The Crime Prevention Website

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Friday 22 February 2013

Newsletter Number 5

Dear Friend in Crime Prevention

Thank you very much for taking this Newsletter from The Crime Prevention Website (TCPW)

Since the New Year things have been totally hectic. I’ve added some new advice to the site and volunteered my services to Crime Reduction Partnership News. I’ve been catching up with some of my old police colleagues and we’ve got several new organisations partnering the site.  I’ve now started going through the website making sure everything is up-to-date and I’ve been responding to many more on-line questions about security, which I’m happy to answer whilst I have the time.  These enquiries are, in fact, very useful as they often highlight an area on the website where I need to add extra information.  Ben too has been burning the midnight oil working on a new facility which will enable me to create a directory of crime prevention products, which I know will be really useful for my visitors, so watch this space!

At the end of January we received a very pleasant email from Nick Ross, the former presenter of BBC’s Crimewatch, congratulating us on our efforts and mentioning that he’s got a book about crime prevention coming out in May, which I shall of course be buying.  A visit to the Nick Ross page on Wikipedia will show you just how supportive, committed and inspirational he is to crime reduction, so his good wishes mean a lot to us. 

  The Crime Prevention Website – how are we doing?


Visitor numbers

As of 2pm on 21st February 2013 we’d received 53,271 visits and had 137,650 page views. We have therefore already exceeded our April 2013 goal of 40K and 120K respectively and expect to exceed it by a very large margin!  So thank you again for your support and promotion.  These sorts of figures make it all so worthwhile.

Links to The Crime Prevention Website

Just after the election of the Police and Crime Commissioners I did write to some of them asking if they would like to link up.  I’m very happy to say that several agreed and consequently I’m getting some regular referral traffic from the same.  I’ve said before that partnering with other websites is a two-way affair, which is why you may have noticed I now publish some of the PCC’s press releases and I’m more than happy to do so.

Visitors referred from partnering websites spend twice as long on our site than other visitors and read twice as many pages.

Neighbourhood Watch and Community Sites                                              We’re pleased to welcome Croston Bank Neighbourhood Watch in Lancashire, the new Essex County Neighbourhood Watch,  The Kingsley Village community site in Cheshire, the LawrenceOwen Neighbourhood Watch in Bristol, and Shaw-cum-Donnington community site in Berkshire. 

Local Authorities  
White Colne Parish Council in Essex and Cheshire West and Chester Council on their various ‘Talking West Cheshire’ websites

Companies and Consultant sites  
UK Crime Reduction Service, a firm of security consultants based in Oxford

Associations and Institutes  
Just before ‘going to press’ we got a request from the East Kilbride and District Crime Prevention Panel to link up.  This was excellent news as it’s the first organisation in Scotland to partner this site.  Hopefully more will follow!  Around 10% of the visitors to TCPW are from North America and as both the Americans and Canadians have a keen interest and are very active in all things crime prevention it was particularly pleasing to gain a link from the Texas Gulf Coast Crime Prevention Association

Crime and Disorder Partnerships                                                                      I’m also delighted to have linked up with Crime Reduction Partnership News for which I’ve become their latest ‘correspondent’ for Home Security matters – more about that in Newsletter Number 6.

Forums and News mentions                                                                          Fame at last!  We got a mention on MoneySavingExpert.com, which generated a fair few visits and a mention on Stargazers Lounge.com meant that some keen astronomers were using TCPW to help protect their observatories.  Being an occasional amateur star gazer myself I was very happy to see that link! What Hi-Fi  included the most recent reference to our site, where the forum discussion was about a boundary fence disagreement – on What Hi-Fi? How odd!

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs)                                                       Our partnering PCCs in Humberside and Cheshire have now been joined by the PCCs for West Mercia, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire.  I’ve also just heard that Avon and Somerset’s PCC will be linking soon and there are a few others in the pipeline.

So, January/February has been quite a busy period for link ups and we’re still just about on target for our 100 links by April.

Page Ranking

We’re back up to number 1 on page 1 for a Google search on the words ‘crime prevention’ and we’ve progressed a little on a few other searches too, so we’re going in the right direction thanks to you! 

