Hampshire Constabulary

Officers throughout the two counties are being supplied with footprint shaped leaflets printed with the message “This could have been the footprint of a burglar”.

When a patrolling officer sees a window or door left open and unattended, a leaflet will be put through and the window or door pushed closed to make the house less of a target for thieves.

Hopefully residents will think carefully about leaving windows and doors open when no-one is present, no matter how high temperatures rise.

Detective Chief Inspector Dick Pearson is Hampshire Constabulary’s Safer Homes lead. He said:

“I am happy to say that burglary remains a rare occurrence in Hampshire and the IOW, but when it does happen it brings misery and inconvenience to the victims. Many burglars are opportunists – they will see an open window or door as an invitation to come inside your home.

“We are not telling people that they can’t try and stay cool in the summer by opening windows or doors, but remember it only takes a moment for someone to get in and out of your home if you leave a room with a window or door wide open. This sort of burglary is so easily prevented with some careful thought.”

Across the force areas, the recent wave of hot weather brought a number of burglaries which can be attributed to a door or window being left open or unlocked (referred to as an insecurity).

• In Central Hampshire, there were 31 burglaries between June 27 and July 4, 13 of which were due to an insecurity.
• In North and East Hampshire there were 25 burglaries between June 27 and July 4, 11 of which were due to an insecurity.
• In West Hampshire there were 13 burglaries between June 27 and July 4, four of which were due to an insecurity.*

Hampshire Constabulary launched the Creating Safer Communities programme in 2004, comprising of Safer Homes, Safer Roads, Safer Streets and Safer Vehicles, designed to reduce crime in these four priority areas and give advice to the community about how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

The following Safer Homes advice is being issued, in line with the summer campaign:

• Make sure you secure all your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even if you are ‘just popping out’.
• If you are in the garden or upstairs, make sure your downstairs doors are locked – in the summer burglars can often just open the front door and help themselves.
• Fit window locks – easily visible locks may deter some thieves because it forces them to break the glass, which could attract attention. Remember to remove window keys and keep them out of sight in a safe place.
• Keep valuable items out of view – if you have electrical equipment worth hundreds of pounds, don’t keep it by the window where passers-by can see it.
• Never leave a key under a doormat or on a string through the letterbox – it’s the first place any burglar will look.
• Make sure tools and ladders are kept in a secure place – burglars will happily use your own garden equipment to break into your home.
• If you’ve taken extra security precautions, make it clear – if you have an alarm, make sure the box can be clearly seen; if you take part in Neighbourhood Watch, display a sticker in your window and, if you have a dog, put up a warning sign. If you are going away:

Use time switches – available from most DIY stores – to switch on lights, radios and other appliances when you’re out or away.

Get a trusted friend or neighbour to collect your post, draw your curtains and make your home look lived in.

If you are taking your car on holiday, ask a neighbour to park in your drive.

 Remember to cancel milk and papers – a door step full of papers and milk is a sure sign that nobody is home.