Keeping you and your possessions safe

Here are some tips to protect your home and possessions and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime:

• Keep front and back doors locked at all times - even when you are at home
• If you open windows for air, make sure that they are closed before you go out or leave the room
• Keep keys and other valuables out of sight and reach from cat flaps, letterboxes and downstairs doors and windows
• Leave a light on or use a timer switch so that your house looks occupied if you are out after dark
• Invest in an approved house alarm; this is a real deterrent to burglars
• Make sure your home looks occupied whilst you are away by stopping or redirecting post, and cancel other deliveries. Arrange for a friend or trusted neighbour to pick up the post, check on your property and to open and draw curtains
• Is the person at the door saying they are from the police/waterboard/utility company? Do not allow them to enter your property until they have shown you identification. If you are still not sure, close the door and call the police or company they claim they are from to verify their identity. Do not use the phone number they provide with or their phone to do this. If you are not sure do not open the door.
• Consider joining your local neighbourhood watch scheme. If there is no scheme, why not start your own?

There have been a number of burglaries where gold and jewellery has been stolen. If you have high value gold or jewellery, here are some tips to help protect it.

• We recommend removing your gold and jewellery from your home and keep it and your family as safe as possible. Police officers are working with financial institutions in Northamptonshire to make safety deposit schemes more readily available in the county. Metro Bank in Northampton is the closest location with safety deposit box facilities
• Don't talk about your valuable gold and jewellery outside of your home and don't tell people that you have it
• Avoid posting about weddings, festivals or other celebrations on social media - criminals may see your posts and work out when you won't be at home, or use your photos to identify valuables, including gold jewellery. Ensure your privacy settings mean only people you know can see your profile, posts and pictures
• When attending events, consider only putting your jewellery on when you arrive, and removing it again before you leave. Travel to and from celebrations in a group, using well-lit streets. If you get a taxi, check that you are using a licensed reputable firm
• Make sure your jewellery is marked with a suitable security product such as Smartwater® and register your property free of charge at The National Property Register, for Phones, Gadgets, Bicycles & More... (immobilise.com). You may also consider having items laser engraved with your name
• Photograph each piece of valuable gold or jewellery and keep a written description - this will help in appealing for information and returning it to you if it is ever stolen
• Don't be tricked into letting offenders in. Always check callers before opening the door and, if you are not sure don't open the door

Further crime prevention information can be found here:

Crime prevention advice | Northamptonshire Police (northants.police.uk)

For confidential support services, please visit

Voice Northants | Voice for Victims & Witnesses

Report any suspicious vehicles in your area or activity you think is suspicious to police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. In an emergency, call 999.