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Theft of vehicle registration number plates
The theft of vehicle registration number plates from cars and vans and their subsequent use on other vehicles in the commission of crimes, such as robbery and obtaining fuel for a car without payment is increasing. Thieves also steal number plates, then exceed the speed limit or park unlawfully and the real owner gets sent a fixed penalty ticket, causing distress and inconvenience.
Warwickshire Police are offering motorists a free set of tamper resistant number plate screws that they can use to replace their current set to make number plates more difficult to steal. Instructions are provided and no drilling is needed.
Applicants just need to complete and return the number plate sign up form
An important message from Nick Stephens, your local Crime Prevention Officer
The Chemistry of Crime.
As a crime prevention officer I liken crime to a chemical reaction, you need three ingredients for a crime to occur,
- A victim
- An Offender
- An opportunity.
If one of these ingredients is removed the crime cannot occur, this is where the pro-active role of the crime prevention officer comes in, by reducing opportunities to commit crime, whether it be a Domestic Dwelling, Commercial premises, or a complete community or area.
Crime prevention is often likened to an onion, each one of the skins being some form of security product or procedure, the knack is to get the skins on in the right order as they are site specific, what may be the primary line of defence at one location might not be the case at another. Get them on in the wrong order and the resulting security system will not work 100% efficiently. e.g.. no point in spending large quantities of money on alarms if you don't have the right door locks or forget to lock your door. ( A large proportion of Dwelling burglaries are via an open door or window.)
The crime prevention officer is trained to survey and analyse a problem and using sound tried and tested principles apply them to the problem to reduce the risk of a crime taking place. Often individuals will carry out security improvements with the best will in the world but they don't achieve their aim, and often funds are wasted. The crime prevention officer's experience cannot only reduce crime, but save money by endeavouring to ensure maximum gain for any investment.
The advice of your local crime prevention officer is free and he is only a phone call away, and he can be contacted via your local police station or the website:
http://www.warwickshire.police.uk/crimeprevention
Nick Stephens
Crime Reduction Officer / Design Advisor.
Police Station, Rother Street,
Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6RD
Tel: 01789 444598
Mob: 07990862663
E: nick.stephens@warwickshire.pnn.police.uk
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