Police advice to avoid becoming victim of housebreaking this autumn

Police Scotland have issued advice to the pubic to help avoid becoming a victim of housebreaking with the darker nights setting in.

A statement on the website states: “Take a few simple steps to avoid becoming a victim of a housebreaking this autumn/winter.Now that the darker nights are back and the evenings are drawing in, we want you to remain safe and would like to share the below advice with you.

• If you’re going away or even going out for the evening, set a timer switch to turn your lights on when it gets dark. Unlit houses are a giveaway that no one is at home.
• Remember to lock your doors, patios and downstairs windows. Also lock any windows on the first floor where access can be gained via a flat roof.
• If you’re at the rear of the house or in the garden, lock your front doors and windows. This simple act will deter opportunistic criminals.
• If you have a house alarm… USE IT. Make sure you set it when you go out and when you go to bed.
• Don’t leave car keys, ID cards, or valuables near windows, doors or letterboxes, where thieves can reach through to steal them.
• Lock your garden gates and side entrances. Don’t leave tools lying around in the garden which could be used to break in to your home.
• Property mark your valuables.
• Register your property on Immobilise, the UK national property register https://www.immobilise.com/
• Register bikes on https://www.bikeregister.com/

Find out more in our Keep Safe pages, and if you have information about a housebreaking phone the Police on 101 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.