Secure-Ring
The World's First uPVC Security Door Chain
If you could change just one thing about your life this year, what would it be? The chances are most of us would choose to make our lives financially more secure, so we never had to worry about the bills that drop through our letter boxes all too regularly. Sadly, most of us aren’t in a position to make these sorts of material changes. There is no magic formula: we’re stuck in the middle of a recession, and the best we can hope for at the moment is hold on to what we’ve got. What we can do this year though, is make our homes more secure. Home security is a pressing concern for all of us, particularly those with elderly or infirm relatives who live on their own. Continue reading →
Following an interesting discussion on Radio 4 the other day with Home Secretary, Theresa May, it would appear that the budget cuts we’ve already seen in our regional police forces would appear to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Although the Home Secretary was careful with her choice of words, it seems that further substantial cuts are to follow: sadly these will reduce police budgets even further and will mean that chief officers will have to give more serious thought to their priorities and target only those crimes and misdemeanours it considers to be serious. One of the major casualties of these additional cuts, it has been suggested, will be ‘neighbourhood policing’. What that means in a nutshell, is that it will be solely the householders responsibility to protect themselves and their homes and possessions. Continue reading →
We all like to think of our homes as our castle. It’s where we most comfortable and protected, and where we like to feel confident that we and our possessions are secure. Sadly not everyone shares this philosophy: some people actually think what’s ours is theirs. Home security is one of the burning issues of our time, and unfortunately as the recession continues to bite deeper, it looks set to become a priority for every household. The crime figures are apparently reducing, but that isn’t the case for low level crimes like door-step crime and domestic burglary. Many criminals believe if they commit these lesser offences they are less likely to be caught; statistics would tend to bear this out as police forces are overstretched, and understandably target their limited resources on the more serious crimes. So, given the bleak picture what can households do to protect their valuables? Continue reading →
Should those people who commit what are regarded as minor ‘either way’ offences like distraction burglary be guaranteed an absolute to trial by jury if they so desire? Should the door-step criminal have the right to make this choice, when his or her victim’s rights were so clearly over-ridden? Well that’s the question that’s currently being considered by Parliament in a white paper that is seeking to investigate the current state of our criminal justice system. Trials in Magistrates Courts are dealt with more speedily, but the sentencing power of the courts is limited. Crown Court trials with juries have greater sentencing powers, but proceedings can take longer to come to court. Continue reading →
If you’re a resident of Greater Manchester, then today’s report in the Manchester Evening News will make uncomfortable reading. Greater Manchester Police has released a new set of statistics which show that fewer than 1 in 3 reported crimes are ever successfully brought to court and lead to a conviction. The success rate of these prosecutions is 31 percent in the 12 months to April. Of the 70, 032 crimes reported, only 21, 709 led to a conviction. The Police can take some comfort from the fact that at least the conviction rate has at least increased from 27 percent in 2010, and also from the fact that it is not alone. Other forces in the country have also reported similar low conviction rates. Continue reading →
Statistically you’re less likely to be a victim of crime these days than at any time in the recent past. So we’re told at least. Now actual crime rates and perceived crime rates are generally at odds with one another, but in spite of our perceived fears, we are less likely to become a victim. However, one particular type of crime defies the general trend and that is door-step crime or distraction burglary. The same statistics show that this particular crime has continued to rise exponentially as the recession has deepened, and that the elderly and the vulnerable are most likely to be the victims of these unscrupulous criminals. Continue reading →
Most people mistakenly believe that door-step crime is unplanned. We’re not sure why this is, but there’s a general assumption that low-level crime like distraction burglary is unscripted and is carried out on the spur of the moment. Well, if ever you wanted proof that burglars target their victims and plan their crimes, then you need look no further than a story released by Greater Manchester Police last week. The police discovered a burglar’s ‘to-do’ list of potential targets quite by chance in a street in Oldham, and have released this list in the hope that it will prompt householders to tighten up their security during the festive season, and make their homes less appealing to criminals. Continue reading →
Crime statistics suggest that you’re far more likely to be a victim of a door-step crime than you are to be mugged or attacked. The reason for this is simply that it’s probably the easiest type of crime to commit. Burglars have little to fear from their victims as they specifically target the group that is unlikely to resist or fight back. Crime profiles clearly show that the average victim of door-step or opportunistic crime is elderly, vulnerable and most likely female. They live on their own, and are on average 81 years old. More worryingly, the victims who fall into this group are apparently almost 2.5 times more likely to end up in residential care following a burglary. Continue reading →
The growing commercialism of Christmas may appear unacceptable to many of us, but unfortunately it’s here to stay. Every year the festive season begins earlier and earlier. Unfortunately so does the criminal activities of those who look to exploit the situation. Yes it may still be the best part of 3 weeks away, but the door-step criminals and burglars are already busy targeting anyone they think may have valuables or presents in the house. The Police have recently released details of domestic crimes committed right across Lancashire and the Greater Manchester area, and no doubt these unfortunate figures are repeated across the country. Police are warning householders to be extra vigilant and to take all necessary precautions to make sure they do not become the next statistic and victim of domestic burglary. This warning is particularly targeted at the lone females, the elderly and the vulnerable, as these are the very kind of people that the unscrupulous criminal is targeting. So, what steps can vulnerable householders take to ensure they do not become a victim of door-step crime or domestic burglary? How can they beef up their home security without having to spend a fortune of alarms and security devices? Continue reading →
We don’t know whether you read about the story in the papers last week about a 17 year old burglar who was instructed by the courts to write to his victim to explain his actions? It’s all part and parcel of what the government call restorative justice. The gist of it seems to be that it’s meant to help the criminal come to terms with his or her crime and change their behaviour, and it’s also supposed to give the victim reassurance because they will start to understand why the criminal felt the need to violate their rights. Now in theory that might sound like a good idea: if it helps criminals to understand the pain and distress they’ve caused their victims, then this might spur them on to mend their ways. The problem is it’s just a theory: there’s actually no empirical evidence yet to prove that it actually works. In fact, as last week’s example of restorative justice proves, it’s actually fatally flawed, and could backfire causing further distress for the victim of crime. Continue reading →
