NSW Crime Stoppers is providing the community with a holiday season caution and putting burglars on notice. With some homes full of Christmas presents and other homeowners out of town for the holidays, this time of year is attractive for burglars and the reason why break and enter crimes increase.
Crime Stoppers has been collaborating with online platform, Nextdoor, for several years with the sole aim of making the NSW community safer. Nextdoor, the world’s largest neighbourhood network, is providing a free online platform to connect neighbours to trusted people, business and public services based on location and is an ideal way to find a lost pet, share a recommendation for a local business or hire, buy and swap goods.
According to Crime Stoppers statistics, break and enter of homes have risen by around 10 per cent in the past two years from July 2021 to June this year.
NSW Crime Stoppers CEO Peter Price AM said, “We want everyone to enjoy their well-earned downtime without the worry of whether their home or family will be safe.
“Our collaboration with Nextdoor has been hugely successful to date in helping to spread awareness, education, prevention and encourage reporting of crime,” said Mr Price.
The Nextdoor built-in community is already using this platform to help warn neighbours of suspicious behaviour and crime. Crime Stoppers and Nextdoor want to see this ramped up to help prevent further crime so here are ways you can keep your home and family safe:
Secure your home
- Install security doors and windows (and lock them), good lighting, alarms, security cameras
Check your home
- Ensure your street number is visible.
- Keep trees and shrubs trimmed to improve visibility around your home.
- Pack away ladders and gardening tools.
- Don’t leave valuables in clear view.
- Never leave spare keys outside your home.
When away from home
- Use a timer to activate an internal light or radio.
- Don’t disclose your travel plans on social media.
- Ask a trusted person to check your home, collect your mail, put out your bins, and park their car in your driveway sometimes.
- Make sure older children at home alone lock up when at home and when they leave the house. Decide on a trusted neighbour they can go to if they need to call the police.
Reduce your curb appeal
- Don’t advertise new products by leaving the box for your new TV in the front yard.
Crime Stoppers will be distributing messages for NSW residents through Nextdoor and its social media networks. Nextdoor allows Crime Stoppers to communicate at a neighbourhood level with residents across NSW.
Managing Director of Nextdoor Australia Jennie Sager said, “When you post on Nextdoor you’re sending a message to the neighbours in your local community, which makes it a great way to stay informed of what’s happening nearby.”
“This partnership between Nextdoor and NSW Crime Stoppers provides real time messaging to help to combat crime – the alert is instant.”
To find out more about Nextdoor visit: https://au.nextdoor.com/
