Kent Police burglary campaign begins

Kent Police’s annual campaign to help prevent burglaries and bring offenders to justice has launched across the county.

Operation Castle runs every year and aims to highlight how residents can reduce their chances of becoming a victim of burglary.

There is typically an increase in burglaries as evenings start to become longer and people leave their homes to attend more festivities, such as Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas.

Since a change in charging practices was announced in April 2017 there have been 721 reports of burglary residential in Kent.

Of these, 254 have come from Kent Police’s North Division, 200 on West Division and 267 on East Division.

A total of 4,429 burglary dwellings were reported for the year ending September 2016, a drop of around 15% compared to the previous year.

Detective Chief Inspector Jon Armory, from Kent Police, said: ‘Burglary can leave victims feeling scared and anxious long after the crime has been committed.

‘It is important to remember however that most burglaries are opportunistic and a burglar will often be put off by something as simple as leaving a light switched on.

‘Burglary is a priority for us throughout the year however we have seen historically that offending can increase as the nights get darker. That’s why we want to encourage people to take simple crime prevention steps and to reassure people that we will be continuing to focus our efforts on catching and convicting offenders.’

Advice:

• Keep keys, cash and expensive items out of view;
• Use timer switches on lights and radios to make your home look occupied;
• Keep gates locked and boundaries secure;
• Lock away bikes, tools and garden items that could be stolen or used to break into your home.

You can also:

• Security-mark items including bicycles, smartphones and laptops;
• Keep receipts and serial numbers safe;
• Photograph and insure expensive or unique items;
• Install a safe, bolted to the ground or a wall, or use a safety deposit box at the bank;
• Register important items for free at immobolise.com. This can help us return them to you if they are stolen and then recovered.