Protecting your property
The majority of crimes can be avoided if you
take a few extra precautions to protect your property.
Mark your property
UV pens: We advise you to
register and property mark all your valuables with a UV pen to
include your postcode and house number or first two letters of your
house name, so that they can be returned if lost or stolen.
Register your valuables on Immobilise.com, a national database
that police can access and compare against items that have been
found or recovered from suspected criminals. The online
service is totally free and is quick and easy to use.
Immobilise - The UK national property
register
SmartWater: This is a unique spray
being used to mark people’s property with an invisible solution
that contains a unique identification number.
It allows police officers to identify
stolen items and return them to their rightful owners. Anyone
arrested will be scanned under ultraviolet light to check for
traces of the solution.
SmartWater zones are marked with street signs to warn off
burglars and include: Kirkholt, Bellfield and Waithlands where
homes have had their property marked with the solution.
For more information about the SmartWater campaign call the
Community Safety Team.
SmartWater - crime
reduction
Protect your vehicle
- Think about where you park, thieves prefer dimly-lit places
with few passers-by. Choose a brightly-lit street or properly
managed car park.
- If you have a garage, use it.
- Always close windows and lock the doors.
- Remove any valuables from your vehicle, always remove satellite
navigations, their cradles and rub off sucker marks on the
windscreen.
- If fitted with a removable radio or front panel, always remove
and take with you.
- Use a steering lock.
- Etch windows with your registration number.
- If possible have an engine immobiliser and car alarm fitted,
with a visible warning light.
Protect your home
- Keep windows locked but if you need to open them, ensure you
lock them when you leave the room.
- Keep all external doors locked, even when you are
in.
- Use light timer switches or simply leave a light on when you
are out to give the impression someone is at home.
- Always set your burglar alarm when you go to bed.
- Never leave car or house keys near window sills, in porches or
hallways.
- Put keys and valuables away and out of sight, preferably in a
locked drawer or cabinet.
Protect your garden
- Cutback hedges and erect low fences that
make burglars feel exposed.
- Plant prickly shrubs and bushes next to your
walls or fences will deter most criminals from climbing over.
- Invest in brighter outside lighting.
- Adding gravel paths to create a noise when
someone approaches your property.
- Ensure out-houses and sheds are secure and locked at all
times.
- Make sure that there are no ‘hiding places’ in your garden for
any would-be burglar.
- Make sure your contents insurance cover the shed and
garage and all the equipment you store there.