SALTBY
Home Security Advice
The most effective way to prevent becoming a victim of burglary is simple: secure property properly and remove high value items from view!
Follow the tips below to keep your home safe and secure.
•Make use of the free and secure registration websites to register items of value such as I.T., mobile phones, cycles, electrical items such as TV’s, Games Consoles etc
•Never keep large amounts of cash at home.
•Ensure that all doors and windows are locked- use a dead or double lock on outside doors
•Lock up sheds and garages so thieves cannot gain access to ladders and tools which they could use to gain access to your home.
•Never leave keys anywhere near the front door; burglars know where to look.
•When you go out at night, consider leaving the lights on with curtains drawn so it looks like someone is home.
•Visit www.securedbydesign.com for police approved security products.
•If you do arrive home and notice signs of a break-in:
Don’t go in or call out – the intruder could still be inside.
Go to a neighbour’s to call the Police.
Don’t touch anything or tidy up.
Hints and tips for securing your garden
•Installing strong fences or gates will act as a deterrent, preventing intruders getting into your garden.
•Ideally any gates, fencing, walls and hedges at the front of your house should not be more than 1.2m (4ft) so the front of your property can be seen by passers-by.
•A standard 1.8m (6ft) wall or fence at the back of your house is sufficient. Increase the height to 2m (6ft 6in) if there is public access on the other side – any higher than this will need planning permission.
•Trellis fixed to the top of a fence is not only decorative but can provide extra protection as it is difficult to climb over, breaking easily and noisily.
•If there is an access point to your garden at the side of your house a strong lockable gate will act as a deterrent.
•Garden gates should be at least the same height and strength as your fencing with hinges securely attached to the gateposts.
•Fit good quality locks to gates that cannot be reached from over the fence.
•Remember to always lock your gates.
•Planting prickly plants or a hedge, such as firethorn, climbing rose or hawthorn, around the perimeter of your garden can be a powerful deterrent. For more information about plants which can help protect your property go to (link to page on our internet site).
•Gravel on paths and driveways can act as an alert to someone coming towards your property.
•Install dusk to dawn security lighting. The low energy lamp stays on in the dark and switches off when it starts to get light.
•Secure garden furniture and wheelie bins so they cannot be used to climb on and gain access to upstairs windows.
•Do not leave ladders lying around – they could be used by thieves to climb into an upstairs window. Keep them locked in a garage/shed.
•Do not leave tools, gardening equipment or debris lying around in the garden as they could be used to smash windows.
•Keep your garden neat and tidy so it looks cared for.
•While working in your garden, make sure doors and windows are locked to stop unwanted visitors.
•Do not use barbed wire, razor wire or broken glass on walls or fences to protect your property - you could be held legally responsible for any injuries caused.
The best products at the best prices!
This type of crime has increased dramatically over the last few years due to the rise in the cost of fuel:
To Prevent Losses:
•Monitor the level of oil in your tank reguarly
•Conceal the location of the tank by using hedging, fencing or walling
•Securely lock doors at all times, if the tank is situated within a building
•Consider installing security lighting to cover tank, if it is overlooked by nearby windows
•Install an alarm device which creates an alert, if the oil level suddenly drops or if the lock is attacked
Preventing the theft of Heating Oil
Many people take a great deal of trouble securing their house and the property within it...but what about sheds and garages? With the array of lawnmowers, power tools, garden equipment, bicycles, sports and other valuable equipment kept in them, security measures should certainly be put in place.
Property
Gardening tools and garden furniture are not cheap - what's more they are very saleable items for the thief. Don't make it easy for them to be stolen and remember that tools stolen from your shed could be used to burgle your house.
•Postcode or property mark anything in your shed or garage that is value and might be stolen, for example, lawnmowers, garden furniture, bicycles, sports equipment.
•Take photographs of expensive items - they may be useful to police to identify the goods and return them to you, should you be unfortunate enough to have them stolen.
•Never leave garden tools and equipment outside, even if you are just popping back into the house. It only takes minutes for an opportunist thief to take them.
•Consider fitting a pair of garage door locks that are fitted either vertically or horizontally and can be locked both from the inside and outside of the garage.
Garden Crime