Personal Safety

Out and About

Plan your route, especially at night. Avoid isolated bs stops/train stations and sit near the driver or close to other passengers.

Try to keep to busy well-lit areas and don't take short cuts and walk away from bushes and buildings.

Where possible, don't walk alone after dark. Take someone with you.

Keep valuables such as your mobile phone, jewellery and so on out of sight.

Always walk facing oncoming traffic.

To avoid delay, have your keys ready when you are approaching your car or home.

Never accept lifts from strangers.

Carry a mobile phone for your own safety and keep a taxi phone number handy or programmed into your phone.

When telephoning for a taxi, ask for the drivers name and check this when he/she arrives.

If you think you are being followed, cross the road, and head towards a busier place where you can ask for help

Carry a personal alarm. If attacked, use it and scream as loudly as you can

Shopping and in your car.

Shopping

Carry your bag close to your body and zipped up, with the flap against you.

Try to carry your purse and keys in your coat pocket.

Don't leave your purse/wallet on top to your shopping bag or pram.

Don't carry large amounts of cash.

Park in busy or well-lit and attended car parks near CCTV cameras or in police approved car parks.

Find out which car parks are approved ar www.saferparking.com

In the car

Keep valuables out of sight.

Where possible try to travel on well-used roads.

Check the interior before you enter your car in particular the back seat and never pick up hitchhikers.

Child safety

Keep your child close to you. Never leave children unsupervised or with strangers even for a few seconds.

Teach your children to tell you if a stranger- approaches them and reassure them that its isn't their fault.

Make sure they know what to do if they get lost - find a police officer or someone working in a shop and tell them not to wander far from where they last saw you.

Never leave the pram parked outside while you shop. If the pram isn't allowed inside - shop elsewhere or take the child out of the pram.

Cash and bank card

Avoid using cash machines late at night and don't use it if there are any suspicious looking people around.

Have your credit/debit card ready prior to approaching the cash machine.

Don't use the cash machine if it looks like it has been modified or tampered with.

Be particularly careful if strangers offer you help at the ATM.

Never let anybody see your PIN and shield the keypad when entering your PIN

Minimise the amount of cash you carry but make sure you have enough money to get home.

Don't carry your credit cards and cheque book in the same bag.

Don't leave your credit card behind the bar or counter. Staff should copy your details.

If your card or cheque book is stolen or lost, contact your bank to cancel them right away.

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs)

Fixed Penalty Notices generally deal with environmental offences such as litter, graffiti and dog fouling, and can be issued by local authority officers, police community support officers and other accredited persons.

FPNs cam be issued to anyone over 10 years old and are penalties of £50 for most offences, but £100 for noise-related offences.

Offences where an FPN might be issued:-

• dropping litter
• minor graffiti offences or fly tipping
• not cleared up dog fouling
• where noise is causing a statutory nuisance
• where excessive noise is coming from a private residence during the night

Receiving a penalty notice does not count as getting a conviction. Recipients have 14 days in respect of a FPN to pay the penalty or request a hearing. Failure to pay a penalty may result in a higher fine imposed by the court or imprisonment.

Penalty Notices for disorder (PNDs)

Penalty Notices for Disorder are issued for more serious offences, like throwing fireworks or being drunk and disorderly. PNDs can be issued by the police, and in a limited capacity by community support officers and other accredited persons.

PNDs can be issued to someone over 16 years old and are for either £50 or £80 depending on the severity of the behaviour.

PNDs were introduced in 2001 specifically to tackle low-level anti-social behaviour and to reduce police bureaucracy in dealing with these types of crimes.

Examples of offences where a penalty notice for disorder may be issued include:

• behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others
• drunk and disorderly behaviour in a public place
• breach of a fireworks curfew
• destroying or damaging property up to the value of £500
• retail theft under £200
• sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years of age
• selling alcohol to a drunken person
• using threatening word or behaviour

Receiving a penalty notice does not count as getting a conviction. Recipients have 21 days to pay the penalty or to request a hearing, or the penalty will be reissued at one and a halt times the original amount. Failure to pay a penalty may result in a higher fine imposed by the court or imprisonment.

Types of Drugs

What is a drug

A drug is any substance that can change a person's emotions, self-control or behaviour.

What type of drugs are there?

There are three main types of drugs - legal, illegal, and prescription drugs. Examples of legal drugs are alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. Prescription drugs are given to you by a doctor but some prescription drugs can be addictive and are open to misuse for example, valium. Illegal drugs are also called controlled drugs and are grouped into three categories.

