Don't give burglars a gift this Xmas

Barrow police are appealing for help from the public after a family's Christmas presents were stolen during a burglary after their home was left partially insecure.

Police are investigating after receiving reports that at 3am on Wednesday 9th December, a house on Mosley Street, Barrow in Furness was burgled. A female occupant heard a noise downstairs in the early hours of the morning and disturbed a man wearing dark clothing & a white cap who was leaving her house via the insecure front door.

It was then discovered that some of her 18 month old son's Christmas presents had been taken from under the tree and opened. Several of the contents of the presents were stolen.

Officers from Barrow police are currently working to raise awareness of burglary and the steps to take to protect homes in the lead up to Christmas as part of the ‘Don’t give burglars a gift this Christmas’ campaign. Since Tuesday 8 December, officers and partner agencies have been conducting the county's largest ever Streetsafe event and are attempting to visit 1500 homes in Barrow to provide crime prevention and home security advice.

DI Dave Banks, who is leading the operation, said: "We are anxious to speak to local residents who may have seen anybody acting suspiciously in the area or anybody fitting the description of the offender between 2.30am - 3.15am. We want to trace the missing presents and track down the offender to bring them to justice.

"I can't stress enough the importance of home security, especially this time of year, when many houses are full of costly Christmas presents. Secure your windows and doors - even if you are indoors or out in the backgarden. Finding that you've become a victim of burglary is incredibly distressing and could very easily ruin your Christmas."

A 20-yr-old local man was arrested on suspicion of burglary. He has been placed on police bail until 28 January 2010 pending further enquiries.

If anybody has any information about this crime or knows the whereabouts of the stolen goods, they are asked to contact DC Jack Montague or any local police officer on 0845 33 00 247 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Don't become a victim of burglary - lock it or lose it!

Xmas Streetsafe - live webchat 6pm tonight!

Join the Evening mail webchat tonight at 6pm to discuss burglary and home security.

Log in via www.nwemail.co.uk/burglary_prevention_webchat

Community campaign to reduce burglary in Central/Salthouse

Cumbria Constabulary has launched a large community campaign to reduce burglary in Barrow this Christmas.

Officers from Barrow police have teamed up with partner agencies and the Barrow Crime and Reduction Partnership (CDRP) to launch the ‘Don’t give burglars a gift this Christmas’ campaign, designed to raise awareness of burglary and the steps to take to protect homes and Christmas presents this December.

One week into the month long multi-agency campaign (which began on Tuesday 1 December), police are gearing up for a three day ‘mega’ Streetsafe operation on 8th, 9th and 10th December which will be the largest event of its kind ever seen in Cumbria. Over the three day event, over fifty police officers and many other group representatives will offer crime prevention and offer free assessments on existing home security to over 1,500 homes in Barrow.

The focus will be on Salthouse, Barrow, after police revealed that it is the neighbourhood that is most commonly burgled in the town. 75 burglaries were reported to officers over a three year period from January 2006 - October 2009, which is markedly higher than other neighbourhoods in Barrow. Of the 75 burglaries reported to police, approximately 50 per cent occurred at insecure premises.

Over the course of the Streetsafe events, the group will be offering a combination of advice on crime prevention, property security marking, fire safety, free smoke detector fittings, graffiti removal, and offering specialist advice on health and community participation.

Amongst the Home Protection Pack of information that officers will be distributing to residents, a Home Office life-size leaflet in the shape of a hand and forearm will be posted through letterboxes, urging residents to keep their valuables ‘out of the reach of burglars’.

Detective Inspector Dave Banks who is leading the initiative said: “This campaign has been launched in response to a very local problem as almost 60 per cent of burglaries reported to police in South Cumbria occur at insecure premises.

“Burglary is a top local priority and one that we can only tackle together, as a community. Local agencies that are involved in the operation have come together to raise awareness amongst residents and encourage them to work alongside their local policing teams to tackle the issue and reduce burglaries in their neighbourhoods.

“We want to make our communities safer, stronger and confident that we are doing all we can to reduce burglary in the lead up to Christmas. We are providing residents with the tools and advice they need to keep their homes secure as well as increasing the numbers of high visibility officers on the streets as part of our policing pledge.

“During the three day Streetsafe event, experts from local agencies aim to visit over 1500 homes in the Salthouse area to give out advice on how to enjoy a safe and happy Christmas.”

For more information on home security, please contact a member of your local policing team on 0845 33 00 247.

Xmas Streetsafe update and media coverage

Click on the links below for Evening Mail coverage of the Xmas Streetsafe campaign.

