Werrington Neighbourhood Council

Garage and Shed security – time to check those locks

Shed and garage security very often falls way down the list of household
priorities, yet there are usually expensive and desirable items stored
there. There may even be tools that a would-be burglar could use to gain
entry to the home, or attack the home. It is therefore vitally important
that the shed and garage are secure.

With the lighter nights the police are seeing more reports of attempted or
actual break ins to garages and sheds - a leaflet has now been produced by the Community Safety Unit in Bridge Street to give advice to residents on how best to protect garages and sheds by updating and improving locks, doors, windows, lighting and your perimeter protection, main points
include:

- Make sure doors are substantial. The door should be hung on strong
hinges that are secured with coach bolts or clutch head screws, as
ordinary fixings can be easily unscrewed.

- If the door is thick enough, get hinge bolts to protect the hinge
side of the door.

- Fit a hasp, staple and padlock and make sure it is bolted through.

- Fit a five lever mortice lock to each side of a metal up and over
door to improve security.

- When choosing a padlock go for either a hardened shackle padlock,
close shackle padlock, disc padlock, or an anvil sliding bolt padlock

and use a substantial padbar (hasp and staple) or locking plate.

- All opening windows require good window locks. If you never open
them, consider screwing them firmly shut from the inside and cover
with a grill.

Burglars targeting flat screen televisions

Police have noticed a possible trend emerging where burglars are stealing
flat screen TVs - these can be resold quite quickly and leave householders
with the cost of replacing them. In the last month across Peterborough and
the rural areas ten flat screen televisions ranging from 15” to 42” screens
have been stolen.

Carol Aston, Community Safety Officer at Bridge Street Police Station says
”Flat screen TVs have come down in price in recent months and quite
obviously more homes are purchasing them. To an opportunist burglar who
finds doors and windows insecure it only takes a few minutes to grab such
items and get away - householders could take the same amount of time to
look at a form of property marking such items as flat screen TVs, games
consoles, laptops etc - the Community Safety Unit at Bridge Street can
offer advice at what schemes are available for property marking”.

Carol further said “owners also have to think about the empty cartons for
these items - putting them out for recycling before the actual collection
day is advertising what items they have purchased - all cartons should be
crushed and placed inside the recycle bins and only put out on the day of
the collection”.

Watch out for your local Church Roof

It might seem like an episode of Dell Boy’s adventures but Peterborough Police are also concerned about a series of thefts of lead from our local Church roofs. It appears that a local gang of entrepreneurs has been nicking the, very valuable, lead and causing disruption to our local Parishes.

Now, having it away with a couple of tons of lead isn’t exactly low-profile. so please look out, if you happen to see anyone near a Church, with a van or truck and acting suspiciously, give the Police a call, it might not guarantee your place in Heaven but it might help!