Grampian Police provide notepads free to householders to help reduce local crime

Grampian Police used a Kincardine Town to launch a Notepad which encourages householders to record details of suspicious activity and then prompts them to pass this information to the Police as soon as possible.

Since the start of November there have been over 20 thefts from homes within Portlethen, Newtonhill and Muchalls and Grampian Police hopeful that the Notepad will encourage residents to contact the Police when they see suspicious activity within their communities.

Andrew Jamieson, a Crime Prevention Officer for the South Aberdeenshire Command Area, said:

"The Notepad encourages householders to report suspicious persons or vehicles to the Police at the time allowing Police the opportunity to search the area and trace the thief before they find a house to target.

"All crimes have a victim, but a housebreaking in the build up to Christmas, we know to be especially difficult for the householder to deal with and we are relying on calls from the public to bring this spate of housebreakings to an end.

"Some of these crimes have involved the thief breaking in through a door or window, but about half have occurred when the thief has simply found a door to be unlocked and has walked into the home. Whilst most of the break-ins have taken place during the day, the majority of the sneak-in thefts have occurred overnight, when the householder and their family have been asleep and I would urge all householders to secure doors and windows when not in use.

"We are grateful to the Aberdeenshire Community Safety Groups, who have funded the Notepads that can be kept in homes or vehicles to act as a prompt to record details of suspicious activity in the area or unknown callers to the door. They also encourage the passing of this information to the Police as soon as possible."

The Notepads can be collected from any Police Office within the South Aberdeenshire Command Area.

If you have any information about recent crimes please contact Grampian Police on their new non-emergency number
0845 600 5 700, or freephone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If householders wish advice on Crime Prevention measures or Neighbourhood Watch Schemes please contact their local Police Office initially.