Acquisitive Crime

This page gives information about acquisitive crime, defined as domestic burglary (from homes), theft of a motor vehicle, theft from a motor vehicle and robbery.

Links to useful crime prevention sites are provided as well as information about initiatives the Oadby and Wigston Community Safety Partnership has undertaken to combat acquisitive crime and its effects. Acquisitive crime is one of four priorities identified by the community safety partnership for its three year plan for 2011-2014.

The good news is burglary statistics for the borough in 2010-2011 show a 35 percent reduction on 2009-2010. Similarly, robbery is down by 28.2 percent and vehicle crime is down by 8.9 percent.

Smartwater

Smartwater is a clear liquid solution carrying a unique forensic code which is more accurate than DNA. Simply apply Smartwater to the nooks and crannies of your belongings and it is virtually impossible to remove completely.

Smartwater works because criminals will not touch property that has been 'smartwatered'. The solution glows yellow under ultra violet light, with only a tiny speck needed to identify your unique code. The unique Smartwater identification numbers are maintained on a national security register.

Criminals know smartwatered property is too hot to handle. Clearly displaying warning labels in your windows, so that criminals know your property is protected, will certainly deter them. You can purchase Smartwater from Wigston Police Station for a discounted amount of £15. Please telephone Leicester (0116) 222 2222 or drop into Wigston Police Station to enquire about this.

Immobilise scanner

The community safety partnership has purchased a scanner to aid in its fight against burglary and robbery. The scanner is a portable device which can be deployed at public events and open days as well as burglary hot spots. Personal electronic items that are bar-coded, or can be fixed with a tamper-proof hologram label, can be scanned. The details are then automatically registered with the national property database, Immobilise. The device is at Wigston Police Station where it is used on a regular basis.

You can register any items free on Immobilise so in the event of loss or theft it can be identified by police, insurers and the second-hand trade. These actions help greatly in the recovery of your property and capture of thieves.