SEFTON POLICE ISSUE ADVICE TO WARD OF BURGLARS THIS WINTER

WITH just over 2 weeks to go before the clocks go back and winter officially begins, officers are encouraging people to seek help in securing their possessions and property.

Free security assessments are being offered to residents in Litherland and Netherton where people can get quick, easy and practical advice on how to deter burglars.

Anything from improving door locks and burglar alarms to fitting outside lights and putting down gravel in back yards can be discussed during the short home visit.

Officers will also be taking along free security products like timers for lights, door chains and mirrors, lock boxes for car and house keys, and shed alarms.

Neighbourhood Inspector Simon Thompson said:- "With the nights drawing in, now is the time for people to speak to us about how to better protect their homes and property. The shorter days mean people's houses are left in darkness for longer and can give criminals the opportunity to break in, knowing someone isn't in. However you can make life as difficult as possible for them by making your home anything but an easy target. Improving security features like locks and alarms, and making sure your house always looks occupied can make a big difference. All people need to do is pick up the phone and call us and we will offer them all the help we can."

Police community support officers from Inspector Thompson's neighbourhood team and others across Sefton will also be continuing Operation Handle, an initiative aimed at reducing the number of people who fail to lock their UPVC doors properly.

Inspector Thompson said:- "People not locking their UPVC doors remains a big problem as it is giving criminals far too easy a ride. Opportunists can try dozens of handles in a street and, at the minute, it won't be long before they find one that opens. Often people are either forgetting to both push the handle up as well as turn the key, or they are leaving it unlocked while round at a neighbour's or elsewhere in the house. Operation Handle aims to highlight just how vulnerable that can leave your property. My officers will be continuing to go from house to house trying people's handles and speaking to those who leave their doors open about the risks. Hopefully they will appreciate that it could have been a burglar in their home instead of the police."

Neighbourhood officers are also continuing to use the new colour-coded zones in Rimrose Valley Country Park to pinpoint where particular crimes seem to be happening and how criminals are using the park to go from one part of Sefton to the other. Insp Thompson said:- "By breaking the park down into manageable and distinct chunks, we can get police officers to specific incidents more quickly and also spot any emerging crime patterns."

As well as supporting the public in protecting their homes, police in Sefton are also launching targeted operations against known prolific burglars and have made several key arrests.

Detectives from Sefton CID's acquisitive crime team will work alongside uniformed patrols to locate and arrest wanted or suspected burglars. And while high-visibility patrols will act as a deterrent to criminals and a reassurance to residents, plain-clothes officers will be scouring the area for known suspects.

Detective Chief Inspector John Roberts, who heads Sefton CID, said:- "We take burglary very seriously and we want people to feel safe in their own homes. By taking prolific burglars off the streets and putting them before the courts, we are removing the cause of a large number of crimes. Acquisitive crimes such as burglary, car theft and robbery have a really damaging effect on people's lives and it is important that the police and the public work together to drive it down."

One recent success was the charging of 32 year old Bootle man, Simon Benjamin McCormack, with burglary after he was caught stealing copper piping from a business on Trinity Road in the town. Officers were called to the premises after a man was seen on CCTV inside the building and, after a chase down an alleyway, arrested McCormack, who was covered in water and anti-vandal paint. He was recently sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for the offence.

Another was the arrest and charging of Paul Stephen Austin, aged 33, from Bootle. Austin was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison for breaking into a property in Salisbury Avenue and stripping it of copper and other metal. Patrols had been called to the building late one night after someone was reported being inside. When officers arrived they found Austin in the back yard with stolen metal and various tools.

DCI Roberts said:- "These arrests are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the work that is being done to catch offenders who are making money out of other people's misery. Most burglars are opportunists who will select their target because it offers them the best opportunity to carry out their crime undetected. A few simple measures can make all the difference in protecting your home in the darker months and ensuring criminals have a long, bleak winter."

Top Ten Tips for keeping your house and car safe:-

► Lock all your doors and windows before you go out or to bed (almost a third of all burglaries in Sefton this summer happened when a door or window was left insecure).

► If you have any external UPVC doors, always push the handle up AND turn the key otherwise it will not be secure

► Invest in a burglar home and make sure you use it.

► Use timers on your internal lights and buy motion-sensor outside ones.

► Keep house and car keys out of sight and out of reach to stop thieves reaching in and then being able to steal your car. Buy a lock box or secure tin to keep them in.

► Keep expensive items in your downstairs rooms out of sight. Use blinds and either bushes or fencing to stop opportunists peering in.

► Lock bikes and expensive garden appliances in a solid shed or garage and fit an intruder alarm.

► Use a ultra-violet pen to mark valuables with your postcode and house number, or better still, register them at:- immobilise.com; a secure database the police can access to return stolen goods to their rightful owners.

► Be vigilant when cold-callers come knocking and insist on checking their ID and with their company before you consider letting them in. Use a door chain and ask them to wait outside while doing this.

► Call Copy Lane Police Station on:- 0151 777 3117 to book your free home security or visit:- merseyside.police.uk.