More than a hundred parishes across Northamptonshire have now been supplied with crime prevention boxes that give important advice to residents to keep their domestic properties safe from burglary.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone’s Crime Prevention Team have been working with Police Liaison Representatives (PLRs) in rural villages across the county over the last few months.
Crime Prevention in a Box is a new resource designed to help PLRs support their communities, with boxes including prevention materials and practical information that they can distribute to residents – helping them take simple steps to protect themselves and their properties.
The packs include:
- Home security guides and checklists
- Smart water packs that allow residents to securely mark their property and register it – making any stolen items easier to identify
- Home fire safety leaflets produced by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service
There is also guidance on how to help improve safety in communities by joining Neighbourhood Watch or Northamptonshire Talking; leaflets signposting people on how they can report crime to the Northamptonshire Police Rural Crime Team; and how to refer any anti-social or fly-tipping issues to local authorities.
The scheme has already been well received, with an initial 100 boxes having been successfully delivered, with many areas already asking for more.
Peter Bullock is a parish councillor for Ashton Parish Council and acts as the village’s PLR. He said: “I think this is a really good initiative that is a great example of reaching out to rural communities with some valuable crime prevention information, and a good range of material that residents will find useful.”
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “People want to feel safe in their homes, and our Crime Prevention in a Box scheme is a proactive way to ensure residents in some of our villages have information they can use to make their properties more secure.
“I am delighted to hear that the scheme has had some great feedback and that some parishes have already asked for more boxes – and this is an excellent example of how we are helping to improve connections with local police and our rural communities.”
