Police and Crime

Crime prevention Advice

​Target hardening

Making targets more resistant to attack or more difficult to remove or damage

Fitting stronger doors

• Upgrading window or door locks
• Installing alarms
• Improving fencing
• Keeping a home well maintained
• Make sure the car is locked when unattended
• Ensure all smart devices have password protection, do not trust factory
• default settings
• Install updates for computers, laptops and smart devices

Target removal
Make sure the property isn’t visible or easily accessible

• Move valuables away from windows and doors.
• Install a safe or other secure storage
• Don’t leave phones or other valuables in your vehicle

Remove the means
Making sure that any material capable of being used to help an offender commit a crime is properly stored

• Store garden tools or machinery in a locked shed
• Used Sold Secure ground anchors when locking equipment or bicycles
• Secure ladders to prevent access to open upstairs windows
• Keep bins inside the garden as they could be used to climb the fence

Reduce the payoff
Employing means to reduce the value of any loss

• Conduct a security survey and assess the home, shed or business
• Improve security by repairing fences and hedges, maintain the building, upgrading doors and windows, and replacing locks
• Property marking with Smart Water, Selecta DNA inside the house or forensically coded grease on external belongings or metal
• Create a detailed inventory of every item in the building
• Install a safe for all valuables and important documents

Access control
Restrict access to gardens and buildings

• Video intercom for apartments
• Audio/ visual door bell
• Lock door and windows, when upstairs or in the rear garden
• Visitor book and identification on lanyards for schools, nursing homes, businesses, etc

Visibility / Surveillance
Making sure than an offender would be visible if they carried out the crime

• Natural – sight lines maintained
  • Making sure the building is more visible from the street
  • Maintain hedges and fencing to encouraged surveillance from inside the house or business
  • Installing or improving lighting

• Formal – using technology or employees
  • Using CCTV or other technology
  • Employ staff or security officers to watch over and patrol

• Informal – pedestrians or passers by being vigilant
  • Involves the whole community where people are encouraged to be vigilant – such as Neighbourhood Watch.

Environmental Design
Changing the environment to reduce opportunities for committing crime

• Changing an area can improve the location and reduce the criminal opportunity
• Increased lighting
• Maintaining or removing hedges or overgrown plants
• Redesigning footpaths and roads
• Adding street furniture and other facilities to encourage legitimate use, parks and other places feel safer with lots of people

Rule Setting
The introduction of rules sets out acceptable behaviour based on legislation, bylaws and codes of conduct

• Displaying rules at entrances informs visitors or passers by
• Code of conduct for residents, club members or staff
• Once rules are in place, offenders can be questioned or challenged

Increase the chance of being caught
Anything that slows down an offender or increases their chances of being caught

• Locks, padlocks and chains
• Gates, fencing or hedges
• Anti-climb paint
• Forensic property marking
• Forensically coded grease