CCTV thieves were, ironically, caught on CCTV when they got away with goods from B&Q in Longwell Green.
Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Tunks said: “CCTV is a great tool for the police to help us identify witnesses and offenders when crime has been committed. Sometimes we need the public and the media’s help to identify the people we need to speak with to help us with our investigations.
As the recession continues to adversely affect many people’s finances, it may be tempting to make cut backs on your insurance policies. But as the dark nights begin to approach, it is more important than ever to have the appropriate home insurance cover in place.
This is because as the winter months roll in, burglars are more likely to target your home and personal belongings, with research by Halifax suggesting burglaries increase by as much as 20 per cent during this period.
Andrew Cheney, senior risk and valuation advisor at Insurance company, Hiscox also says that as the hours of daylight reduce, “it is likely there will be an increase in chance burglaries and petty theft.”
This is backed up by the experiences of Confused.com customers, who claim on their home insurance policies more in the winter months than in any other month of the year.
Latest Confused.com data shows that of those customers who applied for a home insurance quote through the website between September 2007 and August 2009, and had previously been burgled, thefts occurred with more frequency during October, December and January, with the worst month for burglary being November.
Meanwhile, the recent 2008/2009 British Crime Survey noted a one per cent rise in domestic burglaries in the past year, with one of the major factors determining whether you fall victim to burglary being the lack of home security measures.
According to Darren Black, head of home insurance at Confused.com, home security should be high on everyone’s agenda.
He explained: “Although having a solid home insurance policy is the best way to combat the effects of burglary, prevention is always better than cure.
“Home security has become increasingly important over the past year as recession fuelled burglaries appear to be on the rise.
“Investing in something as simple as security lights or even taking the time to set the alarm before you leave the house can mean the difference between having peace of mind and becoming another crime statistic.”
1: Invest in a full alarm system: Don’t be tempted to buy a dummy alarm just because they’re cheaper, as a determined burglar will easily be able tell the difference. If you have to buy a dummy unit, get it from a recognised alarm company and make sure the company logo is clearly displayed.
2: Clean the visible parts of your alarm system: A dusty or rusted alarm box tells a burglar that your alarm system is not maintained by a professional and may signal to burglars that it is not maintained.
3: Plant painful shrubbery: Barbed wire isn’t exactly legal on domestic properties but planting hawthorn, holly or ornamental brambles at key points in your garden like back walls and under windows is a cheap, natural (and legal) deterrent to burglars.
4: Don’t always think that having a dog in the house is a deterrent: Burglars know that if you have a dog in your property you are less likely to set your house alarm at night for fear the animal will set off the motion sensors. So be vigilant about always switching your alarm system on.
5: Lock doors and windows even if you’re in the garden or have popped next door: Remember to lock windows and doors when you’re out and remove all keys. Many burglaries occur when a property is empty but opportunist thieves may enter your property if they think you are distracted.
Content courtsey of Confused.com
Christmas Crime
As retail businesses increase stock levels for Christmas it provides richer pickings for thieves. As takings rise and shops stay open longer, the potential for lucrative hold-ups also increases.
Alongside this drunken revelry can lead to malicious damage or even arson attacks on business premises – a particular concern this year as the number of unoccupied and unprotected premises has increased with recession.
Doug Barnett, head of customer risk management at AXA says: “Crime against business is a serious issue and this year we are concerned that the continuing recession could prompt a rise around the Christmas period. We would urge all businesses to work with local communities and police to protect themselves as well as taking sensible precautions, not least making sure they are properly insured should the worst happen.
“With 36,200 businesses5 predicted to fail in 2009, we can’t stress enough the importance of insurance to avoid becoming part of that depressing statistic.”
“Business crime can have a devastating impact on a business and its employees – we hope we can work with the business community to keep this to a minimum this Christmas.”
Christmas is a special time for celebration and should not end in tragedy because of the extra hazards that are present at this time of year.
The following advice should be used in conjunction with other sections of the site, such as the candle fire safety page, due to the fact that candles are also used more and more at this time of year.
Fairy lights, Christmas tree lights, multiple sets of lights and other kinds of decorative lights get used less often than your everyday lights, and they need more care.
Decorations made of light tissue paper or cardboard burn easily.
Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases. This can be seen by viewing this video.
Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.
Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
Disposing of Your Tree.
Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling centre or having it taken away by a community pickup service.
For further information visit http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/christmas.php
Shoplifting has surged to record levels in the UK, fuelled by the recession, according to a study.
The value of retail goods stolen rose 20% to £4.88bn in the year to June, the Centre for Retail Research said.
The UK had the highest amount in value of shoplifted goods in Europe and was third behind the US and Japan globally, data from 1,069 retailers suggests.
Checkpoint Systems, which commissioned the report, said there had been a rise in “middle-class” shoplifters.
It said more people were now stealing goods simply to maintain their standard of living rather than to sell them on.
Checkpoint Systems vice-president Neil Matthews added: “This is epitomised in the recent uprising of the middle-class shoplifter, someone who has turned to theft to sustain their standard of living.
