HOME OFFICE News
Release (025/2009) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 17
February 2009
A new £1.6million
national crime prevention campaign has been launched today by Home
Secretary Jacqui Smith.
The adverts will appear in national and regional newspapers,
television and radio over the next eight weeks. They will carry
simple messages about how the public can make their homes safer
and protect themselves from opportunistic criminals with the
strapline "Lets Keep Crime Down".
According to the British Crime Survey 36 per cent of burglaries
occur in properties with unlocked doors and windows and this new
campaign aims to make people aware of the very simple steps they
can take to protect their homes and valuables.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"Most burglars are opportunistic but there are simple things
that the public can do to stop them from breaking into their home
such as locking their windows and doors. This campaign is about
making sure that people are aware and doing everything they can to
protect their homes.
"Previous economic downturns have seen increases in
acquisitive crime but I do not accept that this is inevitable.
This new national marketing campaign is just one part of a
concerted effort to get on the front foot which includes a
£20million fund for targeted support as well as an online home
security self assessment.
"We will do everything we can to provide practical help and
advice to vulnerable people but we all have our part to play in
making it clear to the minority who think they can take advantage
in tough times that they won't get away with it."
Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Victim Support, said:
"When violent crime so often dominates the headlines
it's easy to forget that burglary affects thousands of people
every year. As well as affecting many, we at Victim Support know
just how traumatic the experience can be for victims.
"We welcome the Government's quick action in response
to the recent rise in burglaries and hope this package of
interventions helps to tackle the problem quickly and effectively."
Marion Lewis, Chair of Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network
(England and Wales), said:
"Neighbourhood Watch welcomes and fully supports this
campaign as it encourages people to take personal action and
responsibility for their home security. Reminding people of the
simple things they can do to minimise risk can be very effective
and this campaign will encourage people to take suitable precautions.
"Neighbourhood Watch will work closely with neighbourhood
policing teams to distribute the government's crime
prevention advice and also use local meetings and engagement
opportunities to provide crime prevention information to the public."
The new campaign is part of government action aimed at helping
people to increase their personal security and avoid becoming
victims of crime during the economic downturn. It uses materials
from the successful Let's Keep Crime Down campaign, which won
an Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Gold Award in 2008
for demonstrating advertising effectiveness. Today's launch
follows the burglary summit held at the Home Office on 4 February,
which saw representatives from the public, private and voluntary
sector meet to discuss practical ways they could help.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. High resolution copies of the adverts are available from:
http://the-lounge.rkcryr.com
Username : keep_it_safe
Password: burglars
2. To access the new home security web pages go to: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/secureyourhome
3. On 4 February 2009 the Home Office announced a package of
crime prevention measures that included:
* 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 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.
020 7035 3535