16
Apr
2014
By Calvin at 09:07 GMT, 10 years ago
Police in West Cumbria are highlighting the importance of crime prevention and advising the community not to leave their property vulnerable.
Over the last few months, West Cumbria has seen an increase in rural crime. Outbuildings and sheds have been targeted, with chainsaws topping the list of desirable items.
Diesel thefts have also increased, from storage tanks and vehicles.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Brown said: “We are tackling this issue and appeal to members of the public to report anything suspicious in the area. I cannot over emphasise how important the public are in providing information in relation to crimes such as these”.
“Residents in rural communities will generally know locals and their vehicles. More importantly they will know when something looks out of place. We encourage them to ring 101 and report it.”
Cumbria Community Messaging alerts residents to crimes and incidents in their area. There are approximately 1600 farmers signed up on the system, but there are many farmers who haven’t yet joined this communication system, or Farmwatch.
Crime Prevention Officer David Thompson, said: “We can all take certain precautions to protect our property, and often it is failing to take simple, practical and inexpensive measures that create opportunities for crime; so it’s worth remembering - keep it safe, keep it hidden, and keep it locked.
“Additionally Farmwatch and the associated Smartwater Scheme have been very effective in deterring rural crime, so if you haven’t joined yet, why not do it now?
“There is a vast amount of practical, common sense crime prevention advice on our website. We encourage people to take a look. However, if you don’t have access, get a friend or relative to print the advice off. Alternatively, give your local Crime Prevention Officer a ring on 101 and we can help.”
Cumbria Police Advice for homes, sheds and outbuildings: www.cumbria.police.uk/securehome
Cumbria Community Messaging www.cumbriacommunitymessaging.co.uk
Rural Crime Prevention and Farmwatch in Cumbria: www.cumbria.police.uk/ruralcrime.
Also see Sheds and Outbuildings on this site: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/preventing-theft-from-the-garden/606/security-for-garden-outbuildings/
