BY ANISAH ARIF
The residents of Batley are urging Kirklees Council and the Police to deal with the recent spate of burglaries.
A number of people are appealing through social media to take the rising number of burglaries matter at hand.
Due to CCTV on local Facebook groups, burglary incidents are commonly shared via social media, i.e. Facebook. This has led to tension across the community, questioning the authority of Kirklees Council and West Yorkshire Police.
One twitter post read: “Increasing reports of burglaries around the #Batley & #Dewsbury area on other social media platforms. What active action is being taken to ease concerns of residents? Seems to happen around this time every year!”.
Another calls Labour leader of Kirklees Council, Shabir Pandor and MP Tracy Brabin to account: “There are multiple burglaries happening on a daily basis across #Batley according to posts supported by CCTV on a local @facebook group. What is being done about this? @TracyBrabin @cllrSPandor @WYP_BatleySpen People are claiming to keep weapons to hand. This isn’t acceptable”.
Burglaries often increase during the Winter months, when burglars take advantage of the longer hours of darkness.
The most recent report by West Yorkshire Police from November 2018 shows that Batley has the highest number of 42 reported burglaries in Kirklees.
A number of officers from Batley and Spent NPT conducted burglary patrols last month.
During this time, they have stopped a number of burglaries. Officers also stopped a male in Cleckheaton who was spotted removing donations that had been left outside of a charity shop. The items which included a child’s rocking horse, now affectionately named “Lucky” has been recovered to Heckmondwike police station for safe keeping, and will be returned to its rightful owners in the morning.
Finally, several vehicles and people were also checked, officers attended a report of a burglary to a commercial premises in Batley and 2 locations were checked following alarm activations in Birstall.
A local group on Facebook gives residents of Kirklees an opportunity to share their experiences.
The group titled ‘ Major/Minor crimes In Batley Dewsbury & Kirklees’ shows a number of people posting crime incidents, and more recently, burglaries, to warn others.
Crime prevention doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, there are simple measures you can take to make your home look occupied and reduce your chances of being a victim.
Here are some tips to improve your home security:-
- Always keep doors and windows locked, even when you’re in. Remove the keys from the lock and keep them out of view.
- Use timer switches to turn lights on when you are out. Alternate the times and lights that you use.
- Make sure your alarm and any outside lights are in working order. Always activate your alarm when you leave the house.
- Don’t leave valuables on show, such as laptops, tablets, keys, purses, etc.
- Consider starting or joining a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
For further advice call 101 and ask to speak to your local Crime Prevention Officer or you can visit: https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/burglary