Personal
safety
Personal safety at home
Securing your property will make you safer in your home,
and make your home and your belongings safer while you
are out. Here are some guidelines for dealing with different
situations you may find yourself in:
At Home
- Secure all windows and doors, preferably using
bolts/window locks
- Fit a door chain and viewer and use them
- Never allow strangers into your home. If somebody
does call, check their identity card. If in doubt
call the Police.
- If you live alone, use only your initials and surname
on name plates and in phone directories
- When answering the phone, don't let on that you
are alone. And never give out your phone number when
answering the phone
- Close the curtains at dusk
- Report all suspicious incidents to the Police immediately
- Consider joining a Neighbourhood
Watch or Home Watch scheme. Contact your local
police station for details.
- Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding
place such as under the doormat or in a flower pot
- a thief will look there first.
- If you're moved into a new house, consider changing
the back and front door locks - other people may have
keys that fit.
Intruders
- If you wake to hear the sound of an intruder, only
you can decide how to deal with the situation.
- Think about what you might do now – you might
not be thinking clearly in a real incident.
- You may respond differently if you are alone in
the house, or if there are other people there.
- You could make a noise and hope it puts them off,
or keep quiet and hope they don't come into your room.
- You could keep a phone in your bedroom so you can
raise the alarm. This may also make you feel safer.
- It is generally best not to challenge an intruder.
- Ring the police as soon as it’s safe for you
to do so.
Interrupting burglars
If you see signs of a break-in at your home, like
a smashed window or open door, don’t go in. Go
to a neighbour and call the police.
Under the law you are entitled to use reasonable force
to protect yourself, another person or your property,
prevent crime or help to legally arrest a criminal.
Click link below for more information.
For more information or advice on crime prevention
and personal safety, contact your local Crime
Prevention Officer.
If you have to use a key,
keep it in a safe place away from the door where you
can find it quickly in an emergency – you may
need to use the door in the event of fire.
Crimestoppers is an independent UK-wide
charity working to stop crime. Crimestoppers works for
you, your family and your community.
Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800
555 111
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