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/burglars_beware_they_re_after_you_1_641618?referrerPath=home INTRODUCTION

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/no_title_1_644680?referrerPath=news/barrow VICTIMS STORY

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/no_title_1_645127?referrerPath=news/ HAIRY BIKER

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/streetsafe_offers_advice_on_crime_1_645915?referrerPath=news/ PARTNERS

Police and partners join forces to encourage a safe and healthy Xmas in Barrow

The next Streetsafe Operation will take place on Thursday 3rd December when police officers and partner agencies will be going to The Railway Public House, Wetherspoons in Barrow to engage with customers and staff.

The Streetsafe team which includes Cumbria Constabulary, Cumbria Fire & Rescue, NHS Cumbria, Trading Standards, Barrow Borough Council, Cumbria County Council and volunteers, will be visiting the venue to hand out crime prevention and health and safety advice ahead of the Festive season.

For the first time, the Streetsafe team will also be offering free blood pressure checks to customers and staff who want them. Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s Occupational Health Nurse will be on hand between 6.30 pm and 8.00 pm.

NHS Cumbria is supporting the initiative as forty per cent of adults in England suffer from high blood pressure which can cause serious medical conditions. High blood pressure (hypertension) can put people at risk of serious medical conditions such many different types of cardiovascular disease, a stroke, heart attack, blood clot or aneurysm (a swollen, or burst, blood vessel).

In 95 per cent of cases, there is no single reason for a raise in blood pressure. However an unhealthy diet, excess alcohol and lack of exercise can play a part.

High blood pressure can be treated or prevented by making changes lifestyle, such as exercising more regularly, eating a healthier diet and cutting back on your consumption of alcohol. Medicines are also available that can help lower blood pressure. Anyone who's concerned about their blood pressure should contact their GP.

PC John Irving who coordinates Streetsafe said: “It is fantastic that Streetsafe has been joined by another partner agency offering an additional service to residents within the Borough.

“During the evening, we will be consulting with staff and customers about issues that concern them and we will be reassuring them that we are doing all we can to make the area safer, cleaner and stronger.

“Working with our partner agencies, we want to make sure everyone has a safe and crime free Christmas. We will be giving a wide range of advice including how to keep your valuables safe, sensible drinking, cold callers, active citizens and fire safety.

“I would like to thank the management and staff at The Railway for their on going support with the Streetsafe project.”

Police and partners join forces to tackle burglaries in Barrow

Barrow police and partner agencies from the Barrow Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership have joined forces to launch a large operation this December to tackle burglary in the town.

A new Burglary Action Group comprising of representatives from Cumbria police, NHS Cumbria, Fire and Rescue, Age Concern, Trading Standards, Neighbourhood Watch and Barrow Housing Association, has been formed to drive down the numbers of burglaries in the town. By pooling resources and having a joined up approach to the issue, the Group hopes to tackle the problem by raising awareness amongst the local community and delivering vital crime prevention advice to local residents on their doorsteps.

The newly formed group has planned a month long multi-agency campaign throughout December which centres around a three day ‘mega’ Streetsafe operation which will see over fifty police officers and many other group representatives visit over 1500 homes in Barrow to discuss crime prevention and offer free assessments on existing home security.

The operation will specifically target an area of Barrow that suffers from the highest number of burglaries according to police data. Over a three year period from January 2006 - October 2009, figures show that police received reports of 75 burglaries in the Salthouse area - which is markedly higher than the other neighbourhoods. Of the 75 burglaries reported to police, approximately 50 per cent occurred at insecure premises.

In the lead up to the campaign, officers have turned to local youngsters for help and have launched a poster competition within three local schools in Barrow. Pupils in year five and six at Sacred Heart, Greengate Juniors and St George's schools are submitting their final designs for a crime prevention poster which will be used to raise awareness of burglary in the local community.

Detective Inspector Dave Banks who is coordinating the operation said: “Communities in Barrow tell us that burglary is a top priority and this is a problem we are committed to tackling.

“When comparing other areas across the country, the numbers of burglaries in Barrow are very low and teams of officers work incredibly hard to ensure this continues. However, one burglary is one too many and we have identified a particular neighbourhood that has the highest numbers of burglaries in the town and we want the local community to be confident that we are doing all we can to ensure criminals no longer think of the area as an easy target.

“In the lead up to Christmas, teams of officers will be out and about in over 45 streets in Salthouse to hand out leaflets to local residents and experts will be on hand to provide advice on how to make homes more secure. Over half of the burglaries reported to us happen at insecure premises so we want to proactively provide residents with all the tools they need to help keep their homes - and Christmas presents – safe from burglars this year.

“Thankfully, like other areas across our county, Barrow is one of the safest places to live in the UK however between April 2008 – October 2009, we have seen a 39 per cent increase in burglaries in South Cumbria. As we raise awareness of the problem within the neighbourhood and gather the support of the public, we hope to significantly reduce this and give burglars a miserable Christmas this year.”

Streetsafe in Central Barrow

Photos courtesy of Steve Hillman.

To find out more about Streetsafe visit http://streetsafe.wordpress.com