This month - safety tips to keep in mind while we do our Christmas shopping... 

Inspector Stephen Fairbrother is the Crime Reduction Officer for Derbyshire Constabulary

November is with us and Christmas looms.

We will all be spending our hard-earned cash getting ready for the festivities.  This creates more opportunities for criminals. Help reduce the risk of crime by taking care of yourself and your property.

This months tips:

Cash & Cards

People carry more cash and visit cash machines more often at this time of the year.

• Take care that cash, credit cards and other valuables cannot be taken by pickpockets, or bag snatchers.  Carry your wallet in an inside pocket.  Watch out for people bumping into you in crowds.
• Never let your credit cards out of your sight when paying for goods.
• Use credit cards for telephone or internet purchases only when buying from established and reputable companies.
• When using cash machines, be alert to who is around.
• If your credit card is stolen, tell the card company IMMEDIATELY.  Keep the number handy.  If you delay reporting the loss, it could lead to a crime being committed in your name, as a thief could make fraudulent use of your card.  Thieves can use credit cards for over the counter and telephone purchases.
• Never carry the personal identification number (PIN) with your cash dispensing cards.  Always memorise your number, and never disclose it, not even to bank staff or close friends.
• Sign new plastic cards as soon as they arrive, and cut up old ones when they expire.
• The Association for Payment Clearing Services, through its Card Watch campaign, offers practical advice on how to look after your plastic cards.      

Cars & Presents

• Park in safe, well lit areas – preferably a Secured Car Park. You can find out your nearest Secured Car Parks by visiting www.saferparking.co.uk 
• Never leave a car door unlocked or a window or sunroof open – even when just going into a shop for a moment or two.
• Don’t leave any belongings on show in your car.  A thief won’t know that a bag or coat doesn’t contain something valuable and might break a window to get at it.  Never leave your purchases/presents on display – lock them in the boot.
• Security mark your stereo and if it’s removable, always take it with you.  Make a note of the serial number and keep it in a safe place.
• Don’t leave credit cards or cheque books in the glove compartment.  1 in 5 stolen cheque and credit cards are taken from cars.
• Never leave your vehicle documents in the car – they could help a thief to sell it.
• Remove the ignition key and engage the steering lock – even when parking in your own driveway or garage – and don’t forget to lock the garage door.
• Always try to park in a well-lit, open location.
• Double-check that all car doors, windows, sunroof and boot are locked before leaving it.  And put your aerial down to stop it being vandalised.      

Home Security

Once you have carried your presents home, they still need looking after. Burglars do their Christmas Shopping at your expense.

A lot of burglaries can be prevented.  Most are committed by opportunist thieves, and in two burglaries out of ten the thief does not have to force his way in because a door or window has been left open. Burglars like easy opportunities.  They don’t like locked windows because breaking glass attracts attention.  They don’t like security deadlocks on doors because they cannot open them even from the inside and they have to get out through a window.  Simple precautions like these do work.  So check the security of your home and strengthen any weak spots as soon as possible.  A small outlay, will, in many cases, make your home much more secure – and buy peace of mind into the bargain.

• Strangers: Be alert to people loitering in residential streets.  If it is no one you recognise, call the police on 0845 123 33 33.
• Burglar alarms: Visible burglar alarms make burglars think twice.
• Fit window locks and use them!
• Gates and Fences: A high wall or fence at the back of a house can put off burglars.  Check for weak spots where a thief could get in.  A thorny hedge along a boundary can also be a useful deterrent.  Make sure the front of the house is still visible to passers by, so that a burglar can’t work unseen.
• Spare Keys: Never leave a spare key in a hiding place like under a doormat, in a flowerpot or inside a letterbox – a thief will look there first.
• Good exterior lighting can deter a burglar – low-energy lighting controlled by a photo-electric cell (dusk to dawn) or PIR controlled floodlights are the most popular.
• Timer switches can put lights on and off while you’re out so the burglar cannot tell when you’re out.
• Look after your home or you could be giving your presents to the burglar – gift wrapped!
         

More crime prevention advice is available in the Staying Safe section of this website