Residents in Barrow are being reminded to be vigilant and take steps to protect their properties.
The reminder comes as police have received a number of reports of burglaries in the Hawcoat Lane area in December. All are being investigated and officers from Barrow’s Neighbourhood Policing Team have been out in the area engaging with residents.
Homeowners are reminded to lock doors and windows to their property and take extra measures if they are leaving their homes over the Christmas holidays.
Officers are also encouraging anyone who hasn’t already, to register any CCTV or doorbell cameras with Connect Cumbria - Home - Connect Cumbria
Opportunistic thieves often look for easy targets such as empty properties or properties with valuables in plain view.
Make your property harder to access by following some simple home security steps:
- Lock all doors and windows before you go out and ensure that your house and keys are secure before you go to bed
- Remove keys from locks and keeping them out of reach and out of sight, not on a hall table
- Consider keeping a light or lamp on if you are out or installing automatic lights – especially if you are going away for prolonged periods of time
- Consider installing real or dummy CCTV
- Ensure any doorbell cameras are on and in working condition
- 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.
Detective Inspector Mike Kirkham Barrow CID, said: "Criminals often seek out easy opportunities, and the longer, darker nights give them more chances to strike.
“Sharing practical advice based on our experience helps raise awareness and encourages people to take small but effective steps to protect their homes.
“We also need as many people as possible to sign up with Connect Cumbria. It is an effective tool which can quickly and efficiently locate cameras in an area following a crime where we may be able to source crucial evidence to aid our investigations.
“I would encourage anyone who sees something or someone acting suspicious to report to police on 101.”
In registering a CCTV or doorbell camera, the owner continues to have full ownership of the footage and Cumbria Constabulary does not have access to these cameras. Upon identifying a camera of interest, officers will send a request to the owner for them to review their footage to see if this holds evidence pertinent to the case.
If you see any suspicious activity, please contact police on 101. If you witness a crime in action please dial 999.
Any reports will be investigated under Operation Themis – Cumbria Constabulary’s response to and focus on burglaries.
Report suspicious activity via www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it or call via 101.