What you can do to make your home more secure

The Council provides support and assistance to tenants who are the victims of a crime committed in their home or whilst in the vicinity of their home. If any tenant is the victim of such a crime they should contact the Police and also advise the Council of the problem.

If the person who commits the crime is also a Council tenant, the Council may be able to take action against them and/or their tenancy if they are found guilty of a crime that affects other residents in the area.

In certain circumstances, where the Council and/or other agencies are unable to resolve the problem, it may be possible to consider rehousing the victim in another part of town. This is called ‘management transfer’. It is extremely rare and can often take several months to achieve because of the demand for Council housing in Stevenage.

However, the best form of defence against crime is prevention

Improving your home to make it more secure

Tenants are encouraged to install additional security measures to their own home, although for some improvements you may need to apply for consent from the Council. You can apply for consent to make an improvement to your home by clicking on this link: Apply online for consent to carry out an improvement to your home.

Suggestions for improvements that will make your home more secure include:

• A burglar alarm. Get a professional to fit it.
• An outdoor light with a movement sensor that comes on when someone approaches it
• Plug-in timers for your lamps and timers for ceiling lights so that the lights come on even when you are away.
• A spy-hole if your front door doesn’t have glass.
• An outside light over the door to help you see a caller in the dark.
• A door chain.
• Mortice locks. Your front and back outside doors are thick enough for a five-lever mortice lock. Make sure it’s British Safety Standard BS3621.
• Window locks. The best type for a wooden frame does not involve any of the window catches. It pulls the window onto the frame with a key.
• Double glazing. Laminated glass is better than toughened because it stays in place when it’s smashed. The safest double glazing has bolts that shoot in to the frame for extra security.
• Purpose made locks or security bars for patio doors.

The Council can also consider requests for it to install improvements to Council owned buildings which add to security. Although normally such improvements are carried out when other relevant maintenance work is needed.

Other more general work to prevent crime is carried out through the Council’s Area Committees, such as improved street lighting, door entry schemes for flat blocks and so on.

Things you can do at home to help keep it secure

As well as making physical improvements, you can make your home more secure using the following suggestions:

• When you’re away get a trusted neighbour to come around and shut the curtains at night.
• Keep spare keys with a neighbour, friend or relative, not in the house. Never leave keys in the door.
• Make sure there is a padlock on your shed
• Lock bicycles to something bulky
• Do not leave garden tools lying around the garden
• Use UV marker pens to put your postcode and house number on valuables in invisible ink. If your belongings are found the Police can read your details under UV light and return them to you. UV marker pens cost about £1 from stationers and security shops. You will need to repeat this every year as the writing fades. You may also want to consider visibly postcoding valuable items like your lawnmower.

Letting people into your home

Always check who you are opening the door to.

Water board officials never need to come into your home without first writing to you to make an appointment. Gas and electricity meter readers and Council employees will carry identification. If you are not sure ask the caller to wait outside while you call their employer to check they are a genuine caller. Genuine callers will not mind.

Setting up a Home Watch scheme

An enthusiastic Home Watch scheme helps to deter burglars. Contact Angela Clark, Stevenage Watch Liaison Officer at Hitchin Police Station on 01462 425033 for help setting one up.