There have been recent incidents in the Berwickshire area, (predominantly in Duns) whereby a male has been entering or attempting to enter premises including residential houses, often in daytime, in an effort to take items (often called slip-in thefts).
Local officers are making enquiries regarding these incidents and any information can be provided to officers via 101, using the Contact Us form | Police Scotland or e-mail our local policing team on MidBerwickshireCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk . Residents are asked to remain vigilant – in an emergency or if a crime is in progress call 999.
What basic steps can I take to protect my home?
There are many ways that you can help secure your home. They don’t all cost money – some are common sense and good housekeeping.
Keep your home locked at all times, even when you are within
Many thieves do not need to break in at all because a door or window has been left open or unlocked
Don’t leave keys on the inside of door locks, under mats or anywhere else they can be easily found
If you have a ‘thumb turn’ lock on the inside of a door, ensure that it cannot be accessed from outside
See details on letter-plates, glazing and adjacent windows advice below
Don’t put your name or room number on your keyring if you live in shared accommodation, if it is lost or stolen, the thief will have information that could direct them there
Don’t keep house keys and car keys on the same key ring
Don’t keep a lot of cash in the house
Mark your property with a UV marker pen or Security DNA marking Kit – these can be bought online or in some stores
Look for the Secured By Design accreditation on the product and register – you can place an invisible imprint of your postcode and house number on your possessions
You can record and register details of your valuables, serial numbers and features or marks, on devices on the national mobile property register on the immobilise website – this includes mobile phones, cameras, laptops and tablets
Don’t leave valuables where they can be seen through a window – for example, around the tree at Christmas time
If you have a wall calendar, avoid having it shown near a window from where appointments can be seen – people may see when there will be no one in.
