. If taking your laptop
or mobile device, remember Wi-Fi isn't nearly so widespread in many
countries as it is in the UK. Internet cafés are useful for
emailing 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
Consumer Direct
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.
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ABOUT THE PERSON...
Be aware of people around you and walk purposefully on the outside of
pavements facing oncoming traffic when possible.  Avoid 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.
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. Above all, avoid the binge drinking
culture and getting so legless that you're incapable of looking after
yourself and your possessions! 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  doors 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  space to ensure speedy exit. Lock all
doors, remove all valuables and coats and take them with you or put
them in the boot. Avoid being a victim of car crime, see the AA's
vehicle security advice. 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.
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 the UK Payments Administration (formally APACS)
for more information about the banking system.
ATMs (cash machines)  are 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. This Identity Theft
site has masses of info for both the public and business, 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!
Page copy revised Nov 2008
Links validated/revised Nov 2010
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