Burglary
Everyone is entitled to feel safe in their own home. Being a victim of burglary can be a frightening experience. The thought that someone has been inside your property can be unsettling and can leave you feeling vulnerable.
If you have been left feeling upset or frightened following a burglary please contact us. We are here to offer support and to help you move on from the experience.
We can provide you with practical information to help you feel safer and to make your home more secure. Depending on individual circumstances we may also be able to provide safety equipment such as door or window locks to help you feel safe again.
If you are a parent or carer our specially trained staff and volunteers can also help you to support your children or other family members in coming to terms with what has happened.
You can talk to us over the phone, via email or in person. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t reported the crime to the police but if you would like to, we can help with that too.
Whether the burglary happened recently or in the past, we are here – to talk, to listen, for advice, for help.
All of our services are free and confidential. Please get in touch.
Case study
A police officer contacted Lancashire Victim Services after visiting an elderly couple who had been burgled.
The couple were fearful of becoming victims again, and the officer wanted to know if there was any possibility of them being provided with a dummy security camera to act as a deterrent in future.
We were able to order the dummy camera and it was fitted by the police, who subsequently passed on the couple’s thanks.
Keeping safe
Lancashire Constabulary have put together a list of tips to help you protect your property, you may find these useful.
What can I do to protect my property?
- You can protect your home and property by:
- Making sure you close and lock your doors and windows when you go out, even if you are just in the garden.
- Fitting a burglar alarm and installing security lighting.
- Where possible, fitting dead locks to the doors and not leaving keys where they can be seen or reached through the letterbox.
- Keeping valuable jewellery in a safe or safety deposit box at the bank.
- Buying home insurance. It’s cheaper than paying out to replace any stolen possessions. Remember: if you don’t lock your house, your insurance may not cover you.
- Remembering to cancel deliveries before you go on holiday.
- Keeping an eye on your neighbours’ properties and encouraging them to do the same for you.
Always report anything suspicious to the police.
More information about protecting your home, outbuildings and valuables can be found here. Valuable items can be registered for free at www.immobilise.com – the UK National Property Register. It only takes a couple of minutes and once you have registered you will have a better chance of getting your property back if it is lost or stolen. The information you give to Immobilise is made available nationally to all UK police forces and is used to reunite recovered items with their rightful owners.
