Home Security Paul Golley Crime Prevention Team Leader 03/01/2019

Online Advice https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/prevention

Onion Peeling Principal The best way to approach your home security is to start from the boundaries and work your way into the centre, treating each area as a layer, until you reach the targeted contents. This is known as the 'onion peeling principle'. Although the layers differ for each household, generally they can be broken down as follows: Boundaries Sheds & Garages Lighting & Alarms House Contents

Boundaries Front boundaries should not exceed 1m in height - unless they are metal railings, which allow natural vision through. Enclosed front gardens provide a screen for burglars to hide behind. Side and rear boundaries should be a minimum of 1.8m in height If the height of the boundary exceeds 2m in height, planning permission may be required. Increase security by adding diamond style trellis to top of the fence making it more difficult to climb over. Trellis also provides an ideal framework for spiky defensive planting, such as climbing roses.

Boundaries Side and driveway gates should be the same height as the side and rear boundaries and, where possible, be level with the front building line, to eliminate recessed areas which exceed 600mm Metal garden gates allow good natural surveillance but need careful design to reduce climbing points, particularly at the locking and hinge points An anti-climb topping, such as a decorative spearhead design, will make the gates more difficult to climb over. Wooden side and driveway gates should be secured on the inside with two substantial hasp and staples or padbolts with closed shackle padlocks - one towards the top and one towards the bottom to reduce leverage

Boundaries Barbed wire, carpet gripper or broken glass are not advisable These may cause serious injury, which the occupier could be legally responsible for. There are alternative preventative anti-climb toppings, such as safe plastic strips with rows of pointed cones on top, which make it difficult to grip the top of fences or walls, but will not cause injury. A warning sign will still be required. Gravel driveways and paths prevent a silent approach and burglars reportedly don’t like them! Wheelie bins should be stored behind secure side gates until collection day, to prevent them being used as climbing aids and to prevent arson

Sheds & Garages. . . . are often the first places a burglar will target Metal up-and-over garage doors can be secured with additional purpose made locks fitted to either side, approximately 300mm up from the floor, to reduce the leverage points An external floor mounted, solid steel locking 'T' bar with a closed shackle padlock, will offer a good visual deterrent and make it difficult to force the door open BUT . . . . . Wooden garage double doors can be secured with two substantial hasp and staples and closed shackle padlocks, one towards the top and one towards the bottom. Garage side or rear doors should be secured with BS3621 5-lever mortice lock and two internal mortice bolts, one towards the top and one towards the bottom to reduce the leverage points

Sheds & Garages Shed doors can be secured with two substantial hasp and staples and two closed shackle padlocks on the outside, one towards the top and one towards the bottom. External hinge screws should be replaced with one-way clutch head screws or coach bolts to prevent them from being removed and access gained from hinge side Garage and shed windows can be reinforced with internal metal mesh grilles which provide a good visual deterrent to opportunistic burglaries. Net curtains can provide a useful screen Garden tools and ladders should be secured by wrapping a substantial chain around them and padlocking them to an anchor point which has been secured to the floor or wall. This will prevent them from being stolen or used to break into the house Tools and garden implements should be visibly property marked with the postcode and house name or number, to deter theft and assist police with identifying the rightful owner

Lighting Dusk to dawn lighting at front of property to provide a constant and consistent level of lighting PIR sensor lighting at side and rear of property only if property is overlooked. Don’t light isolated areas

Alarms ‘Sort out the physical security first and only afterwards put the alarm in.  Be aware that if you do have a top of the charts, bells and whistle alarm system in place and you get burgled and it’s discovered that you don’t have the right lock on your front door, your insurers may refuse to pay your claim.’ https://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/gardens-lighting-access-and-alarms/501/burglar-alarms-advice/ To find an NSI GOLD alarm installer in your area, search here: http://www.nsi.org.uk/directory/#topform

House Doors Keeping your doors locked, even when you are at home, is vital for good home security. Keep keys out of sight and reach from cat flaps, letterboxes, and downstairs doors and windows Remove keys from the lock when you go out and at night Don’t be tempted to keep a spare key hidden outside; this is an open invitation to thieves Make sure doors and door frames are in a good condition   Choose door sets that have PAS 24: 2016 certificated standard for maximum security

