With autumn now upon us and the nights drawing in, Sussex Police are encouraging residents to leave a light on this winter.
Leaving your home during hours of darkness, without putting a light on or drawing the curtains, is an open invitation to the opportunist criminal that there is no-one at home.
This simple message is one of the key themes of this year’s “Operation Twilight” campaign – which offers valuable advice on how to go about ensuring burglars are left in the dark during the winter months.
Dennis Donovan, Force Crime Prevention Officer from the Community Safety Branch said:
It sounds simple advice, but when it is dark outside people don’t always think to draw their curtains or leave a light on if they are going to be out.
To the opportunist burglar, it is almost an invite. A house that is in darkness is the easiest target as no-one is likely to be home. It doesn’t take long for a burglar to get inside and steal property, particularly things that are easy to sell such as televisions, videos, computers, jewellery and antiques.
Unfortunately, every year sees a spate of early evening burglaries associated with the clocks going back and Sussex Police will be distributing Operation Twilight flyers throughout the Force area.
Between January 1st and the end of July 2006 the number of burglaries in Sussex had reduced by 21%, meaning 1,388 fewer victims in real terms. This is the biggest year-on-year percentage reduction for more than a decade and Sussex Police want to ensure this success continues.
In addition to regististering property on the Immobilise Property Register, the Sussex Police website also provides a good checklist of actions to consider to make your home more secure this winter. To view them please go to the Sussex Police website where the source news story can be read in full: