Good morning, 

I saw that you've selected Burglary and/or crime prevention advice as a priority within HampshireAlerts.

I hope that you'll find the below useful, however if you have further questions, or a new questions comes to mine following this email, please let me know.

I was burgled whilst at Uni and, even now, (quite) a few years later I still find myself thinking about it, so I really get how impactful this crime can be.  

There's many ways to deter this type of crime, a few of many:

*Give the illusion you're home when you're not.  This can be done simply and inexpensively through the use of timer switches, set to different times throughout the house to allow a lamp to illuminate.  I recommend doing this in rooms other than the hallway ( or not solely the hallway), and include some rooms where the content is not visible from the outside.  I also favour adding a music / noise item onto the plug, my household is certainly never quiet!

*Target hardening-It is difficult to include all considerations into an email, especially as we all live in different properties- please email me if you would like any specific considerations for your own home.  However a few broad suggestions are ( varying in cost from not a lot, to more costly):

you might have single glazing and be considering double glazing,

 or you could add locks onto your windows ( single or double glazed).  

There are window alarms that can be purchased- these vibrate when they are turned on and the window is knocked.

You could consider a house alarm, these vary in cost and complexity.

Letting a trusted neighbour know when you are away for a significant period of time.

Removing keys away from the front door so they cannot be hooked out of the letterbox and used.

Strategic plants

Considering the view into your property from the roadside, we favour low vegetation from the roadside so as not to provide a concealed area.

The type of lock in your doors- this can be an easy switch and very little money.

I appreciate the above can feel overwhelming, and I would like to reassure you that Farnborough is a safe area in which to live, I can also make referrals to the Bobby Lamp Trust, this is a charity service, and they can help install some crime prevention devices.

Sheds/outhouses-

*You can obtain alarms for these outhouses, they are normally battery operated, or you could consider a house style system if you have power to the area

*Obscure the view into the outhouse if you have windows

*Check the screws that are holding your hings / padlocks on.  Some screws are designed that you cannot unscrew them.

*Don't leave tools outside of the shed/outhouse

*Security lighting- there are often solar powered PIR lights available now which means you wouldn't need an electrician to install them and this helps to keep the cost down.

If you have a concern that isn't addressed by the above, or would like further help or reassurance, please let me know and I will come back to you as soon as I can.

Kind Regards

Annette