‘Tis the Season… to deter Burglars

The November meeting of Chiltern Community Forum once again nominated Residential Burglary as a top Neighbourhood Policing Survey. This was a near-inevitable choice, given that every geographic area within the survey, and the under-18s survey, had all nominated burglary as their top concern.

Commenting on current priorities, Sgt Roy Evans explained the proactive steps taken to combat burglary, including efforts to predict likely locations. But he also alerted the meeting to the fact that Chiltern & South Bucks is the most targeted area in the Thames Valley force area by burglars.

Chiltern Community Forum exists not only to set policing priorities, but also to signpost where residents can take their own steps to improve their safety. Sgt Evans explained that, working with Neighbourhood Watch (NHW), the Police continues to push for residents to join NHW in an effort to become more self-resilient.

With dark winter nights bringing a heightened risk of home burglaries and break-ins, PCSO Lucy Groves added her top 5 pieces of advice:

• Install an alarm that is monitored, rather than just ringing out; and don’t neglect to set your alarm.
• Use accredited security equipment. A list of approved alarm fitters is available on Community Safety’s Home Security page of the Chiltern & South Bucks website. This page also has a number of other security tips.
• Ensure the house looks occupied, with lights on during hours of darkness; use time switches.
• Secure access to the rear of the house; burglars often look for entry points at the back of the house, where also they may be less likely to be spotted. Install a gate and keep it locked when not in use.
• Neighbourhood Watch membership is a great way of deterring burglars. For information on existing Neighbourhood Watch schemes in your area, you can contact the Community Safety team of Chiltern & South Bucks Council, or David Alder, Chiltern NHW Multi Scheme Administrator on 07795 412 956 or via email at chilternnhw@gmail.com.

Research has shown that Neighbourhood Watch can reduce crime by 26%. The well-recognised window stickers are a deterrent to criminals, who prefer to choose the easiest possible target. https://t.co/wcXqwG3g5V pic.twitter.com/e97DswY5Zo

— Community Safety (@csafetycdcsbdc) December 11, 2019

Read more about how Neighbourhood Watch in our news post Introducing… Neighbourhood Watch in the Chilterns. This explains how NHW has been working hard to make itself more relevant to meet new challenges brought about by changing society, public services, crime types, communications and technology.