HOME OFFICE News
Release (016/2009) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 4
February 2009
Representatives
from charities, public and private sector organisations including
the police, Association of British Insurers, Age Concern, Citizens
Advice Bureau and Norwich Union today met with Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith at a special crime prevention summit to discuss
practical measures to help keep crime down.
Today's summit is part of a series of initiatives to help
increase people's personal security, particularly those who
feel the most vulnerable in society, and help the public to avoid
becoming victims of opportunistic criminals.
They include:
* a new £20 million fund for local crime prevention initiatives
and targeted support to homes and businesses - including measures
to strengthen home security, focused on the 14 per cent of homes
that still don't have window locks and the 18 per cent that
don't have adequate front doors;
* new home security pages on the Home Office website which will
offer a single source of information and advice on home security -
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/secureyourhome;
* the web pages will include a new online personalised home
security self assessment, 'How secure is your home?',
that allows people to grade the security of their home in a few
minutes. It then provides simple advice about how they can improve
it and who they can contact for help; and
* a new nationwide £1.6 million crime prevention marketing
campaign using broadcast radio and print media to reach as wide an
audience as possible.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"Burglary has more than halved in the last ten years and I
am determined to stay on the front foot. Previous downturns have
seen increases in acquisitive crimes but I do not accept this is
inevitable. The police are better equipped than ever before to
meet the current challenges but we all have a role to play in
presenting a united front. There will be a small minority of
criminals who think they can take advantage in tough times. Let me
tell them now, they can't and they won't get away with it.
"That is why I have today called together a wide range of
organisations to see what more we can do to assist those without
adequate security. I'm interested in exploring new and
innovative ways of getting information about home security to the
public such as whether DIY stores can offer advice on crime
prevention or charities can provide practical crime prevention
help to vulnerable people.
"Neighbourhood policing teams already play a vital role in
helping people feel safer and I want to see them supporting people
to get the advice and reassurance they need. We are also
providing common sense practical advice and support for people.
There are very simple things you can do to stay safe, such as
having and using good door and window locks. I want to make sure
that it is clear who you would go to for advice and help.
"This will be backed by a new £20 million fund dedicated to
offer practical support to people and a new £1.6 million crime
prevention marketing campaign that will begin this month."
Graeme Gerrard, Deputy Chief Constable of Cheshire Police and the
Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on burglary, said:
"The police service nationwide is in a strong position to
meet changing challenges posed by criminality, with better use of
forensics, stronger management of offenders and neighbourhood
policing teams in every locality providing a visible and
responsive intelligence and operational capacity that adds to our
armoury. While the economic recession may impact on trends in
crime, some forces continue to show a decline in burglaries and
there is plenty that householders can do to protect against
becoming a victim themselves. It is particularly striking that 36
per cent of burglaries result from insecure premises, with recent
figures from the British Crime Survey showing that 18 per cent of
homes don't have proper door locks and 14 per cent of homes
don't have proper window locks."
Bill Grimsey, CEO of Focus DIY, said:
"We are very supportive of any initiatives by the Home
Office to help keep crime down and will cooperate with local crime
prevention officers to avoid an increase in acquisitive crimes.
"We are determined to provide the right products and advice
to our customers and local communities to help them to protect
their homes and belongings."
The Home Secretary cited innovative crime prevention initiatives
like Norwich Union and Norfolk Police's joint Safer Street
campaign - where a typical row of terraced homes in Norwich city
centre were given a basic security makeover.
Simon Warsop, Director of home pricing at Norwich Union, soon to
be Aviva, said:
"We wanted to show the simple inexpensive steps homeowners
can take to help reduce their risks of crime. Not only did our
initiative make the residents feel more secure it has a promoted a
renewed feeling of community spirit in the area - which is key
when it comes to fighting crime.
"We are pleased to have the chance to be working with the
Home Office on an issue that is obviously of great concern to home
owners across the UK.
"The more we can all do to raise awareness of home security
and the simple measures we can all take to prevent us becoming
victims of crime, the better."
Today's meeting follows the Home Secretary's pledge
last month to make it as easy as possible for anyone who is
concerned about becoming a victim of crime to get the help they
need from the appropriate authorities.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The interactive home security assessment tool is available on
the Home Office's website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/secureyourhome/questionnaire/.
2. The summit was attended by:
Home Secretary
Alan Campbell Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Crime Reduction
Vic Hogg Acting Director General, Crime Reduction
and Community Safety Group
Louise Casey Director General, Neighbourhood Crime and
Justice Group
Vanessa Nicholls Director, Crime Directorate
Julian Corner Head of Crime Strategy Unit
Elspeth Bracken Crime Strategy Unit
Helena Herklots Age Concern
Wes Streeting National Union of Students
Graham Duxbury Groundwork
Ben Hughes British Association of Settlements and
Social Action Centres
Gillian Guy Victim Support
Marion Lewis Neighbourhood & Home Watch Network
Mick Laurie Crimestoppers
John McBride British Transport Police
Richard Kemp Local Government Association
Professor Gloria Laycock UCL Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science
Stephen Haddrill Association of British Insurers
Alan Ward Residential Landlords Association
Dave Princep Residential Landlords Association
Jon France B&Q
David Finch Travis Perkins
Bill Grimsey Focus (DIY) Ltd
Yvonne Rawley Water UK
Dr Garry Felgate Energy Retail Association
Mark Goldring Mencap
Sarah Haddon Suzy Lamplugh Trust
Graham Whitham Foundations
Maureen Noble Manchester City Council
Steve Turek London Fire & Rescue Service
Graeme Gerrard Association of Chief Police Officers
Alex Loughran Crime Watch UK
Simon Warsop Aviva
Steve Mortimore National Policing Improvement Agency
Eamonn Boylan Home & Communities Agency
Peter Lambert Business in the Community
Graham Beech Catch 22
Nicola Bulbeck Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
Kevin Brady Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
Peter Staddon British Insurance Brokers Association
David Evans British Security Industry Association
3. Information on the Norwich Union/Aviva joint project with
neighbourhood police teams in Norwich can be found at http://www.norwichunion.com/saferstreet/.
4. The National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) was set up in
2007 and is jointly chaired by Home Office Minister Alan Campbell
and Stephen Robertson, Director-General, British Retail Consortium
(BRC). Members of the group include attended representatives from
the Federation of Small Businesses, Association of Convenience
Stores, Association of Chief Police Officers, Tesco, John Lewis
and the British Retail Consortium.
020 7035 3535