Wight Christmas Crime Prevention.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Safer Christmas campaign has begun, urging members of the community to take simple steps to protect themselves from becoming victims of crime over the festive period.
Christmas is the time when the police force’s four Safers campaigns (Streets, Homes, Vehicles and Roads) combine to make sure that, whether you’re shopping, celebrating or travelling around the county, you know how to do so safely and your activities don’t ruin another person’s Christmas.
This page contains information about securing your home, vehicle and personal property during the Christmas period.
Click here for information about our Christmas and new year drink-drive intitiatives.
Christmas Crime Prevention Menu
To help you remember how to have a Safer Christmas, Hampshire Constabulary are pleased to offer a menu of crime prevention tips, ranging from a delicious Car Thief’s Classic to a Shed Surprise. Hopefully your evening won’t end with a Pickpocket Polka!
The Christmas Crime Prevention Menu was suggested by Southampton’s Crime Prevention Officer, Laura Rich.
She said: “Christmas is a time when most people like to let their hair down, have a few drinks and enjoy themselves, Hampshire Constabulary do not want to spoil the fun but are encouraging people in the county to stay safe.
“By taking a few extra precautions you can significantly reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim during the festive period. Make sure that there are no presents left on display in your car or in your house and ensure that your doors and windows are securely locked. A high percentage of theft is opportunist, so don’t give thieves the chance of making your Christmas miserable.”
Christmas Crime Prevention Menu
Follow these simple tips from Crime Prevention Officer Ron Smith.
When Christmas Shopping
- Make sure you park your car in a well lit public place, avoid isolated dark areas and do not leave objects on display.
- If you have to return to the car to unload purchases make sure that they are locked out of sight. Try not to do this too often. It might be prudent to make more than one trip to the shops rather than leave the unattended car loaded up with expensive items. To a thief, your car is little more than a glass display case on wheels!
- Avoid carrying too much around with you, the more bags you’ve got the more vulnerable you are to street crime.
- Keep your purse or wallet somewhere close to your body where you can feel it. Keep your chequebooks and cheque cards separately.
- If you take a tea or lunch break, don’t leave your bags unattended, not even for a few seconds.
- Because of the tendency for everyone to be in a rush over Christmas, credit card theft can increase as people are less careful with their plastic. Card crime not only involves someone stealing your card but also skimming, which is a method of illegally obtaining your card details by swiping your card through a small card reader. The details can then be used to make a counterfeit copy. This could happen anywhere you might pay with a credit card.
- Be extra vigilant at cash machines. You should report anything which looks out of place on the machine, particularly anything attached to the card entry port, or anyone you see hanging around in the vicinity of the machines. Make sure no one can see you entering your personal identification number (PIN) and do not walk away from the machine with cash in your hand for everyone to see.
At Home
Ensure the security of your house is adequate, important at all times but especially so at Christmas. Front and rear external doors should have good quality locks fitted to them along with door security bolts. All windows should have locking catches. If you have any doubts about the basic security of your home contact the Crime Reduction Officer via your local police station or visit the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk.
Having bought all those lovely presents the last thing you need is for them to vanish overnight. Don’t make it easy for someone to steal from your home. Keep presents out of sight until last thing on Christmas Eve.
- Try not to ‘hide’ or store larger items in the shed or garage - these are obvious places for a thief to look. If you do have to do this, make sure they are very secure. If you can, try and find more original hiding places - the loft is always a good bet, being difficult and dangerous for a burglar to access.
- Ensure you make a note of serial numbers, reference numbers and/or identification marks before expensive gifts are wrapped for Christmas. Register them on www.immobilise.com.
- Keep receipts and instruction manuals separate so that should the worst happen, you have evidence of what was taken.
- Empty boxes and packaging left outside will advertise the fact that these goods are available inside! Dispose of packaging carefully.
- Try not to position the Christmas tree right by a window. This may attract attention to presents from anyone looking in. It is best not to put the presents under the tree too long before Christmas. The longer they are on display the more opportunity there is for a burglary to take place.
- When out of the house make sure all your doors and windows are locked. After dark make it look as though someone is at home by leaving lights on or a radio playing. If you’re going to be out for a longer period, say over night, use timing switches on lights around the house. If away over the holiday make sure that you cancel the milk, papers etc, try and arrange for a neighbour to check your property and pick up the mail, or contact the Post Office and have the mail re-directed.
Out and about
- With office parties and general Christmas celebrations, pubs, restaurants and other venues are often crowded . Don’t leave bags over the back of your chair and keep wallets and purses close to your body to make it more difficult for the pick pocket. Busy places make life easier for these type of thieves so be alert at all times.
- Make prior arrangements as to how you will get home. Avoid potential disturbances in the street and stay with your friends if possible.
- Make sure someone knows where you’re going and what time you will be back.
Isle of Wight Christmas.
