Community protection services in Warwick will be holding an event next week as part of Operation Crunch, to help residents protect their property from burglary.

Warwick Safer Neighbourhood Team representatives from the district and county councils will host the action day on Saturday 6 March with colleagues from Warwickshire Police and local Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

It has been organised in response to feedback from the Warwick Community Forum where a number of recent burglaries were reported in the area connected to the canal towpath running alongside the estate.

To make residents feel safer and more confident about home security the event will offer a chance for people to get some professional advice or report issues, and sign-up for neighbourhood watch programmes and regular community alerts.

Residents from Aragon Drive and Heathcote areas of Warwick will be visited on the day with information and advice and they encouraged to take action with the use of SmartWater. Kits will be offered at a discounted rate for residents who will also be shown how to use the invisible property marking fluid. A mobile police station will also be parked up on Saumur Way for the duration of the event so residents with more general enquiries about their safety can go along for more information.

Warwickshire Police Constable Neil Ward from Warwick’s Safer Neighbourhoods Team said: “We take residents’ safety issues very seriously, so as soon as we found out about the local thefts we began to organise this event to give people the opportunity to get some practical help to safeguard their property.

“We’ve chosen the two locations in Heathcote and Aragon Drive as these areas had been targeted with recent thefts and we hope to speak with the majority of residents.”

Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection added: “I’m always pleased to see issues raised at community forums translated into positive activities such as this event.

“The action day will provide an opportunity for the public to pick up some invaluable advice. They can also meet representatives from the community safety services to find out more about how they work together to make the county and even safer place to live and work.”

Operation Crunch ensures a coordinated approach to disrupting the activities of burglars, concentrating resources on key areas where intelligence suggests burglaries may occur and putting the victim at the heart of what we do.

Detective Supt Neil Hewison said “Any burglary is one too many and Operation Crunch aims to make life even more difficult for anyone suspected of committing burglary in Warwickshire.”

When: 10am – 12pm Saturday 6 March 2010

 

Where: Aragon Drive, Warwick, CV34 6LR

What: County services come together to offer valuable advice to residents about steps they can take to protect their homes from risk of burglary (aim for burglary reduction in targeted areas).

For media enquiries or interview requests please contact Helen List in the Warwickshire County Council press office on 01926 414142 or the Warwickshire Police Newsdesk on 01926 415065.