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As part of Wiltshire Police’s Secure This Christmas campaign, homeowners are urged to protect and secure their homes against opportunist criminals over the festive period.
In December 2023, 53 homes were burgled across Wiltshire. To prevent anyone else from being a victim of burglary this Christmas period, detectives are encouraging homeowners to check their homes are as secure as possible.
Detective Inspector Sarah Champion explains:
“Burglaries that take place around the Christmas period in Wiltshire are predominantly opportunist, with criminals often using rear patio doors to gain access to the property. We advise members of the public to ensure their back garden and entrances to their home are as secure as possible, locking and bolting garden gates, removing garden ornaments which can be used to smash windows, storing bins away from fences and gates, and investing in CCTV systems which cover all angles of the property.”
Other tips to prevent your home from being burgled include:
· Always securing windows and doors, even when you are inside your home
· Using timer lights and television simulators
· Installing external motion sensor lighting
· Defensive planting of spiky shrubs and keeping hedges low
· Marking valuables using property marking DNA kits, and registering them on www.immobilise.com
· Avoiding oversharing information on social media when the property is empty
· Hiding Christmas presents from under a visible Christmas tree or in the back seats of cars
· Keeping expensive goods packaging hidden out of view and not on top of recycling bins
· Blocking in high value vehicles on driveways
Homeowners that are planning on going on holiday or visiting family and friends this Christmas are urged to review their home security and ensure measures are put in place to deter opportunist criminals. This can include parking a neighbour’s car on the driveway, avoiding location sharing on social media, and using internal timer lights.
DI Champion continues:
“Being burgled at Christmas can cause devastating impacts on victims. We do not want anyone to be a victim of burglary this Christmas period, and we hope by sharing crime prevention advice in the lead-up to Christmas that homeowners will be vigilant and take any necessary precautions to protect their homes.”
Officers will be increasing patrols of hotspot locations and residential areas across Wiltshire during the Christmas period. Please continue to monitor official Wiltshire Police social media accounts to find out about upcoming pop-up crime prevention engagement events across the county.
More advice about home security products can be found on the Secured By Design website, which is police approved. Watch our ‘Wiltshire Pads’ series, due to be released on the Wiltshire Police Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages between 9 – 22 December, to learn more about home security and burglary prevention.
Wiltshire Police encourage members of the public to report any suspicious activity by calling 101. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress, or in an emergency. Find out more about your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme by visiting their website.