  Website Updates

Under the Personal Security tab there’s now a new section on Rape and Sexual Assault.  It has always been my intention to cover all aspects of crime prevention and whilst this new section is only brief and concentrates on what people can do to avoid trouble when they’re out and about, I have provided lots of links to a number of well-known organisations who are the real experts in this field.

I have also begun to work my way through the website, page by page, fixing any broken links and making amendments to the advice, mainly brought about by changes to security standards.  I have no doubt this work will occupy me for at least the next few weeks, but this has to be done as I do boast about the advice being up-to-date! – A rod for my own back I hear you say!

  The Home Security Survey – the results

The Home Security Survey continues to be used on a regular basis, but we could always do with a few more so that I can reach my 2,000 target sooner and thereby make my subsequent analysis that much more reliable.  This month we’re taking a look at window locking, but first; in response to a couple of requests resulting from Newsletter Number 4, here are the top ten counties who have taken the survey:

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, Surrey, Kent, Essex, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire

The top two counties, which are policed by Thames Valley Police, are not in these positions by accident.  They are there because Thames Valley Police regularly promote the Home Security Survey application via their Neighbourhood Alert messaging service.  It would obviously be useful if other police services could do the same, perhaps in support of an anti-burglary crime prevention campaign.  With half a dozen police services and as many police and crime commissioner sites now linking to TCPW I think we’ve earned sufficient credibility for this to happen.  Only time will tell, of course.

How are we locking our windows?

As part of a detailed assessment of a person’s home security The Crime Prevention Website.com’s Home Security Survey asks respondents about the security attributes of their accessible windows.  The table below provides the findings given as percentages after 1,123 completed surveys.  Due to the small number of surveys the results should only be treated as indicative.  The exercise will be repeated again later in 2013 to see if these results have changed.

Findings thus far indicate that 37.6% of respondents’ windows incorporate a multipoint locking mechanism of some kind and most of these windows will be constructed from PVCu or aluminium.   Just over 18% of these multipoint locking windows are certified to BS 7950, which is the British Standard for windows of enhanced security.

Please also note that the standard BS 7950 for enhanced secure windows has now been superseded by PAS 24:2012 Enhanced security performance requirements for doorsets and windows in the UK. External doorsets and windows intended to offer a level of security suitable for dwellings and other buildings exposed to comparable risk

The new standard was published in August 2012, but it’ll take manufacturers a while to change over to the new standard and update their websites and sales material, so you’ll probably see reference to the old standard of BS 7950 for quite some time.

BS 7950 windows are recommended by the Association of Chief Police Officers, because they achieve a minimum level of security sufficient to deter the majority of opportunist burglars.  Windows submitted for testing undergo a variety of tests designed to replicate the forces applied by a burglar.  Various repeatable mechanical forces are applied to the test samples followed by a series of 3 minute manual attacks using a specified toolkit.  In addition, the windows must achieve the ‘fit for purpose’ requirements specific to the material from which the window is made.  This ensures that the window is not only secure, but performs to a high standard in terms of its operational use and resistance to weathering.

Type of Security

Front

Side

Rear

All figures are percentages

Window

Door

Window

Door

Window

Door

Average across all windows

Door

Certified to BS7950

(Doors PAS 24)

6.8

5

7.9

6

5.9

6

6.9

5.7

Multipoint locking

29.3

45

30.5

54

32.5

54

30.8

51

BS 7950 and Multipoint combined

36.1

50

38.4

60

38.4

60

37.6

56.7

Window locks

34.6

 

35.7

 

36.8

 

35.7

 

Fitted with grilles or shutters

0.6

 

1.3

 

0.6

 

0.8

 

Lockable handles

22.6

 

17.8

 

19.3

 

19.9

 

Not fitted with window locks

6.2

 

6.7

 

4.9

 

5.9

 


NB The enhanced security door figures have been inserted into the table above so a comparison can be made with the windows.  Although the figures are similar for the enhanced security types of doors and windows there is a noticeable difference between ‘ordinary’ multipoint locking doors and windows.

Evaluations of the police Secured by Design (SBD) project, which requires the use of BS 7950 windows, strongly indicates that their use has worked to reduce the vulnerability of houses to burglary and have contributed to the 50% fewer burglaries experienced by SBD homes as compared to homes not built to SBD standards.

