Crackdown on fear of crime

Published by Roisin Rowley-Smith for Riverside in Housing and also in Communities, Education, Health

Residents of Rock Ferry in Wirral have been taking advantage of a scheme to keep their belongings safer, thanks to funding from social landlord, Riverside.

Housing developers Lovell, Merseyside Police and Wirral Community Council safety team are working with Riverside and Selectamark- the forensic security marking company – to help reduce crime and the fear of crime in the Rock Ferry area.

Around 85 families brought bicycles and scooters to Lovell’s sales office to be marked up with the SelectaDNA product, which identifies belongings and people, to help the police catch criminals.  Following a demonstration, residents also took away kits to mark up to 50 items in their homes or gardens, such as TVs, laptops, jewellery, consoles, garden tools, and phones.

Carol Furlani is Riverside’s housing officer.  She said:  “We had a really good turn-out of people keen to mark their valuables with the security system.  The police were also on hand to offer safety advice.  This type of partnership work helps not only to reduce crime in our neighbourhoods, but also the fear of crime, which can be very distressing, especially for those who live alone.”

Mike Turner, area manager at Lovell, said: “The safety of residents and the local community is of paramount importance to us, and we were keen to help out with the idea of crime prevention when approached by Riverside.

“Events such as this bring together residents and staff, and help to improve community spirit within the area.”