How the police get it right... and wrong!

posted by Kate - 17:26 28/07/11

We have recently developed a resource for Greater Manchester Police which is being used across Greater Manchester Primary schools to highlight the risks of burglary in the home. It also comes with strategies for keeping property secure with useful feedback "Always keep your door closed and locked with a good quality lock, even when you are inside. It doesn’t take a minute for someone to pop in and pinch your valuables."

This is a great idea and hopefully it will reinforce useful messages that children can take home and remind their parents about.  Unfortunately as you can see from the article in tonight’s Manchester evening news, even the police can make mistakes and get it wrong!

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1453924_names-of-police-tipsters-were-on-memory-stick-stolen-from-detectives-home

Someone will no-doubt say they should practise what they preach. But you have to feel for both the officer who left his door open and the people whose details have been inadvertently exposed through his mistake. It’s a simple thing. Lock the door! We’re all human and we make mistakes from time to time. When working with GMP on this resource we had in mind theft of bikes from sheds and more serious domestic burglary where houses are stripped of valuable posessions; car keys and cars, money and credit cards, TV and jewelry etc. We didn’t anticipate however such far reaching implications as the theft of personal details of police informants being a possibility of what on the face of it is a straightforward domestic burglary.

A top level inquiry is being held in relation to this incident which could have been avoided so easily. If you have children at Primary schools in Greater Manchester – ask the school if they’re using this online resource (www.pride123.co.uk). It’s free to local schools – and it might just save a burglary in your home.