Bells deter pick pockets
People in Sunderland are being offered cat bells, which when attached
to purses and handbags, will act as a ringing deterrent to thieves.
The novel idea was thought up by Northumbria police officers in Sunderland and the bells the type used on cat collars are available for anyone free of charge from selected outlets across the city.
Like most large towns and cities, Sunderland city centre has suffered with purse dippers who predominantly target older women. We have found certain types of shops are targeted such as charity shops and card shops. It prompted us to examine ways of addressing this issue, said Inspector Steve Tallentire.
He added: The owner of the purse would associate the ring or sight of the bell with the potential to have it stolen and take more care to put it somewhere safe while out and about.
Also, any would-be thief would cause the bell to tinkle in the process of stealing it, thereby alerting either the victim or anybody standing nearby.
Although a simple idea, it can prevent the upset caused by offences of this type. Every one of these incidents causes a lot of distress for the victim and if this prevents just one offence it will be worth it.
So far, over 500 bells have been distributed to a number of charity shops and other retail outlets across the local area.