Walkabouts target Bristol's burglary hot spots

A SERIES of Safer Bristol 'walkabouts' are taking place in Bristol's burglary hotspots as part of a drive to reduce break-ins.

Redland, and neighbouring Cotham, Bishopston, Montpelier and Ashley Down, is a priority area as it accounts for a fifth of the burglaries in the city occur there.

Safer Bristol, the partnership of agencies working together to make the city safer, has organised the walkabouts in a bid to drive down opportunist burglaries and reduce fear of crime.

The walkabouts are designed to identify things that could be improved, such as bushes being cut back or gates installed.

Representatives from many of the city's key agencies take part. Together they walk around the areas searching for any houses that may be at risk of burglary. Steps can then be taken to improve security.

As well as providing residents with a reassuring presence, they are also on hand to offer advice and after each walkabout an action plan is developed to find a solution to the problems that have been noticed.

Georgie Bryant, the community safety officer behind the scheme said: "By organising these walkabouts as a multi-agency approach, we can all share the problems in the target areas and ensure that solutions are found quickly.

"The walkabouts are a great way to get right to the root of the problem and build community confidence."

Five walkabouts have already been completed in the area with another two planned this month.

During the walkabouts residents can either join the team on the streets or display a flyer which will have been posted through their door. The team will then visit their homes to offer advice and assistance.

Action taken included graffiti being cleaned in Ashley Down and removing an abandoned vehicle in Bishopston.

Advisory letters were also sent to homeowners who had overgrown gardens in Redland and Cotham as this may give burglars the opportunity to hide. Street lighting was reviewed in most areas and alley gates are being added to a number of lanes in Redland to stop burglars accessing properties from the back.

The walkabouts also resulted in visits from the Safer Homes vans to properties that were at risk of burglary.

The vans, funded by Bristol City Council, are driven by skilled carpenters employed by Avon and Somerset Constabulary to fit locks, bolts, door chains, viewers and window locks free of charge.

The walkabouts are just one part of a wider strategy to combat burglary in Redland. A five-year plan was launched in 2007 to reduce crime.

There has already been a 21 per cent drop in burglaries throughout the area since the scheme started.