Flagship UK police initiative Secured by Design has welcomed the announcement of the latest crime figures for England and Wales, which showed a significant fall (9%) in overall crime, and a 7% fall in burglary.
Alan McInnes, General Manager at Secured by Design, says:
“It is greatly encouraging to see a continued fall in burglary rates. A genuine commitment to crime prevention techniques in the design and development of new housing, and the refurbishment of existing properties, is certainly paying off, as is the ever increasing range products available to all homeowners and landlords that allow us to make our homes as secure as possible.
“These figures are a valuable reminder of the need to continue to invest in preventative measures such as high-standard locks, windows and doors, and considered design. There is a real risk, however, that in the name of austerity, short-term budget cuts could weaken investment in crime prevention, as some home-builders and developers argue it is too costly and time-consuming. These views are short-sighted and underestimate the longer term costs of dealing with the consequences of burglary and other forms of crime.”