For  more details of drugs go to (Home) index page (drugs) also (letter from Jackie for youths)

Distraction Burglary

Being on guard for bogus callers. Callers may pretend to be officials from an organisation such as a council or your utility company when in fact they want to trick, steal or overcharge you for work they may carry out.

Don't be frightened - most visitors are genuine, but it makes sense to be aware.

How can I protect myself?

• STOP - before you answer the door, stop and think if you are expecting any-one. Make sure your door and any other doors leading outside are locked before you approach the front door.
• CHAIN - Open the door with the chain or door bar in place. A door bar or chain acts as a useful barrier when talking to unexpected callers. Talk through a window if you can.
• CHECK - Always ask for ID. Genuine callers will always have identification. If you are still uncertain, phone the organisation and confirm the person's identity. Genuine callers will be happy to wait.

Some companies have password protection scheme where they will supply you with a password that only you and the caller will know. Neighbourhood Watch Schemes are proven to reduce burglary and deter bogus callers.

Visit www.neighbourhoodwatch.net or call 020 7772 3348 for more details.

If you are in doubt do not let them in, keep everything locked, dial 999 and ask for the police.

Reporting bogus callers

If you think you have been a victim, report it to the police straight away. Give them a description of the caller and notify your neighbourhood watch coordinator or representative so they can warn others in the area. In the case of Ingol if there is no neighbourhood watch scheme in your area contact the ICA who will ensure details are made available to the community.

How secure is your shed, garage or garden?

Many people take great care when securing their homes but pay little attention to the security of their sheds, garages or outbuildings that are often used to store valuable property.

Make sure your shed is in good condition and would stand up to a security test. If not, take steps to improve it or don't leave valuable items such as lawn mowers, golf clubs and bicycles inside.

Once the fabric of the building is in sound condition you can go on to improve its physical security.

Secure your shed

• Use a closed shackle padlock not less than 2.5 inches in width, made of hardened steel with no less than five pins. A standard small padlock with hasp and staple fastening can easily be forced or cut by bolt cutters.
• The fittings should be bolted through the door of the shed and reinforced at the back with steel plate.
• The hasp should have concealed screws or coach bolts fitted.
• Use the lock at all times.
• Protect glass by fitting a grille or strong wire mesh to the inside of the window and fit locks to any windows that can be opened.
• Prevent anyone seeing into your shed by placing curtains or other coverings over the window or blacken them out with paint.
• Make sure that you can see your shed from the house. If it is obstructed from view a thief might have a better chance of breaking in without being seen.

Garages

• Much of the advise for garden sheds also applies to garages, in addition you should consider fitting:
• A drive post on the outside of an up-and-over door. It will stop the door being opened and is a visible deterrent.
• Good quality closed shackle padlocks with hasp and stapleson ether side of the door.
• Five lever mortise locks to connecting doors it the garage is attached to the main building. Make sure the locks comply with British Standard 3621.
• Fitting a simple, low cost, battery operated shed alarm to the door of your shed or garage will warn of any attempted break in to your property and can act as a deterrent.

Secure your outbuilding

Often property and equipment stored in your outdoor property is valuable and can easily be sold on by thieves. You should never leave tools or ladders lying around the garden. Always store garden furniture away in a secure place when they are not in use/

Make sure you:

• Security mark your property in as many places as you can with you name and postcode.
• Take photographs of any valuable property. If the police recover them after a burglary, this will be proof that they are yours.
• Never leave items unattended, even if you are just popping into the house.
• Try to secure items such a bicycles to the structure of the building or chain as many items together as possible, fastening the chain with a closed shackle padlock. This would make it more difficult for a thief to make away with the item.

Deterring burglars

As well as making your property secure you can also make it difficult for a thief to get to it. Here are some simple steps:

• Install security lights to illuminate the front porch and/or the garden. There are two types; lights that come on automatically, when it is dark and turn themselves off when its light operated by sensors that come on when movement is detected.
• Keep shrubs, hedges and large plants cut back. They can provide a screen for thieves to work behind.
• Keep you boundary fences, walls and gates in good repair as they provide a barrier to the would be thief. It is recommended that fences are maintained at a height of 1.9m at the sides and rear of the house with gates that are padlocked at the same height.
• Keep an eye out for your neighbours property and encourage them to do the same for you. Report anything suspicious to the police.
• Consider setting up, or becoming a member of a neighbourhood watch scheme.
• For further details of these ring ICA 01772 722347