NHW news & crime report

Plan Your Own Burglary!

Like the rest of us, house burglars adapt their activities to reflect the time of year. In the winter months, they use the longer period of darkness to cover their activities and to identify homes that are unoccupied. That is why we advise you to use devices such as timer switches to make your home appear occupied when you are out. This advice applies all year round of course, but the summer months give thieves additional opportunities.

We all welcome the warm weather when we can throw open windows and doors to let in some fresh air. However, when left unattended, these provide ready and easy access to those who want to steal our property. Even when you are in the next room, it can take only seconds for valuable items to be stolen. It is not uncommon for people to come in from a pleasant spell in the garden, only to find that they have been burgled in this manner.

Always be very careful when leaving doors and windows open and unattended, even if they are only ajar or partly secured. Criminals will not think twice about forcing the mechanism or safety chain and will not distinguish a window from a door in order to gain access. Clearly, those open to the street are most vulnerable, but side gates are often left unlocked and thieves have even been known to climb over them! The side and the rear of your premises are also at risk.

Please take five minutes to ‘think like a thief’ and ‘case’ your own property. Consider how you would break in if you were a burglar.

Use your imagination and keep one step ahead of potential thieves. Ask yourself questions like:

Are there windows that are easy to climb through from ground level?

Are there upstairs windows that can be reached, for example, from a conservatory roof?

Are your windows and doors easy to open from the outside?

Do you have extra security locks fitted, and do you use them all the time?

Do you always set your burglar alarm when you are out or go to bed?

Have you considered setting your burglar alarm while you are in the garden?

Do you always keep your side gate locked?

Are your sheds and outbuildings secure?

Do you leave ladders and tools easily available for a burglar to use?

Most importantly, whatever the season, do you check that all doors, windows and outside gates are securely locked when you go out?

It is sad that we have to think like this. However, if we spot things ourselves and put them right, they will not be there for thieves to exploit.

Just be alert, take simple precautions and stay safe.

Ed Chambers, Watch Chairman, Birstall & Wanlip NHW

Current Priorities Charnwood Police

Burglaries: Local Police are aiming to reduce burglaries at domestic dwellings in the area

Local Officers will engage with the community proving crime prevention advice, and encourage the use of securi- ty measures to make properties more secure. They will attend reports of burglaries to secure any evidence and pursue reasonable lines of enquiries to identify any offenders.

Vehicle Crime: Tackling all elements of vehicle crime

Police aim to tackle different elements of vehicles crime such as theft, TWOC and ASB caused by vehicles

Police aim to tackle vehicle crime through the use of Problem Management Profiles. This will be targeted patrol times to disrupt the use of ASB with vehicles, and disruption tactics on a wider scale using specialist officers.

Theft and associated offences will be targeted by pursuing reasonable lines of enquiry to assist identify and prosecute offenders in a timely manner

Tackling County Lines: Police are developing and targeting people within the area that are drug dealing, exploiting vulnerable people by cuckooing addresses and causing anti-social behaviour from this type of crime.

Gathering intelligence from the community, providing a robust response by executing search warrants, and applying any necessary closures order to stop criminality and protect the public.

Birstall Specific

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) - Including associated crime

We have identified an ASB hotspot within the area of the A6/Birstall services. Youths are gathering after school and into the evening, whilst at the location they are acting in a manner that is unacceptable, showing complete disregard and lack of respect.

Drugs - Use of Cannabis within the park

It has been reported that various/frequent visitors are parking up within the car park on School Lane park and being involved in the use of Cannabis.

Road Safety - Excess Speed

Speeding vehicles is an ongoing issue on our roads, that is very well established. As a policing team, we will be out on the roads at locations highlighted by local residents on a sporadic basis. Please watch your speed.

If you are concerned about road safety in Birstall & Wanlip, request enforcement and make a difference. Find out more by visiting the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Road Safety Partnership website: www.speedorsafety.com where you can complete a short Community Concern Site Request.

A message from PC 1365 Stu Venables

We are seeing a reduction in burglaries recently, long may this continue. However, now is the time to review your property and add security features where it is possible and affordable. There is lots of information available online and a good starting point would be the Leicestershire police website: (leics.police.uk)

Additionally, we do have some police volunteers that are happy to visit you at home to offer some advice, if this is something you are interested in please visit us at the next beat surgery and we can discuss it further.

Some good news and possibly part of the reason the burglaries have reduced is that after receiving information from a local resident, who reported seeing someone trying car doors at 4am in the morning. Police arrived at the location (Birstall Road) stopped and searched the male (who was hiding in a ditch), finding him in possession of various tools used to commit thefts/burglaries (two pairs of industrial grey gloves, a crowbar, pincer pliers and a chisel). The male was arrested but bailed awaiting a charging decision from the crown prosecution service (CPS) however we did manage to remand him into His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in regards to other matters, ergo keeping our streets that bit safer.

Please remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity/behaviour to the police without delay, your action and information could just prevent a crime from being committed.

Let's not give criminals an easy ride, it may not affect you directly, but we need to look out for each other and hold criminals to account. If a crime is in progress, call 999.

We have had a few reports on the Hallam Fields estate regarding youths engaging in ASB/Crime in regards to deliberately kicking balls and throwing stones at houses, kicking doors and banging loudly on doors. Please have a word with your children, to ensure they are not involved. We are looking into the issues and collecting CCTV, which we will be sharing with the local schools in order to seek their identification. If you are having issues regarding ASB please report it to us and/or Charnwood Borough Council and for additional advice regarding ASB please either visit our website or Charnwood Borough Councils at: www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/asb_guide

It’s been absolutely awesome being able to get around the village on the cycle and foot recently, and lovely to see so many people out and about. If you see me or my colleagues about and want to have a chat about any local issues, please feel free, we are out on patrol and looking to engage with the community in order to find out what is going on and identify any issues that need addressing.

Finally, I have a couple of events coming up this month, please feel free to come and see me and the team for a chat and feel free to bring your cycle along and we will happily mark it for you and get it registered on the national bike register, making it less attractive to thieves.