Crime Prevention

From protecting your home, protecting your identity online to being safe when out and about; this page contains some tips and steps you can take to minimise the risk of crime taking place.

In an emergency always call 999, if you do not feel safe and would like to talk to someone about how you feel, you can talk to us.

To maximise your chances of staying safe when you are out and about, some simple steps we recommend are:

• Make your travel plans in advance and let people in your support network know where you are going
• Remain within busy, well-lit areas. If you are with a group of people, keep close and stay with them if you feel unsafe at any stage
• When booking transport, only book taxis from reputable firms and do so in advance – never accept lifts from strangers
• Carry a personal safety alarm on your person, in case you find yourself in a situation where it might be useful to alert people to your whereabouts
• Don’t listen to music when walking alone and stay aware of your surroundings
• Separate valuables into different places such as alternate pockets or different areas of your bag
• Contact the British Transport Police if you ever feel unsafe on public transport
• Download a safety app, such as hollyguard, on your smartphone

Most of us use or rely on the internet in some way, shape or form. This means it’s more important than ever to keep in mind some basic safety tips when you’re browsing or using social media to avoid falling victim to cybercrime.

To maximise your chances of staying safe online, some simple steps we recommend are:

• Check your internet setting regularly; turn on firewalls and always update your antivirus protection
• Do not open unusual or strange emails, delete them straightaway
• Update your passwords regularly and choose strong passwords (a combination of letters, numbers and special characters is best advised)
• Only shop online on trusted websites and research thoroughly when booking holidays or buying event tickets to ensure the website is legitimate
• Look for the padlock symbol on the web address bar before entering any details shopping or banking online
• Turn on child safety features to help protect your children from accessing unsafe websites
• Talk to your children about internet safety. Talking honestly and regularly about being safe online can increase the chance of concerns being raised and listening out for red flags

Protect yourself from fraud and cyber crime | Action Fraud

If you are worried about fraud in particular, some simple steps to consider would be:

• Take your time. If you think something is too good to be true, it could well be. Give yourself time to look, think and check it through thoroughly
• Keep your personal information safe; never give anyone your PIN number for example
• Shred any letters with personal information on
• Update your passwords regularly and install the latest security features on devices
• Be suspicious of cold callers, anyone trying to sell you goods or services in person or on the phone. Visibly display a ‘no cold caller’ sticker on your door or window, this may not completely stop anyone from trying but can be used as a method to say politely say no

Feeling unsafe in your home can have a negative impact on your life, but there are some relatively simple things you can do to protect your house or flat without calling on assistance:

• prevent opportunistic thieves from getting in by locking every window and door;
• keep all valuables such as car keys, jewellery and laptops out of sight;
• leave the curtains open and a radio on when you go out or on holiday and set timers for the lights to come on;
• consider installing security lights, alarms and CCTV; and
• don’t hide things like your keys in obvious places and ensure ladders and other garden tools are out of sight.

More information about crime prevention can be found on the Office of The Police and Crime Commissioner’s website here.