Friday, February 20, 2015

Norton residents urged to lock doors and windows after 16 reported burglaries in just one month


People in the Norton area of Stockton have been urged to lock their doors and windows, even when at home, after 16 reported burglaries in the area in just one month.


Police received 16 reports of burglaries in Norton in January, compared to no reported burglaries over the same period last year.


Cleveland Police reiterated recent information they put out to members of the public in which they said insecure properties were still targeted in the colder months, although such burglaries were “traditionally” more prominent in the summer.


Detective Inspector Glen Westmoreland said: “Whilst burglary remains a priority for the force, members of the public are encouraged to take steps to help themselves from becoming a victim.


“An insecure property provides the ideal environment for an opportunist criminal and something as simple as locking your windows and doors, even when you’re at home, can prevent it from happening.


“Burglary is a very intrusive crime and it often makes victims feel vulnerable in their own home. Whilst we will always do all that we possibly can to prevent and detect burglaries, we would encourage members of the public to also do all that they can to avoid becoming a victim.”


A police spokeswoman added: “In the main, insecure burglaries are the most common, which is why we issued the release last week around locking windows and doors, whether you’re at home or not.


“At the moment we have a lot of ongoing work around burglaries. We have an operation which involves plain-clothed officers patrolling during the day and night and we have high-visibility patrols being carried out by local neighbourhood officers in hotspot areas.


“We have also arrested and interviewed a number of people in relation to burglaries in the Norton area. A number of people remain on police bail pending further enquiries.”



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