Operation Twilight – don’t let your home be the one that stands out!

Police say they need people to think about changing the appearance of their home to avoid becoming a victim of burglary.

It’s that time of year again – the nights are drawing in and with the clocks going back this weekend North Wales Police has launched a campaign to raise awareness about daytime domestic burglaries.

Sgt Beth Jones said: “Traditionally, burglaries tend to increase during the autumn months.

If there’s one word that sums up how burglars choose a target property its appearance !

The shorter days make it easier for burglars to identify which homes are unoccupied, as they are often left in the dark whilst people are out.”

“The message we want to deliver is simple and straightforward – asking people to reflect on how their home looks whilst they’re out shopping, picking up the children from school etc. Does your home look unoccupied? It’s going dark but there are no lights on and no car in the driveway.

In comparison to neighbouring houses it might be obvious that no one is in.”

“Burglars do not want confrontation with occupiers. Their plan is always simple but effective:

• Get in
• Get the goods
• Get home with no dramas

“It stands to reason that the best houses to target are ones where no one is at home. Burglars are good at identifying such houses, but the majority of burglaries are completely avoidable. Residents can play a key role in keeping burglary and other types of crime low, by protecting their homes and valuables and acting on the advice police provide to them.”

As well as providing crime prevention advice to residents across the region, officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Teams together with Community Safety partners will deliver specific advice and help to vulnerable members of the community ensure they keep their homes secure.

Over the campaign period, we will be highlighting advice messages via social media channels using the hashtag #OpTwilight. Social media users are encouraged to help the campaign by re-tweeting or sharing the information.

Sgt Jones added: “It is always good to review your security and this is an ideal time to do so. To help you do this we have included a checklist with guidance for you to identify any areas for improvement. Please visit the NWP website for more information and follow our community safety pages on Twitter and Facebook for more guidance and ideas.”

If you know of someone who is committing burglary, or is involved with the selling of stolen goods, please contact North Wales Police on the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, use the live webchat https://www.north-wales.police.uk/contact/live-chat-support or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.