2020 was one of the strangest years most of us have lived through. So many areas of our lives were impacted due to the pandemic. For people conscious of their home security and safety in Northampton, many are wondering how the coronavirus has affected crime rates in the local area.
While it’s difficult to draw a concrete conclusion from data, it makes for interesting reading for residents of Northampton. All data and information in this blog are taken from the national website for policing in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the UK Crime Stats website.
What Are The Crime Rates In Northampton?
As of March 2021, crime rates have increased by 0.8% since April 2020, moving up from 7.3% to 8.1%. In March 2020, 6,431 crimes were reported. This included anti-social behaviour, robbery, burglary, and violent offences. 12 months later reported crimes have risen to 7,072, however, a lot of these crimes are breaches of coronavirus guidelines.
Reports of burglaries in Northamptonshire are down by 135 compared to the same time last year. (In March 2020 340 burglaries were reported while in March 2021 205 burglaries were reported.)
Robberies are also down from 76 to 54 reported offences to Northamptonshire police. Interestingly, shoplifting crimes have stayed consistent with reported crimes; 266 instances of shoplifting were reported in March 2020 compared to 254 in March 2021.
Seeing reductions in crime rates in Northampton is a good thing. Unfortunately, there are still many burglaries, robberies, and thefts occurring across Northamptonshire. For anyone who’s security conscious and wants to protect their property, there are many home security features available that are a smart investment.
How Can You Prevent Crimes?
Analysing crime rates can be scary. Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your home.
CCTV
CCTV offers you peace of mind in the event of burglary whether you’re at home or not. Installing CCTV outside your home will allow you to catch the culprits and prevent them from committing further crimes. These camera systems also act as a deterrent to potential intruders that reduces the risk of a burglar attempting to break into your home.
Because of the advances in technology, CCTV can be used by the police to identify facial features, decipher movements, and understand the motivations of intruders. This increases the likelihood of prosecution after someone is arrested. Contrary to what many people think, CCTV systems are affordable which makes them a cost-effective home security feature.
Burglar Alarms
Burglar alarms can protect your family as they’ll alert everyone in the household immediately that there’s an intruder. The loud noise also makes the intruder aware that they only have minutes to get away from the scene before the police arrive. This is why they act as a deterrent even if you aren’t in your home at the time.
A loud alarm makes burglaries much more difficult for criminals. If you install a burglar alarm that automatically alerts the alarm company and the police, your home is protected even when you’re not there.
A combination of CCTV and burglar alarms is affordable and effective at protecting you, your family, and your home. Don’t leave your home unprotected, discover high-quality home security systems by contacting Bee Tee Alarms.