Date: 23/02/2010
Burglars hoping to prey on High Peak households have been dealt a blow this week.
High Peak Community Safety Partnership has published evidence which suggests that its campaign to reduce domestic burglaries in the High Peak has paid dividends.
And Derbyshire County Council has ploughed a further £30,000 into a project to protect burglary victims from repeat crime by fitting burglar alarms.
Burglary initiatives in the High Peak have included:
And crime statistics for the period from last April to 8 February this year show a seven per cent fall in house burglaries in High Peak and Derbyshire Dales.
Meanwhile, the latest £30,000 from the county council follows £50,000 already allocated to High Peak, Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash and South Derbyshire. Of the 56 homes fitted with alarms from the initial funding, none has been targeted by burglars again.
There have been 19 referrals to the scheme from High Peak since the project started last August.
Householders are referred to the project by a police officer who will arrange for an alarm to be fitted for just £75 - or for free if the householder is receiving benefits.
One person who has benefited is 77-year-old Robert Weston, from whom burglars stole a collection of coins and jewellery including his wedding ring when they broke into his Buxton home.
"It made me feel extremely angry and very upset. The alarm gives us confidence and a better feeling of security", he said.
Andrew Bingham, High Peak Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Social and Community Development, said: "High Peak is a low crime area and safe to live in. Burglary campaigns and the alarms project are both helping keep the High Peak safe at a time when burglary could increase because of the economic downturn".