House Wooden Doors For maximum security, wooden doors should be solid and at least 44mm thick Wooden front doors should be fitted with a 5-lever mortice deadlock, and an automatic deadlocking rim latch (both to BS3621). Fit a door chain and spyhole. Don’t add extra locks! Wooden back doors should be fitted with a 5-lever mortice lock and key operated mortice bolts both to BS3621) at top and bottom opposite hinge points Outward opening doors should have hinge bolts fitted close to top and bottom hinges Laminated glass should be installed in and around doors for maximum security

House UPVC & Composite Doors Make sure you have a door restrictor fitted so you can safely open the door to callers. A Safe T bar is a good choice for UPVC doors Add a letterbox deflector to prevent persons from reaching in for keys or a flaplock to keep unwanted items from being posted through your letterbox

House Windows An open window may let in more than a cool breeze. If you open a window for an air, make sure you close it when you go out. To limit the windows opening, consider fitting restrictors to downstairs windows and those accessible from flat roofs Ensure all ground floor windows, and any that are easily accessible from a flat roof, are fitted with suitable window locks. Use sash jammers on UPVC windows or choose from a wide selection if you have wooden windows. If you have locking handles, keep them locked and remove key. As glazing is probably the weakest link in your security, consider using laminated glass as it is the most secure

Home Keyless Homes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgneMgBp0XM

Contents How to protect valuables and sentimental items Install a safe Burglars very rarely come equipped to deal with safes that are fitted to solid floors and/or solid walls with the correct fixings. A safe will reduce the likelihood of important documents, valuables and sentimental items being stolen if the household is burgled. Leave the lights on It's important to leave lights on if you are not returning until late afternoon or early evening, particularly during the autumn and winter months. Timing switches linked to the lights, normally two downstairs and one upstairs, and a radio tuned to a talk station, will give the impression that the house is occupied. Mark your property Property mark valuables with the postcode and house name or number to assist with identification. This can be done with an ultra violet pen or with a specialist marking kit such as a purpose made stencil with etching liquid, a unique chemical trace liquid or microdot system. Immobilise https://www.immobilise.com/ Take photographs Photographs of stolen objects greatly improve the chances of recovery. Concentrate on what makes this object unique or identifiable. Indicate the object's size and dimensions by placing a ruler next to small items or writing down the measurements. Try to use a plain dark background and avoid patterned wallpaper or carpet.

Doorstep Action Network We need more people on the lookout Display a ‘No Cold Calling Home’ sticker No need to open the door to callers OK to send them away Set up passwords with utility companies Keep the outside of your property well maintained Don’t keep large amounts of cash at home IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, DON’T OPEN THE DOOR 0345 23 07 702

Gadgets Garage door defender Guardcam Fake TV Patlock ‘Ring’ doorbell Texting Shed alarm Driveway Alarm Window Shock Alarm Key safe Wildlife cameras Door handle alarm Safe cans Oil tank alarm

Patlock

USEFUL WEBSITES ACCREDITATION AND LEGISLATION SECURED BY DESIGN http://www.securedbydesign.com/ SOLD SECURE http://www.soldsecure.com/ MASTER LOCKSMITHS http://www.locksmiths.co.uk/ INFORMATION COMMISSIONER https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/cctv-on-your-property/ NATIONAL SECURITY INSPECTORATE http://www.nsi.org.uk/directory/#topform OCCUPIERS LIABILITY ACT 1984 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/3/contents GADGET SUPPLIERS JNE SECURITY http://personalalarms.com/ SOLON SECURITY http://redlinesecurity.co.uk/ ULTRA SECURE https://www.ultrasecuredirect.com/ CREMARK MARKING KITS http://www.creproducts.co.uk/shop/ RING DOORBELL https://ring.com/products IMMOBILISE PROPERTY DATABASE https://www.immobilise.com/ FURTHER ADVICE https://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com

Lighting assessment

Lighting Sporadic & inconsistent

Lighting Observations Some streets accommodate twice as many lights are others. Street Lighting is brighter in some streets than others and in one case (Earls Barton Road junctions), the light intermittently turned on and off during our presence. Most streets lights consist of the black columns, with orange low sodium (some almost pink). Due to the ornate style, there are no angled heads, allowing some lighting pollution to occur. That said, as the lux levels seem low the lighting pollution impact is minimal. there are two green columns (1x located at the church and another near the alleyway) that seem to be owned by the County Council looking at the identified sticker. These offer brighter, white lights

Colour Rendering

Lighting Public Spaces

Greater Uniformity

Light Pollution

End