Security improved on hundreds of homes in Hackney
More than 500 homes are being made more secure as part of ‘Operation Tarian’ - an initiative aiming to make homes safer and drive down burglary in certain areas of Hackney.
Last weekend (13 and 14 February), Council staff together with police officers and cadets (uniformed officers and Council staff) visited 115 homes in the Lea Bridge area giving out window locks, light-timer switches and door frame reinforcers, known as London and Birmingham Bars, to help make their homes more secure.
The visits follow on from the crime prevention survey carried out on approximately 600 homes in the Lea Bridge area last autumn.
Although the overall number of burglaries has fallen, some homes in some areas are seen as an easy target by burglars.
Simple safety measures can mean your home is less likely to be burgled. Thanks to the support of the safer neighbourhood board, police officer and our staff will be providing hundreds of homes with free light-timer switches, window locks and bars. By taking some extra precautions we can make our homes safer and make it harder for criminals.
As well as residents being given tips and advice on how to make their homes safer, police are also regularly patrolling these areas.
Here’s a list of things residents can do to reduce the risk of becoming a burglary victim:
- Keep car keys, valuables and expensive items such as laptops, tablets and computers out of sight, and away from doors, windows and letterboxes
- Always close and lock doors and windows when you leave the house, even if it’s only leaving for a few minutes
- Keep windows and doors closed at the night, where possible
- Leave a light on a timer if you’re going away for more than a day, and keep a light on if you’re coming home after dark
- If you have a burglar alarm, use it
- Keep sheds, back gates and outdoor buildings locked
- Mark or etch your valuable property with your postcode, house number or house name, and register items at: www.immobilise.com
- Cut or prune bushes and trees if they obscure your windows and doors
- Don’t leave ladders or tools in your front or back garden
Scaffolding can also leave homes less secure as it can provide burglars with access to flats that were previously inaccessible. If you see anyone using the scaffolding outside normal working hours, call 999. Also, you are advised to contact your household insurance company and let them know you have scaffolding outside your home.
The Council and Police will be visiting more homes in the coming months. The project has been funded through the Safer Neighbourhood Board with money from the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime.
Separately from to Operation Tarian, under the new 'Met Trace' programme, in partnership with SmartWater, 4,000 homes in burglary hotspots received a free kit to protect their property. The kits contain an invisible property marking solution, allowing owners to mark their possessions with a unique forensic code. This code can then be used by the police to trace the items should they ever be stolen and to link suspects to crime scenes. The kits also contain warning stickers, for residents to display to deter burglars.
For more information and advice about securing your home against burglars, visit: www.metbumblebee.org or www.police.uk/crime-prevention-advice/burglary
Or, contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team