Police offer advice to keep Shropshire homes secure this Bank Holiday weekend
Shropshire residents are being reminded to keep their homes and safe ahead of the Jubilee weekend in a bid to ‘beat the burglars' and have a crime-free bank holiday.
As part of the force's Safe and Secure campaign, people are being reminded to protect their homes if they want to avoid being a victim of crime.
"With many residents going away for the long weekend and half term, thieves may be looking to take advantage of empty homes," says force Crime Risk Manager Ian White. He adds: "A lot of burglaries are opportunistic where thieves seize their chance after finding a window left ajar or a door left unlocked.
"With this in mind, if you are marking the Jubilee celebrations over the weekend, make sure that you secure all windows and doors, and use timer switches for lights if you are going to be out into the evening.
"If you are going away for longer, take a look at the following check list to make sure that your home remains safe and secure while you're away:
• Let a trusted neighbour or friend know that you're going away and encourage them to park on your drive to make it look like someone's in.
• Make sure gates and side entrances are secure.
• Keep spare keys properly concealed and secured.
• Invest in external security lighting to keep the outside as well lit as the inside.
• Consider installing an alarm - they are an effective deterrent.
• Property mark your valuables and then make the details available to the police by registering them on Immobilise - http://www.immobilise.com/ Register property such as mobile phones, bicycles, cameras and laptops. It's free of charge and will improve your chances of getting your things back if they are stolen.
"I would like to reiterate that West Mercia is a safe place to live and burglary figures remain relatively low. In fact, less than one per cent of homes are burgled each year across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire.
"Our local policing teams work hard to reduce the number of burglaries and you can do your part by following the advice given in this release to ensure that you have a safe and secure bank holiday weekend."
For more information, contact your local crime risk manager or your local policing team on 0300 333 3000. Alternatively, visit the Advice Centre on the force website: http://www.westmercia.police.uk/
