Tips to help you keep your home and belongings safe while away

Tips to help you keep your home and belongings safe while away

I wanted to provide you with an update regarding House burglary, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey.

Over the past few days we have received several reports of residential burglaries within the Vale, most of the victims only discovering that their properties had been burgled after returning from being away on holiday.

Here are some tips to help you keep your home and belongings safe while you’re away:

- Remember to lock all your doors and windows.

- If you’re off on holiday and wish to post anything on social media, make sure your posts aren’t public and that they’re only seen by your friends.

- Leave lights on a timer to make the property appear occupied.

- Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property or join a Neighbourhood or resident Watch Scheme.

- Ask your neighbours to close curtains after dark and to park on your drive.

- Remember to cancel newspaper and milk deliveries.

Burglary is a particularly invasive crime that can have a lasting impact on victims. If you have been a victim and need support and help, you should have been offered the services of Victim Support. You may have declined at the time, or not noticed the offer, but can refer yourself at any time by either calling 0808 168 9111 or visiting their website www.victimsupport.org.uk.

Burglars do not want to get caught, so taking action to make your home or business premises safe and less attractive to thieves can go a long way to reducing the risk.

Not all advice, or security products recommended are the same, or necessarily fit for purpose.

If looking to take positive action to prevent yourself from being a victim of this type of crime, help and advice can be found on the Neighbourhood Watch website.

If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.south-wales.police.uk, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

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