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With the festive season just around the corner you may be storing high value gifts at home. The long dark nights coupled with seasonal distractions which may see homes left unattended for longer periods as you celebrate the festive season can create the perfect conditions for burglaries. We encourage you to do as much as you can to deter burglars from breaking into your home and vehicle this Christmas and suggest the following top tips; Whilst Christmas shopping remember to close windows and lock your car securely. Try not to return to your car part-way through your trip to leave your shopping but if you have to then take care that nobody is watching you, store your shopping in the boot rather than leaving it on display and park in a secure well-lit areaDon’t tempt burglars by leaving Christmas presents in view of windows at homeDispose of empty boxes and packaging carefully and don’t leave it on show outside your house so that burglars can see what you’ve been buying Security mark your valuables and register them free of charge on www.immobilise.com so that they can be identified if they are stolen Keep your doors and windows at home locked at all times and don’t leave keys near to letterboxes where they can be fished. If you’re having parcels delivered and won’t be at home when they arrive, arrange for them to be delivered to a collection point or an alternative address instead to avoid having parcels stolen from your doorstep, consider installing a video doorbell or CCTVWhilst your home is unattended in the evening close curtains and leave a light on or use timer switches or smart bulbs to give the impression that somebody is at home, consider installing an intruder alarm If you’re going away over Christmas plan ahead – cancel any deliveries, perhaps let a neighbour park on your driveway so it looks like somebody is at home, and don’t post about your holiday on social media until you return For further crime prevention and personal safety advice please visit www.staffordshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/ and Secured by Design - Crime Prevention & Security Advice | 
