Burglary Appeal

More good news about burglary arrests 

Yesterday morning you may have seen our Facebook post that we had five suspected burglars in our cells.

Well, by 8pm last night that number had risen to nine.

They're linked to various break-ins at homes across the county and we've been working hard to investigate these incidents and round up the suspects.

Alongside our burglary patrols and targeted operations, we're sharing some important crime prevention advice to help lower your odds of being targeted - odds which can be higher this time of year due to dark nights.

Our five top tips are:

• It sounds simple, but secure doors and windows. It’s easy to forget to lock up if you’re in a rush and a window being left open is one of the most common causes of burglary.

• Check your doors and windows meet minimum security standards of PAS 24.

• Use of light... Have adequate security lighting in place. Internal lights and low energy external dusk till dawn lighting can reduce the risk of being burgled. Timer switches help an unoccupied home look occupied

• Ask a neighbour to take parcels or post in while you’re away so they don’t pile up outside

• And to reduce the risk of vehicle theft which now usually happen by thieves stealing car keys, use physical obstructions like bollards, steering locks and even blocking in your more expensive vehicles with less desirable ones if you park them on a drive

We’re working closely with residents, especially in areas that have been targeted, and welcome any information that could help prevent crimes from happening.

If you see anyone acting suspiciously, please call it in on 101, and always dial 999 if a crime is in progress.