In 2015,1039 burglaries were reported to police in the Gloucestershire area. Yet only 88 of these crimes resulted in any kind of prosecution against these lawbreakers. The Gloucestershire Echo have written an article explaining the difficulties police face when investigating such crimes. http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/92-cent-burglaries-2015-left-unsolved-Gloucester/story-28829746-detail/story.html

It states that 92% of burglaries in Gloucestershire last year remain unsolved and that this figure seems to be rising. However, with government cuts to policing in England and Wales, there are a decreasing number of police on duty and simply not enough officers to deal with the amount of crimes happening in the city. Their resources are stretched and often when criminals are caught it can be difficult to charge them with offences, owing to lack of evidence. This is a problem that stretches nationwide, leaving many criminals to get away away with their crimes for many years and repeat offend.

Protect Your Property from Burglaries

Police.UK https://www.police.uk/crime-prevention-advice/burglary/  state that:

“Homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures. Good window locks and strong deadlocks can make a big difference.”

• Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you’re just out in the garden, remembering to double-lock UPVC doors (lift handle and turn key)

• Hide all keys, including car keys, out of sight and away from the letterbox (remember a device could be used to hook keys through the letterbox)

• Install a visual burglar alarm

• Install good outside lighting

• Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property

• Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied

• Make sure the fences around your garden are in good condition

• Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable object inside a locked shed or garage

• Keep ladders and tools stored away; don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home

• Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property

• Ensure rear fencing is in good repair

• Improve natural surveillance at the front of your property i.e. trim high hedges

• Mark your property with postcode and house number and register your property for free with Immobilise (opens in a new window)

• Consider joining or forming a Neighbourhood Watch scheme (opens in a new window)

• Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows

• Store any high value items (i.e. jewellery, passports) in a properly secured safe or bank vault

CCTV Catches Burglars

CCTV is a great way to catch burglars in the act and provide the evidence that the police need to prosecute. Ultra Vision F&S install CCTV systems that can be viewed remotely from your smartphone or computer, so that you can monitor your property wherever you are in the world.

http://ultra-vision.co.uk/cctv-systems/