Cut crime risk with easy steps (From Cotswold Journal)

Cut crime risk with easy steps

3:00pm Saturday 16th March 2013 in News

SAFETY advice has been given to Cotswold residents to help reduce the risk of becoming a target for thieves.

Police and the District Safer and Stronger Community Partnership are reminding residents of the simple steps they can take to prevent their homes and businesses being broken into.

Of all the burglaries that took place in the Cotswold Local Policing Area last year, 16 per cent were due to a location being insecure.

PC Mark Godsland, crime reduction officer for Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: “Home and business owners should ensure that premises should be kept secure when unoccupied,” he said. “Any valuable items, or items of sentimental value, should be property marked with a forensic property marking system to make them easily identifiable in the event of them being stolen.

“Business owners should take stock of the security measures they have in place and consider installing extra physical security measures such as locks, security glazing, intruder and fire alarms, security lighting and CCTV.”

PC Godsland said simple crime prevention techniques also applied to preventing thefts from garden sheds and vehicles.

“Sheds are a favourite target for criminals because many can be broken into relatively easily, and they often contain expensive items,” he said.

For more information, visit gloucestershire.police.uk 􀁥 Four homes were broken into in a nine-hour burglary spree in Moreton and Condicote last month. Police believe the break-ins which happened between 10pm on February 17 and 7am on February 18, are linked as it appears similar items were stolen in each incident.