Put your questions to chief constable as force hosts crime prevention day

Police advice on how to protect your home and belongings from criminals will be on hand during an upcoming crime prevention day being organised by the constabulary.

The day of action takes place on Wednesday, February 21, and aims to encourage people to take some easy steps towards making their property and vehicles more secure.

For 24 hours police will host activities across the county including marking property, educating people on how to protect their belongings and reduce opportunist crime, and selling security products at cost price.

The day will culminate a session hosted by Chief Constable Alec Wood at the Crossways Christian Centre, in Ramsey Road, St Ives, from 6.30-8.30pm.

Superintendent James Sutherland said: “Protecting yourself, your home and your business is easier and cheaper than you might think.

“By taking a few steps to making your home and property more secure you can significantly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime.

“We want to make life as difficult as possible for criminals and need the public’s help in achieving this. While we will work tirelessly to attack criminality it is vital that we use every opportunity we can from preventing it happening in the first place.

“Come along and chat to the experts about how to keep your property safe. There will be free marking taking place and lots of security products for you to see and try.””

The awareness day, which is the force’s biggest ever crime prevention event, will involve around eight crime prevention officers, 40 officers, 12 Specials, 80 PCSOs and police cadets, with those involved split into teams focused on particular crime types.

Police and crime commissioner, Jason Ablewhite said: “Deputy commissioner Ray Bisby and I will be out and about throughout the day supporting various crime prevention initiatives.

“There are so many simple things we can all do to stop ourselves becoming a victim of crime and this day of action is the ideal opportunity for people and businesses to take positive steps to protect themselves.”

Planned activities

• From 7am “Team Bike” will be at Cambridge and Peterborough train stations offering crime prevention advice and free marking to commuters who cycle

• From 7am ‘Team Bus’ will be out meeting commuters at St Ives and Trumpington Park and Ride to talk to them about keeping their vehicles and bikes secure and looking after their personal belongings on the morning commute.

• From 8am “Team Van” will be out and about visiting building sites, talking to trades people about how to keep their vans, and the tools they keep in them, safe and secure. They will also be selling van alarms at cost price.

• “Team Shed” will be out from 8am until 4pm conducting shed security surveys and fitting shed alarms. To book yours visit tinyurl.com/shedsurvey.

• “Team Student” will be visiting Peterborough Regional College, The University of Peterborough, the College of West Anglia, Anglian Ruskin University, Cambridge University and Cambridge Regional College, between 6am to 6pm speaking to students about crime prevention techniques that will help them keep themselves and their personal belongings safe.

• At midday “Team Bike” will move their bike lock roadshow to Cambridge City Centre, where they will demonstrate the efficiency of various different locks, before heading to local schools to teach the students how to keep their bikes secure.

• In the evening “Team Student” will be visiting the pubs and bars talking to people about protecting themselves against drink spiking and giving away free drink spikeys.

• “Team Mobile” will also be out and about in the evening visiting Peterborough and Cambridge venues, simulating mobile phone thefts and speaking to people about keeping their personal belongings secure on their night out.

• The evening will also see senior officers hosting crime prevention events in the county’s six districts. The events will include a home security presentation, followed by Q&A with the officers, and the opportunity to purchase crime prevention items like alarms and simulators, at cost price.

• At 7pm the force will launch its new partnership with Neighbourhood Watch, offering volunteers training on how to complete home security surveys to enable them to offer advice to victims of burglary.

• From 10pm until 6am officers will be patrolling crime hot spots across the county checking vehicle and bike security and leaving advice for people whose vehicles and bikes were left vulnerable overnight.

• Throughout the day we will be answering your crime prevention questions on Twitter. Send us your question using the hashtag #CrimePreventionDay.