Posted: Wednesday 7th May 2014
‘Prevention is better than cure’ has always been a wise proverb, and looking back at the crime figures for the last year it’s clear that some of the biggest increases were in types of crime that are the easiest to prevent. Across the whole of the Humberside Police area, the long term trend in crime is down. Last year overall crime was up nearly 5%, but still lower than it was 2 years ago and considerably down on 10 years ago, so what happened last year? We saw significant rises in what used to be called ‘petty crime’, that term isn’t used these days because if you’re a victim of crime it’s anything but petty. I’m talking about shop theft, non-dwelling burglaries and low-level violence; let’s look at those in turn.
Firstly let’s scrap the term ‘Shoplifting’, it’s Shop THEFT. Thieves like easy targets, they are lazy, and choose options that will give them the least chance of being caught. Humberside Police are now working closely with retailers to give them staff training and advice on dealing with thieves, focussing on being more proactive, making their products and systems more secure., and targeting known prolific offenders.
We’ve seen a rise in burglaries from sheds, garages and outbuildings. With this type of crime, when the police are called it’s usually already too late. Many of us keep valuable items in sheds and garages. Bikes and tools left poorly secured or not at all are gifts to thieves, so as householders we all need to play our part to protect our property. Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams and Community Safety Volunteers have been doing some superb work in areas where these burglaries have been highest. Fitting shed alarms, engraving postcodes on cycles and giving out crime prevention advice, helping you to help protect yourselves. Last year we were blessed with a good summer, but it’s also a blessing for criminals. We saw a rise in sneak-in burglaries where residents were out in back gardens enjoying the sun with the front door unlocked; don’t get caught out this year.
The hot weather also signalled an increase in low-level violence, lots of people out drinking in the open air, getting involved in scuffles and arguments, is it really worth a night in the cells to cool down?
2014 is forecast to be another good summer, so this year let’s all give thieves a hard time. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and taking a few simple measures to prevent crime will save a whole lot of hassle dealing with it when it’s too late. For more advice speak to your Neighbourhood Policing Team or visit the crime reduction section at www.humberside.police.uk