In spite of this evidence BS 7950 windows only represent 18% of multipoint windows and 7% of windows in general, so why is this the case since products to these standards have been available for at least 15 years and widely available for the past 10 years?

The author, who has spent many years involved in crime prevention and for a while was co editor of the various SBD design guides, suggests the following reasons:

  • The general public don't know that enhanced secure windows exist and therefore don’t purchase them because:
    • Police service websites, with some notable exceptions, are not doing enough to promote the use of enhanced secure windows. 58% of police websites we reviewed don’t even mention the standards!
    • The window manufacturing/replacement industry is not promoting the security standard effectively enough in their literature or on their websites. Even those that advertise on TV and radio rarely, if ever, mention the security standard. See Table below
    • Insurers seldom mention the enhanced security standards and certainly do not require them as a condition of cover.
    • Enhanced secure windows are too expensive? You can pay up to 15% more, sometimes less.

Google search on: ‘Secure replacement windows’ (11 th Feb 2013)

Findings over 2 pages including top and bottom adverts (not including repeats) 

Definitely supply BS 7950 windows and show evidence of certification to the relevant standards

3

Definitely supply BS 7950 windows, but not obvious from the website content

3

Claim windows are secure, but offer no evidence on their website

4

Make little or no mention of window security on the site and offer no evidence

4

US websites

2

Miscellaneous websites (PDFs, Ad Farms, Quote sites)

4

  Total

20

Google searched on: ‘BS 7950 windows’ (11 th Feb 2013)

Findings over 2 pages including top and bottom adverts (not including repeats) 

Definitely supply BS 7950 windows and show evidence of certification to the relevant standards

5

Definitely supply BS 7950 windows, but not obvious from the website content

3

Claim windows are secure, but offer no evidence on their website

0

Make little or no mention of window security on the site and offer no evidence

0

US websites

0

Miscellaneous websites (PDFs, Ad Farms, Quote sites)

4

Advice sites (Including The Crime Prevention Website), Certification Bodies

8

 Total

20


Most enhanced security windows that have ever been sold have been used in modern 'affordable' housing as up until now the housing associations have been required to use the security standard by the Homes and Communities Agency.  Should this requirement be dropped in the future it will be interesting to see if the associations will impose this standard requirement upon themselves or choose to use the saved costs to fund the building of more housing, albeit without the excellent security that these BS 7950 windows have no doubt provided.  A sudden drop in demand for these enhanced security windows would not bode well for the rest of us as they will inevitably become more difficult to source.  Only time will tell. 

  Crime in the news

Here follows my most read news items during this period:

Is crime data important?

Feeling a bit mischievous I thought I’d take a look at how crime data can go badly wrong in the media. It seems that I hit the spot with some of my readers as this rather cynical view of ‘the facts’ was the most read story this period. The story does carry some serious messages though. 

Herts police alert over catalytic converter crimes

There have been several reports about this type of theft (cats and spare wheels) in recent weeks, both before and after this story from Herts.  And it’s a difficult crime to prevent.  Many of these thefts take place during the dead of night as you might expect, but quite a few happen in broad daylight.  Some six years ago, during daylight hours, I had the spare wheel stolen from my Vauxhall Zafira and when I visited the car show room from where I’d bought the car they told me that I should have had an anti-theft bolt fitted. I said it would have been nice if Vauxhall had a) told me about the vulnerability, b) told me about the security device and c) fitted the darned thing in the first place, as standard!

Crime in England and Wales, year ending September 2012
More ‘good news’ about falling crime figures keeps coming and you can’t argue with the figures can you?  But then......

Discrepancy in police crime figures
.....rears its ugly head and as a bystander you just have to wonder what’s going on!  I’m still waiting for a satisfactory explanation of the discrepancy by the way.

New Facebook page for Rural Crime and Security
I was very pleased to report this story, because this type of initiative is really needed for the farming community who suffer significant losses each year, which more often than not fall under the radar. So, good luck to the guys running the Facebook page and the forthcoming website.

Dog microchipping to become compulsory in England in April 2016
All dog owners will have to microchip their animals by 6th April 2016 to help tackle the growing problem of strays roaming the streets and to make it easier to reunite lost dogs with their owners.

