Top 10 tips to beat the burglars this Christmas

Detective Sergeant Dave Knight of Proactive CID in South Worcestershire said there were useful tips to reduce the risk of burglary available on the Immobilise website (www.immobilise.com/christmas-home-security-tips.html).

The top 10 tips from Immobilise and endorsed by officers at West Mercia Police are:

1. Deterring would-be criminals is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention. Invest in a motion sensor flood-light or even some outdoor Christmas lights to highlight your home's exterior. This will hopefully make approaching your home too conspicuous for a burglar. Also, highlighting the fact your possessions are security marked and registered on Immobilise using window decals provide a further warning that your goods are traceable and not worth the risk of stealing.
2. Festive lighting - be secure. A common mistake of many festive decorators is to feed extension cables through partially open windows, criminals know to look for this vulnerability. When it comes to outdoor lighting, opt for solar or battery operated lights or install outdoor electrical outlets.
3. Dispose of gift packaging carefully. Refuse collections over the Christmas and New Year period are normally at different times. If you can't take packaging to a recycling point, make sure you only put your rubbish out just before the collection and do your best to break apart boxes so that they do not advertise your new contents of your home to thieves.
4. Be careful not to advertise your home to burglars on social media. According to one recent study, social media is a commonly used tool for scouting potential targets. Social media savvy families have a tendency to publish their whereabouts during the holiday season, including any vacation plans. This lets burglars know when your house is going to be empty. Uploaded photos of pricey Christmas gifts can also be a problem as it basically allows burglars to go shopping just by viewing your Facebook profile.
5. Check doors and windows for weak spots. Government statistics show that 30% of burglaries happen through windows. Installing a few dead-bolts and new window hinges could increase the security of your home exponentially.
6. Keep your curtains, drapes and window blinds closed at night, making sure valuable items are out of sight. When going out for the evening make use of inexpensive timers to give the illusion of occupancy.
7. Away over Christmas - plan ahead. If you're going away at Christmas be sure to cancel any newspaper or milk subscriptions. Arrange for a neighbour to park on the driveway to help create the impression someone is home. Do not to leave descriptive telephone answering machine messages or and again make use of light timers.
8. Secure garages and sheds. Make sure that garden tools or ladders that could be used to force entry into your home are not left lying around or accessible from an unlocked garden shed. Garages are often targets for burglars looking for tools, bikes and gardening equipment - make sure the garage is secure and your possessions are secured too in the case of bikes and tools. Naturally make sure anything portable / valuable is recorded on immobilise.
9. Don't hide keys. Use alarms if you have them. Burglars know to look for hidden door keys so don't hide spare keys under rocks, in flowerpots, or above door ledges. Instead give the spare key to family or trusted neighbour. Many houses these days have alarms, many though are rarely set, make sure yours is on and protecting your home.
10.  Register your gifts on Immobilise. Most consumer electricals have a unique identification code such as a serial number or for mobile phones an IMEI number - This IMEI number can be found quickly and easily by pressing the following keys on your mobile handset: * # 0 6 #. If your gift doesn't have a unique identifier there are several affordable marking kits available from the Immobilise store allowing the police to easily identify the owners of items they recover and so detect crime.

DS Knight of West Mercia Police said: "We will respond positively to any intelligence given to us that we think will lead us to a house burglar or stolen property handler.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents and businesses within south Worcestershire who have helped us over the past year by making contact with us at every opportunity to report suspicious behaviour.

"Community spirit is very much alive within south Worcestershire and working together over the year we have seen a number of house burglars locked up.

"We need to continue to work together to reduce the risk of burglary.

"The "immobilise" site is an excellent resource for advice around reducing the risk of you becoming a victim.

"We normally see an increase in burglary offences in the build up to and over the festive period.

"I would like to be able to look back in a months time and say that this year that hasn't happened.

"We will be working hard over this period to try and combat the historic rise through Operation Fuchsia, which is an ongoing operation designed to focus our efforts and ensure maximum feet on the ground out in the community on patrol.

"Please try to help us by keeping any presents hidden from view.

"Some individuals will take great pleasure in relieving presents from their rightful owners."