Burglary

If you have been a victim of crime, don’t suffer in silence. Even if you do not want to report the crime to the police, think about telling a trusted friend or family member so they can help and support you. Nottinghamshire Victim CARE can also provide you with help and support even if you do not want to report the crime to the Police.

Victim CARE can provide:

• Emotional support to help you cope and recover from the crime
• Advocacy with other agencies and organisations
• Advice on crime prevention and provision of target hardening equipment (if required)
• Practical support and advice
• Restorative Justice
• Support applying to Criminal Injuries Compensation (CICA)

Call Nottinghamshire Victim CARE on 0800 304 7575.

If you do want to report the crime to the police please see our page on reporting a crime.

Burglary is entering a building as a trespasser, and then stealing or attempting to steal anything from the building, or entering and causing grievous bodily harm to anyone in it. Burglary can also be when someone enters with the intent to steal something or cause grievous bodily harm.

Practical Advice

It is essential that you do not move, touch or tidy anything in the crime scene, as you may be at risk of disturbing or even destroying the forensic evidence, which would reduce the chance of catching the offender. Wait until police have been until you move, touch or tidy anything.

Go through your property and note down and photograph everything that has been stolen or damaged. If items have been stolen, you may need to get in touch with the relevant organisation to notify and cancel them for example bank cards, passports etc.

Contact the number on your insurance policy as soon as you feel able to. You will need to explain in detail what exactly happened, so it can be helpful to do this when it is fresh in your memory. Insurance companies may need evidence to show the value of items you intend to claim for – try to gather receipts, or evidence of purchase from bank statements.

You will also need to provide insurers with your crime number – the officer in your case should have provided this to you after taking your statement. If you don’t have this or can’t remember, you can contact 101 and they can provide it after taking a few details.

Looking after yourself

Everyone reacts differently to experiencing a crime. It is important however to recognise that whatever has happened to you, it can still feel like a violation.

If you have any physical injuries, it is important that you get these checked out as soon as possible at either a walk in centre or Accident and Emergency – you can find your local urgent care centre here https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/Urgent-Care/LocationSearch/0

You might also find that you feel suddenly quite emotional, you might struggle to sleep properly or feel anxious being in your home or out and about. It is important that you recognise that all of these are not unusual to experience following any crime.

Some ways you can help yourself during this time:

• Let your friends and family know what has happened, and if you feel comfortable, tell them how you feel
• If possible, speak to your workplace or school – see whether they can offer flexibility or time off to sort things out
• If you are struggling with your emotional wellbeing, speak to your GP – they may be able to refer you for counselling

The NHS Moodzone pages have a lot of tips on how to boost your emotional wellbeing which you can find here.

Ensuring your property is secure is the best way to ensure you are safer in future.

A few simple everyday steps can make a big difference –

• Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you’re just out in the garden, remembering to double-lock UPVC doors (lift handle and turn key)
• Hide all keys, including car keys, out of sight and away from the letterbox (remember a device could be used to hook keys through the letterbox)
• Don’t leave spare keys anywhere outside or in garages
• Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable object inside a locked shed or garage
• Keep ladders and tools stored away; don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home
• Make sure the fences around your garden are in good condition
• Install a visual burglar alarm (as part of a suite of prevention measures – a burglar alarm on its own will not prevent entry to your home)
• Install good outside lighting, at the front and rear of your property
• Mark your property with postcode and house number and register your property for free with Immobilise
• Consider joining or forming a Neighbourhood Watch scheme
• Be a good neighbour – if you see any suspicious behaviour in your area report it on 101 or on 999 in an emergency

If you’re going away…

• Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied
• Suspend any deliveries like milk or newspapers
• Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows
• Store any high value items (i.e. jewellery, passports) in a properly secured safe or bank vault
• Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property
• Improve natural surveillance at the front of your property i.e keep high hedges trimmed
• Let a trusted neighbour know – ask them to look out for your property