The Government believes this measure will relieve the burden on animal charities and local authorities and protect the welfare of dogs by promoting responsible dog ownership.  I do think this will help, but I suspect that a lot of irresponsible dog owners will still ignore the law, but only time will tell.

Citizen’s Arrest in East Ham should be praised!
This story concerned the theft of a mobile phone and the eventual arrest of the thief by the victim.  I was slightly critical of the police comment about not putting yourself at risk in such circumstances and simply stated that people will do what comes naturally to them.  In this case the victim decided to have a go and good for him!  I was more critical about mobile phone manufacturers who should do more to render a stolen phone useless. Surely manufacturers could incorporate a ‘self destruct’ device into the phone to burn out the circuits, or something along those lines.  And something like this is needed, because mobile phone theft and robbery has increased 25% over the past three years.

  Crime prevention products – C500 KeySafe™

I recently received an email from a Mr Davies asking me if I could recommend a secure key box; of a type that could be secured to a wall of his house.  Mr Davies explained that his neighbour was very elderly and was recently rushed off to hospital in an ambulance.  Fortunately, Mr Davies had been at home at the time and was able to let the medics into the house using his neighbour’s spare house keys.  However, had he been out the medics may have had to force his neighbour’s door with the resultant insecurity this would have caused along with the unwelcomed repair costs.

Mr Davies thought that if he could put his neighbour’s keys into a very secure key box, which could be opened using a code known to him and some of his other neighbours then this might save on a lot of delay and damage should his elderly neighbour require urgent medical assistance again.

I was therefore very happy to be able to advise Mr Davies that such a key box does exist and it goes by the name of GE C500 KeySafe™.  It’s manufactured by General Electric and is distributed across the UK by Supra UK Ltd, trading as Sentico.

Importantly, the unit has been successfully tested against the Loss Prevention Certification Board’s standard LPS 1175 to Security Rating 1, and therefore has a resistance to attack at least equivalent to a decently secured front door.  The product is also certified to this standard, which means that periodic retesting takes place to ensure that the manufacturing standards are maintained.

In order for it to perform to the security rating it must be installed to the manufacturer’s specifications.  A DIY installation is permitted using a supplied template and detailed instructions and there’s also an on-line installation video on Sentico’s website.  Sentico can also arrange installation at extra cost.

Importantly the Association of British Insurers, who represent the vast majority of home insurance companies, has given the product their approval, which means that the use of such a product on your own dwelling should not be a problem. If your insurer is not a member of the ABI you are advised to inform them of this product’s installation to make sure that they are happy about it.

Because the product is certified to a security standard acceptable to the Association of Chief Police Officers your local police will also find this product to be an acceptable solution to what is a growing need for access by emergency services and care services for the elderly and infirm.

  And finally...

Am I a cynical old git or is it a sign of the times?

Operating a website like this one takes many hours at the keyboard and just a tad of commitment.  I do it for lots of serious reasons and also for pleasure, but the whole operation would be so much more pleasant if people had the politeness to respond to emails and letters!

In an average week I write perhaps 20 emails and letters to various organisations varying in size from a tiny Neighbourhood Watch to maybe sometimes a Police Service or a government body.  I keep a record of response rates (aren’t I sad!), which are shown below.  I don’t count automatic responses.

  • Neighbourhood Watch and Community Sites - 24% response
  • Local Authorities - 12% response
  • Police and Crime Commissioners - 51% response
  • Thanks given for my responses to on-line enquiries for advice - 14% say thanks!

I think the figures speak for themselves, so if anybody out there wants to do a similar sort of thing to me – don’t get hung up about being ignored, just do it for the love!

And finally, finally...

A motorist got pulled over by the police last Tuesday near where I live and he was asked to blow into a breathalyser. The machine showed a positive reading.
“I'm sorry Sir,” says the officer. “You're over the limit. Can you tell me what you’ve had tonight?”
'Nothing Officer,” replies the man. “Just a burger from the supermarket”
“Ah!  That explains it then,” says the policeman. “I knew I could smell Red Rum.”

Keep ‘em peeled!

Calvin and Ben