Beating burglary together: student focus

Through this initiative, we aim to enlist the support of the people of Lincolnshire in “beating burglary together”.

We know that areas with a high student population, such as the Carholme ward, can be at greater risk of burglary, so students remain a focus for the campaign.

Our aim is to build awareness of the risks of burglary, and what can be done to reduce that risk so we are promoting property registering and providing crime prevention advice.   

Accommodation

Consider the quality of windows, doors, types of alarms (if any) that have been installed by the landlord and, the type of access to the rear of the property, mainly the garden and what security measures are in place.

How to reduce your risk:

• Keep your windows and doors locked whenever you are out. This includes double locking your property if possible.
• Be mindful of tailgaters when walk in and out your building. Do not be afraid to challenge someone who tries to enter your building without a key or pass.
• Keep any high value items, such as laptops and tablets out of sight of any low-level windows. Keep these items secure when you are not using them and make sure any of your work required for your studies are regularly backed up and saved.
• If you have a bike, keep it out of sight when not using it. If storing in a shed, a robust lock/bolt will reduce the risk of theft.
• Take photographs of belongings that are important to you, such as jewellery, and consider property marking and registration using Immobilise.

If you are moving out of purpose-built accommodation owned by your university/college, be aware of security measures in place. You have a right to ask questions about security and anything that could potentially compromise that security. When living with a group of friends there will always have to be compromises to a degree, just ensure that it’s not on the security of your property.

Security recommendations and considerations:

• Get to know the area you are moving to. Speak to other students and check the crime statistics at police.uk
• Check the security of the property. Are the doors and windows secure? Does the property have an alarm? How many different people have keys to access your building? Read our home security pages for further advice. 
• Find out if the property is registered with an approved scheme or code of practice. This will ensure that it has the appropriate safety and security certifications such as fire precautions, gas appliance safety and appropriate locks.
• Don’t sign a contact until you are absolutely sure that the property is the right place for you.

Immobilise - the national property register for phones, gadgets, bicycles and more...

Immobilise is a free online service where you can register your valuable items for FREE, although this cannot guarantee getting your items back should the unfortunate event happen where they are stolen.

The benefits:

• Immobilise can help police identify the owners of any recovered property.
• Any updates you make to these registered items can be made readily and immediately available to police nationally should it be required.
• Insurance claims can be made easier with police reports and certificates of ownership.
• Loss Report Numbers can be obtained for the purpose of insurance claims.

You might want to consider these further precautions which are available to purchase.

• ImmobiMark – A simple but effective marking kit that can be easily registered on your website account.
• ImmobiBike – This is an electronic tagging device that is inserted into your bike providing it with a uniquely identifiable code. This enables bikes to be easily traced back to their rightful owner.
• ImmobiTag – A small electronic chip that is covertly inserted into any items of value giving it a uniquely identifiable code. This also enables items of value to be easily traced back to their rightful owner.
• Asset Labels – These are Barcoded Warning Labels, these are perfect for valuables without a serial number or to enhance their security. This also makes thieves aware that the item is protected and very traceable.

Immobilise provide further information here on how to keep your belongings secure whilst you are at university. 

If you are a student and have a few spare minutes, please help us understnad more by filling in this survey about burglary and accommodation.

Burglary figures 

A year-on-year comparison shows that overall, Lincolnshire has had a 19% reduction in burglary - from 1642 incidents in 22/23 reducing to 1332 incidents recorded in 23/24. 

The map below shows the incidents reported in the Carholme ward area.