Haddenham is a very safe place to live, but it's fair to say that police presence in Haddenham is very modest. So it makes sense for local householders to take steps to protect their property.
This is a message from Val McPherson Area Representative for Neighbourhood Watch in Aylesbury Vale.
As the nights have now drawn in as Autumn has now turned to the Winter season, please make sure you do not make your home an easy target for burglars. by taking simple steps.
Lights...
Most burglaries are carried out by opportunists. If a burglar sees a home in darkness during the evening then it is a fair bet there is no-one in. Fit a simple time switch that comes on about 20 mins before it gets dark, so around 4.30pm or 16.30 hours until whatever time you go to bed. A low-wattage LED bulb is enough to avoid your home standing out from the rest.
Cameras...
If you have CCTV cameras then the infra-red will come on as darkness falls, and many a good piece of evidential footage has been ruined by a spider's web reflecting the infra-red back into the lens. Make sure you clean your cameras, and then check them regularly – also make sure that you check that you can play back and take down footage on your system and that the time is set correctly. CCTV and/or a video doorbell is a big deterrent to burglars, as they do not know whether they have already been seen and the Police called.
Action needed...
Take general measures to protect your property: lift the handle on your PVC doors before locking; fit high quality door locks that are snap-, pick- and bump-proof; remember to close and lock windows when out; do not leave ladders and other climbing aids such as wheelie bins near flat roofs or those of your neighbours; lock side gates, keep front hedges low, and protect any rear boundary; ask a neighbour to check your letterbox if you are going away, and return the favour for them.
Theft of property from gardens can be a problem, but having spent time and money on your home garden and equipment you need to consider its security. The value of equipment, structures and plants often amounts to thousands of pounds.
Browse our home garden security pages for advice, tips and ideas to implement the best police preferred standards and reduce garden theft.
We are seeing an increase in #keylesstheft, targeting a range of cars. If you have a keyless car, consider adding extra security devices such as steering locks, immobilisers & trackers".
If #stolen, without a tracker it is trying to find a needle in a haystack!
British Gas email scam offering a fake energy refund
Scammers are impersonating British Gas with fake emails tempting recipients to click a link to get a fake energy refund. Although the email looks legitimate, it addresses you by your email address and not your name. This is a potential giveaway that it' is from a fraudster.
See the scam email impersonating British Gas here.
And lastly:
Premium rate number scams
This scam tries to trick people who are searching online for telephone numbers of government advice services. It works by displaying an advert for the phone number of the relevant government advice line.
But the sting is that you will be charged a premium for using this advertised telephone number – in some cases, as much as £20 or £30 a call. You are put through to the right advice line, but you pay a very high and unnecessary connection fee.
Find out which phone numbers to look out for here
Keep safe everyone.
