Keep Your Homes Safe and Secure: Southport Police Issue Precautionary Advice

Your Neighbourhood Policing Teams are working hard to reduce crime in your area, but we know that some of our residents are concerned about burglary.
Officers will be out and about, checking door handles on buildings. Insecure properties may have repercussions on your insurance should you fall victim
With the early dark nights, it’s a good time to review your home and outbuilding security and ensure that the relevant security measures are in place such as:

• Check outside lighting is functioning correctly.
• Locking patio doors after use and adding patio locks that secure the handles inside.
• Locking shed doors after use and consider fitting a shed alarm.
• Lock front and back doors with a key.
• Closing windows that can be accessed easily.
• Use timer switches for lights and radios in your home
• In addition, putting away tools and devices used such as lawn mowers, garden equipment and DIY materials, thereby avoiding any unnecessary risks of theft or burglary as some garden tools are used by thieves to gain entry.
• Report any suspicious sightings or behaviour in your area.

Use our OPERATION: CASTLE house to identify potential weaknesses in your own homes security.
Make your home appear occupied, even if it isn’t. If we can spot the obviously empty houses in your street, so can a burglar!

There is also a need to secure any cycling and associated equipment to avoid any loss and it is recommended that you have any equipment security marked or registered with your own personal details. You can register your bike's frame number for FREE at https://orlo.uk/np0qZ Additional locks can be obtained for security and as an aid to prevent crime being committed. A number of security options are available from your local bike store but work on the basis that you should spend at least 10% of the value of your bike on a good quality lock

Burglars are opportunists so please don’t make it easy for them. Your Neighbourhood Policing Team encourages Homewatch groups in all neighbourhoods so please spread the word amongst other residents, family and friends and together we can make the area safer for one and all. If you would like to find out more on how to set up a Homewatch scheme in the Southport area, please visit https://orlo.uk/GZxJ9 or email [email protected] or telephone 0151 777 4019 (answerphone).”
Southport Homewatch may be able to refer you other schemes in South Sefton.

If you have information about a crime or have general local concerns that you would like to raise, please do not hesitate to contact your Neighbourhood Policing Team on 101 or visit us at one of our police surgeries that we will advertise on here.
Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. They are a national charity independent to the police. You won't be asked your name, just what you know.
Please be assured that your Neighbourhood Policing Team is doing everything possible to reduce crime further and with your help we will be able to do more.
Follow both North and South Sefton Neighbourhood Policing Teams on X (formerly Twitter) @MerPolNTHsefton and @MerPolSTHsefton or on Facebook at SEFTON POLICE for up to date information on what is happening in your area.