Keep your property secure and guard against providing an opportunity for thieves and unlawful activity. As the holiday season has already started and given crimes have been reported in and around the town, this is our advice to residents and landowners across Kenilworth.
Householders
Please ensure that your doors, gates, and side entrances are always locked and secure. Consider fitting anti-snap locks if you do not already have them fitted.
Don’t leave valuables or any items on show in your vehicles, and this advice includes when your vehicle is parked at home and even on your private drive if you have one.
If your vehicle has a keyless entry system, please ensure you switch off the key signal (if your key has that facility). If your keyless entry system cannot be switched off, please store the keys inside your home in a metal container to block the key signal.
If you have a garage or outbuildings, ensure they are secure with solid locks, braces and/or padlocks. An excellent method to ensure this is to look at your outbuilding, think you have lost your keys, and ask yourself how can I get in? If you find a way, then you can take action to close that way off with better security.
Landowners
To prevent unlawful entry or activity on your land, please ensure that you have taken all reasonable steps to secure your property. Check fences are intact and in good order and that locked access points are robust and protect entrances effectively.
Don’t leave machinery, vehicles and plant insecure or accessible on land or property. Please ensure all such equipment is immobilised as much as possible and that unauthorised vehicular access is not physically possible.
Opportunity
Most crimes and unlawful actions occur with the help of one key component, OPPORTUNITY.
Without opportunity, offenders are often deterred as committing the intended offence or unlawful activity is too difficult.
The above sets out simple but effective steps we all have a responsibility to take and, by doing so, help ourselves avoid becoming the victims of crime or unlawful activity.
Finally, if you see what you believe is a crime being committed, then dial 999 without delay.
If you see something suspicious or have information that may be useful, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with Warwickshire Police by dialling 101 or report a crime via https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/