Tips for keeping safe and preventing crime

Around a third of burglaries in the Avon and Somerset area are opportunistic, with the thief gaining access through an unlocked door or open window. To help ensure you do not become the victim of a burglary you should

• lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you’re just out in the garden
• remove valuables from view of ground floor windows
• hide all keys out of sight and away from your letterbox
• leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied
• make sure any fences and gates around your home are in good condition
• supplement and reinforce garden fences with prickly plants and shrubbery
• improve natural surveillance at the front of your home, by trimming high hedges, for example
• keep ladders and tools stored away so they can't be used to break into your home
• store any high value items – such as jewellery and passports – in a securely locked safe or bank vault

We are often asked for advice on how to keep your gadgets and personal information safe from online criminals. 

Neighbourhood Watch is about you and your neighbours coming together to have a say on the issues that affect your community. If you want to check if your area is already signed up, or to register your area, visit the OurWatch website.

Always be vigilant when someone you don’t know turns up at your door, even if that person is a child.

Get a ‘no doorstep sellers’ sticker from your local library to tell doorstop traders not to knock on your door.

Enjoy yourself if you’re on a night out and don’t let alcohol ruin your night, or anyone else’s. Our #dontbeadick campaign urges people to think about their behaviour and the possible consequences when out drinking.