Door viewer helps police deter doorstep crime

Avon and Somerset Constabulary officers in South Gloucestershire are working with Western Power Distribution (WPD) to protect vulnerable older people from doorstep crime.

Aug 5, 2010
By Paul Jacques
Dr Camilla De Camargo (second from left) and Dr Stephanie Wallace (third from right) with Policing Minister Sarah Jones MP (third from left) and National Board members from the Police Federation of England and Wales, Zac Mader (second from right) and Belinda Goodwin (right) and Superintendent Helen Brear from West Yorkshire Police (left).

Avon and Somerset Constabulary officers in South Gloucestershire are working with Western Power Distribution (WPD) to protect vulnerable older people from doorstep crime.


WPD has funded special door viewer technology to be installed at the homes of people who have fallen victim to doorstep crime. The viewers are fitted with a camera to take pictures of callers – a valuable tool to help the police identify doorstep criminals.

They will be installed as part of a home security review at victims’ homes by the Bobby Van – a police-employed carpenter trained in crime-prevention.


Gwyn Jones, WPD’s distribution manager for Bristol, explained: “By providing funding for these special door cameras we hope we can help reduce crime and encourage vulnerable people to feel more safe and secure in their own homes.”


The door viewers are being rolled out as part of the ‘Relentless: keeping you safe at home’ initiative, designed to

prevent local people from falling victim to distraction burglars.


Inspector Deryck Rees, who has coordinated the project, said: “Thankfully we don’t have a lot of this sort of crime, but when it does happen it can badly affect people’s quality of life.”

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