Mylander - Issue 84

From inside the community • Cancel any newspaper or milk deliveries, delay ordering online purchases before you go away or have them delivered to friends or family that are at home to hold until you return. • Use the Royal Mail’s ‘Keepsafe’ service - they keep your mail for up to two months while you’re away. Mail sitting on your doorstep is a sign that you are away. • Trusted neighbours may be able to help you by collecting your post, opening and closing curtains and they could park their car on your driveway. • Avoid discussing holiday plans on public social networking sites, watch what you are posting including photographs (they may be date stamped) while you are away too or you may find you are giving useful information that the burglar or fraudster may use. Don’t forget the car when you leave it unattended: • Close the windows and lock it, verify it is locked by the sound, the flash of the lights or try the handle. • Leave nothing on show, remember to the thief even the empty bag or jacket is inviting, they don’t know what they may contain until your car has been damaged in the course of them breaking into your car. • Choose a safe place to park, with lots of visibility over it, if you can look for a “Parkmark” accredited car park: http://www.parkmark.co.uk/car-park-finder Further advice can be found at: www.essex.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/ or www.securedbydesign.com/ Stephen Armson-Smith, Crime Prevention Tactical Advisor 27