“This is driving theft of items such as cosmetics, perfumes and face creams, alcohol, fresh meat, mobile phones, computer games and DVDs, as well as small electrical goods like cameras, iPods and personal care gadgets.”
The Global Retail Theft Barometer 2009 is based on data from a confidential survey of 1,069 large retailers with combined sales of £514bn.
It reports key findings on retail shrinkage and crime in 41 countries on five continents based on that data.
The survey also suggests that while theft by organised gangs and opportunistic shoplifters is on the up, employee theft is also increasing.
According to the report, employee shoplifters are the most prolific, accounting for an average loss of £1,595.66 per incident in the UK, compared with £80.31 for “external” thefts.
Theft surge
According to the study, the UK ranked second worst – behind the Irish Republic – in Europe in the employee theft stakes, with 36.4% of all loss down to staff.
“The UK’s retail industry has seen its largest ever increase in shoplifting over the last 12 months, and it comes at a time when the industry can least afford it,” Mr Matthews said.
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FIVE COUNTRIES WORST HIT BY SHOPLIFTING*
1) US – £26.4bn
2) Japan – £6.031bn
3) UK – £4.886bn
4) Germany – £4.444bn
5) France – £4.203bn
*Source Centre for Retail Research, Nottingham
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“Retailers simply cannot afford to ignore this problem, it is not going to go away and is the equivalent of criminals taxing every UK household £227 per year.”
As a result, over the past year UK retailers invested an estimated £926m in security measures to combat theft including paying for security staff, electronic tags and CCTV.
In Europe, Portugal was least affected by shoplifting, losing £294m during the year.
Worldwide, the US was worst affected, losing £26.4bn a year, while second placed Japan lost £6.03bn.
Above editorial courtsey of BBC New
• Always be suspicious of any unexpected callers and remember, no matter how urgent they make it sound – you don’t have to let anyone in that you don’t want to.
• Always remember:- There is no such thing as the “WATERBOARD”. If anyone says they are from the “waterboard”, they are lying – so call the police immediately on 999 and tell us as much detail as you can. Give us the chance to catch them.
• If anyone arrives on your doorstep who you are suspicious about, close the door and call the police immediately on 999. We need your calls to help us to stop these criminals before they get lucky somewhere else. Trust your gut feelings!
Officers and staff from Local Policing Units are available to offer crime prevention advice and to give presentations on distraction burglaries to community groups in your area.
Please pass this message on to as many elderly and vulnerable people as you can. By spreading the word you can help to prevent them becoming victims of this particularly unpleasant crime.
Your help is really appreciated.
Editorial courtsey of Neighbour Hood Watch
Saint John Security Installations Limited is committed to operating in a sustainable manner and looks for every opportunity to minimise our environmental impact.
Example of this as follows:
Minimising waste, recycling materials wherever possible – including paper (currently use Shred It monthly to collect all our paper for recycling Shred It than plant tress on our behalf), toners and redundant computer equipment.
Minimise paper use – where possible. When making notes scrap paper or direct input into our computer software is encouraged, our legal forms have been reduce from 2 x A4 to 1 X A4, engineers job sheets, contracts and letters are emailed and saved electronically on file rather than printed posted and hard filed. A data capture Campaign has began to collect all customers email address’s so all service letters, renewals and other correspondence are emailed rather than printed and posted.
Transport wherever possible, especially in London our engineers and sale consultants use public transport or avoid the need to travel, when practical. All engineers routes are planned to be as carbon friendly as possible, all their vans are diesel and environmentally friendly (60mpg). Office staffs are encouraged to use public transport and we understand the difficulty they may face at times to be punctual.
Electricity – all computers and lights are switched off outside of office hours (0900-1730). Photocopier only switched on when and if required.
On guard against horse tack theft
COUNTRY Watch police officers are issuing security advice to horse owners following an increase in reports of tack thefts in the rural areas of the New Forest.
• Ensure stables and tack rooms are left secure, consider improving locks, CCTV, security lighting
• Mark all your equipment with a postcode; this enables police to return your property if it is recovered and makes the property less desirable to thieves
• Be vigilant – report any suspicious people/vehicles to police giving as much detail as possible.
Above Editorial courtsey from www.thisisdorset.co.uk
Saint John Security Installations can also help, we have exceled in many stable projects, our equipment is outdoor friendly and will deter any potential tack thefts. Please call us on 0117 9079910 to discuss you many options.
Remember the 5th of November for the right reasons!
Bonfire night is an occasion enjoyed by tens of thousands of people across the UK each year. But it is important to remember that bonfires and fireworks can be dangerous. In 2006 over 1,000 people in the UK suffered injuries from fireworks – half of these were children under the age of 16.
The safest way to enjoy Bonfire night is at an organised display. However if you are planning on holding your own firework party, please make sure you follow the firework code:
Contact your local council to find out about organised displays.
For futher safety advice visit http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/bonfires.php