Herts police has advised that over the past month, there has been a small spate of residential burglaries where offenders have entered insecure properties in and around the ROSEDALE estate, Cheshunt. Lets make sure we have lots of good cheer whilst we keep ourselves safe and secure in Goff’s Oak and take some precautions.
At home
- Install ‘dusk to dawn’ external lighting and use timer switches in your home to control internal lights, radios and a simulated TV
- Why not consider installing an external camera and/or monitored burglar alarm
- Dont leave gifts in sheds or garages or in your car as you may be presenting a thief with an opportunity to target your home
- Don’t leave on view near windows or doors. and make sure all is locked when you leave the house or even when you go up to bed
When Out
When out, keep your purse/wallet at the bottom of your bag and zip it securely, do not carry in back pockets
Herts police have advised security marking valuables and registering them for free on http://www.immobilise.com Visit http://www.owlprotect.uk for discounts on security products. For more crime prevention advice visit: http://www.herts.police.uk/protectyourhome and http://www.hertscitizensacademy.org. This advice came from OWL by Hertfordshire Constabulary to meet the modern requirements of community schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch
Additionally for the use of internet based devices this Chrstmas some good safety tips have been put forward and include;-
- Don’t use public Wi-Fi hotspots to do anything confidential, as you can’t assume they’re secure
- Posting that the family is away over the Christmas break indicates your home is empty
- Children consider downloading a respected parental control App to block unsuitable content
- Talk to them about online safety, including what they share, who they communicate with and the content they access – including apps/games
- Ensure bills aren’t being run up for in-game purchases
- Ensure protection with a security app/software and a PIN or passcode
- Change passwords from factory ones to your own straight away to improve security – this goes for CCTV cameras, voice assistants and toys too
- Download apps only from official sources such as App Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store
- Perform regular backups to safeguard your valuable documents, photos and files. If you’re selling a device, reset it to prevent others seeing your data
Beware of Fraudsters
- Be careful with unexpected fraudsters posing as retailers, parcel firms or your bank. Clicking on attachments or links in unexpected emails, texts or posts could infect your device or compromise your personal information
- Think before you post; could the information be used by a fraudster? Take a few minutes over Christmas to update your privacy settings
