Recently there were a number of burglaries from homes in Kidderminster which included Christmas presents, jewellery, cash and mobile phones. Meanwhile, West Mercia police have reported on a spike in lorry thefts in the last year, which they believe could ramp up as criminal gangs attempt to cash in on consumer demand in the run up to Christmas. This highlights the need for both home and business owners to be vigilant about security during these dark evenings when valuable items are likely to be stored.
Taking steps to protect your home at Christmas time
While organised gangs can target a number of properties as happened in Kidderminster, many burglars are opportunists so you can take some simple steps to protect your home. Making sure all your doors, windows and outside gates are locked when you are out is the most important step of all.
You should also keep any valuable items and wrapped Christmas presents stored away from windows. Empty boxes that contained deliveries should not be visible either as this could lead thieves to suspect there are expensive items inside the property.
Additionally, if you are going out for the day, or if you are away overnight, you could have lamps plugged in with timers so that they go on and off so that thieves do not realise the house is empty. Security lights that come on when they approach will also deter burglars as they are no longer breaking in under the cover of darkness.
Protecting commercial property and lorries
West Mercia Police reported that a trailer of cheeses with an estimated value of £50,000, was stolen from Strensham services in Worcestershire on the M5 at the beginning of December. Toys, food, white goods, and perfumes are among the types of products that organised crime gangs are targeting, with the force saying 140 such crimes have taken place this year, in the area it covers (Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire) almost double last year’s total of 83.
Motorway service stations and industrial estates are a target for criminals looking to steal from lorries, particularly close to Christmas when the items maybe of higher value, according To West Mercia Police. There has been estimated loss value of £1.35million in cargo from service stations at Frankley, Strensham, Telford and Hopwood over the past few years, the force said. Separately, food and washing powder was stolen from the Hartlebury Trading estate near Kidderminster at the end of November.
Detective Constable Dan Griffiths of the West Mercia Force Intelligence Bureau said: “These high value acquisitive crimes relate to all products that go into the supply chain, be they white goods, groceries, retail items or raw materials, so their theft ultimately affects all of us.
“There’s a reputational impact on large carriers too if their lorries are getting raided as they will lose custom, as well as insurance premiums go up and stock missing from our supermarket shelves, so any additional costs in the chain will eventually get passed on to the customer.”
The police are stepping up their patrols of the potential hot-spot areas but have called on lorry drivers to take extra precautions. These include parking lorries in areas they can see it and with their loading doors close to other vehicles. Additionally, they have asked the public to also be vigilant and if to report it if they notice anything suspicious.
If you want to report a possible crime within Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, whether this is in a residential area, on an industrial estate, near shops or at a motorway service station, you can go to https://www.westmercia.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/. Alternatively, throughout the UK, people can pass on information anonymously to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555111 or by visiting its website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
Providing peace of mind at Christmas and all year round
Both commercial and residential properties can benefit from improved security measures, which are particularly needed in the run up to Christmas, as without taking proper precautions this can be a lucrative time of year for criminals hoping to cash in on the demand for goods. If you cannot consider them all now, then make sure you take some the simple steps, such as installing adequate security lights, but consider investing more in your security systems in the new year.
We offer intruder alarm systems and CCTV systems. These can act as deterrents to burglars as the bell boxes and cameras are visible to them. Commercial properties also need to put up signage to indicate surveillance camera recordings are taken place, which helps to make potential intruders more wary. If more support is required, we can also offer remote monitoring for alarm and CCTV systems via our Alarm receiving centre (ARC). If you need extra protection, we offer a further range of security and monitoring appliances that could help. Please contact us to find out more.