Northumbria Police

Home Security Crime Prevention

This is a storyboard transcript to complement the Home Security Crime Prevention Video.

They say an Englishman’s home is his castle. And while many years ago we could pull up the drawbridge to keep our enemies away, these days we need to give a little more thought to keeping our home safe.

Crime prevention doesn’t need to cost a lot of money, much of it is free. For example, this window might only be open a couple of inches but it’s more than enough for a passing thief to get his hands in and steal what’s on offer or even worse get into your home.

Simply by closing the window when you’re not in the room and keeping valuables out of sight will deter opportunist criminals who are looking for easy pickings.

Most modern doors and windows already have locks – just use these. And if they don’t, ask your local hardware store what they recommend for the type of doors and windows you have.

Of course, the most obvious way for anyone to come into a home is through the front or back door. With modern uPVC doors, just pushing the handle up will not lock them. You need to turn the key as well.

Don’t keep the key in the door or even on a hook by the door, but make sure it’s somewhere safe where everyone in the house knows it is and can be easily reached in an emergency.

If you are worried about answering the door, you can always think about buying a door viewer or chain for a few pounds, which will provide extra peace of mind. Again, speak to whoever installed your doors or your local hardware store to see what products you need, and always look out for British Standards marks on items.

Remember, most thieves are looking for easy pickings – if you make things difficult for them they’ll just move on.