Continue to lock up to beat the burglars

Following recent crime prevention advice issued by Safer Communities Torbay there has been a reduction in thenumber of dwelling burglaries.  However, Safer Communities Torbay are reminding people about the importance of securing their homes to keep burglars at bay.

They say house owners or occupiers should ensure all lower windows, doors and patio doors are locked and secure, especially at night.  

If residents require any advice they can contact their neighbourhood policing teams who can give information on how to keep homes, property and vehicles safe and secure.

Partnership Sgt Lou Costin said: "Through initiatives in and around Torbay, we continue to detect, prevent and deter such offences as burglary and thefts from vehicles. By continually raising public awareness, this reduces the opportunity for people to commit such offences. We would urge anyone who sees any suspicious behaviour to contact us immediately so we can respond quickly and track down offenders.

“We would also encourage those going away or leaving their houses unoccupied for some time, for example a relative going to a care home, that someone trustworthy should go in to remove post from the floor, pull and open curtains to make the property look ‘lived in’, consider timer switches to activate lights coming on and off and perhaps consider asking a neighbour to park on the drive.”

The police offer the following advice:

• Do not leave valuables on display either in the home or vehicle
• Do not leave your property insecure
• Do tell your neighbours that you are going away
• If you are away for period of time, let the police know you are going away, and if possible leave the keys with a member of family who lives nearby giving details of that person to the police.

Safer Communities Torbay is a multi-agency partnership between Torbay  Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Torbay Care Trust, Devon and Cornwall Probation Trust and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

For further information and interviews please contact Mandy Riley, Project Manager, Safer Communities Torbay on 01803 841265 or at mandy.riley@torbay.gov.uk