King's Lynn police warn West Norfolk public about summer burglary offence increases
The weather is finally picking up and the holiday season is well and truly with us. With this in mind, I would like to offer some advice on how we can all protect ourselves from becoming victims of burglaries.
As the summer months arrive, we do see an increase in burglary offences as people spend more time outside and homes are left insecure with doors and/or windows being left open or unlocked. I am pleased that burglaries in Norfolk have been steadily declining in recent years and the county does have the second lowest burglary rate in the country.
Most burglaries are opportunistic, committed by thieves searching a neighbourhood for homes that look empty or dark and with easy access to back gardens or with windows that have been left open or doors unlocked.
To help reduce the chance of becoming a victim of a burglary remember:
Lock all doors and remove the keys before leaving the house.
Keep front doors locked even when you are home and especially if you are in the back garden.
Close all windows fully before you leave the house.
Leave low-energy lights on timers around the house.
Keep your valuables, jewellery, cash and important documents in a safe and where possible try not to keep large quantities of cash in the house.
Never leave spare keys in an open place – thieves know to look under mats and in flowerpots!
Keep dustbins and wheelie bins away from fencing and gates to prevent thieves using these to climb into windows.
Don’t over-share on social media that you are going to be away from home – save these posts for after your holiday when you can safely share your photos of your time away.
Be vigilant. If you notice a strange vehicle in the area or an unknown person loitering around homes report it to police.
You may have seen recent press releases on the recent Norfolk Constabulary campaign, Operation Protect. Designed to reduce burglar offences even further and to catch and lock up burglars the campaign ran between June 6 and 19, and we will soon be releasing an update on this initiative, so please do look out for further news on this. In the meantime, if you have any information about stolen property or burglary offences you can contact police on 101 or make an online report at www.norfolk.police.uk. If you prefer you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Finally, I would just like to remind you all that my Local Policing Team Beat Managers will be hosting their priority setting meeting on Wednesday, July 27. The meeting will be held online via Microsoft teams, starting at 7pm.
The meeting is open to all and is an excellent opportunity to speak with your local Beat Managers, raise any local concerns or issues, hear updates on the previous priorities and have a say in setting the next priorities.
You can find the link to join via our Events pages on our website at www.norfolk.police.uk, our Kings Lynn Facebook page or by email our Engagement Officer at EOKingsLynn@norfolk.pnn.police.uk.
Lynn police commander Wes Hornigold
