Doorstep Crime

This is crime arising from doorstep callers, bogus workmen, high pressure salespeople, bogus officials and distraction burglary. Distraction Burglary is where the householder is distracted by a caller whilst another robs them. It is now well established that distraction burglaries and rogue doorstep trading are interlinked - all too often, the seemingly innocent doorstep seller is actually checking things out for a re-visit to carry out a burglary or distraction burglary.

These criminals often target older, more vulnerable members of our community and can be extremely intimidating. Often they will demand more money than the originally agreed price, disappearing once you’ve paid them without starting or finishing a job. Isolated and pressured into paying, these victims are often driven to the bank /building society to withdraw the cash.

Listed below are some of the tricks and guises they may use to gain access to your property:

• Bogus Officials – normally smartly dressed and claiming to be from a company such as the gas or electricity supplier. Their real purpose is to talk their way into your home to see what they can steel.
• Bogus Uniform Officers – Common uniforms used are Police Officers or Fire Officers.
• Bogus callers – they call asking for assistance. All kinds of tricks can be used, they may call and ask for a glass of water, say they have lost their child’s ball in your back garden.
• Bogus workmen / Rogue Traders – they call at your home claiming work needs carrying out then charge large amounts of money for little or shoddy work. These ‘traders' will often use fear as a way of persuading the occupant to have the work done, fear, that if they don't do the work right now, the house may be in danger of major damage. This is particularly persuasive to older people who can't check up on the traders themselves and whose home is their security and independence. It is thought that this group of offenders take by far the most money from their victims, and many incidents are not reported as the victim may not be aware that a crime has been committed.

The Police and Trading Standards are now working together to tackle criminals who target the most vulnerable members of society. The information on this page will inform you about Rochdale Doorstep Crime Action Group and what members of the public can do to help us.

Don’t be a victim…

When someone calls at your door and offers to do repairs to your home or to ask for urgent help, or when someone official knocks on your door, follow these simple steps to help protect yourself and your home from bogus callers.

• LOCK: Home or away – keep your front and back doors locked.
• STOP: Are you expecting anyone? Before answering the front door check that the back door is locked and remove the key. Look through the spy hole or the window to see who it is.
• CHAIN: If you decide to open the door, pu t the door bar or chain on. Always keep the bar or chain on while you are talking to the person on your doorstep. (Normally, when the door is shut and locked, leave the bar or chain off in case of emergency.)

Some bogus callers call on older people saying they need help urgently. They may ask you to help them outside the house or ask to come in to make a phone call or have a glass of water.

Only go to help if you have someone else with you. Don’t worry if you have someone else with you. Don’t worry if you choose not to help – it is not rude or unfriendly.

• CHECK: If someone who looks official calls at your door, always do the following. Ask for and carefully check their identity card - even if they have a prearranged appointment (all genuine callers will carry one). Do they look like the person on the card? Is the name the same one as that on your letter? Close the door while you do this. If you are not expecting them and they have not shown you an identity card, do not let them in until you have checked and double-checked that the caller is genuine. Call the company concerned if you are not sure – if they are a genuine caller they won't mind waiting. Do not call the number on the card – find the number in the telephone book, yellow pages or a recent bill.

Only let them in when you are absolutely sure that they are genuine – If you have any doubts, keep them out!

If you think a bogus caller has called at your door report it to the police immediately – the earlier they know the sooner they can act. Inform neighbours and Neighbourhood Watch representatives too in case the callers try other homes in the area.

If you need building work carried out, get several quotes from reputable firm and then decide on which is bet. If in doubt talk it through with a friend or neighbour, or contact Trading Standards 01706 924179 and ask about the fair trader scheme.

Don’t let them get away with it

Too often, older people don’t tell us about doorstep crime because they feel foolish or ashamed that they’ve been conned. They don’t want relatives or friends to know because they think they may lose their independence. Sometimes they’re not even sure an actual crime has been committed. Sometimes they’re afraid of any come back.

Bogus callers are hoping you’ll react like this. Don’t give them the satisfaction. If you have any suspicions about any caller at your door, report it. Or talk to a neighbour who could report it on your behalf.

We’re here to support you and help make sure this never happens to you again. Together we can get bogus callers off your doorstep.

Report it Campaign

Meet Elsie, Jim, Winnie and Gloria. They’re people just like you. And they’re the greatest weapon in the battle to beat bogus callers.

Like Elsie, Jim, Winnie and Gloria you could be stopping them in their tracks. If anyone suspicious comes knocking on your door or if you see or hear about bogus callers in the neighbourhood, you should go into action.

Jim’s story is typical “This man tried to get in my house, saying he was a meter reader from the gas board. I kept my door chain on and asked for I.D. He didn’t have any so I shut the door and phoned the Police. They caught him before he could try it on with anyone else. He’d thought that all old people were easy targets. He was wrong, wasn’t he?”

Crime fighters like Jim use their eyes and ears. Did the bogus caller have a tattoo? Did he have a distinctive accent? What kind of clothes was he wearing? Even the smallest detail can help us catch the crook. Any information you give us is good information.

• Download the A5 report it campaign leaflet (553 KB PDF file)
• Download the A4 report it campaign poster (930 KB PDF file)

Doorstep Crime Action Group

Rochdale ’s Doorstep Crime Action Group (DCAG) is a maturing multi-agency body of professionals working to minimise the impact of Doorstep Crime on the community. Doorstep Crime covers a range of anti-social activities, which primarily affect the elderly and more vulnerable members of society. It consists of either distraction burglary (where a householder’s attention is diverted enabling a theft from the home to take place), or undesirable consumer exploitation (where shoddy and often un-necessary goods / services are pedalled at extortionate prices).

The DCAG has sought to empower the community to protect itself through a range of activities, No Cold Calling Zones, community conferences and training for key workers.

The DCAG members include officers and staff from:

• RMBC Trading Standards
• Greater Manchester Police
• RMBC Adult Care
• RMBC Community Safety
• Home Improvement Agency
• Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
• Greater Manchester Police Authority
• Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT
• Local Councillors
• New Heart for Heywood
• Age concern

The group also filters into the Greater Manchester Bogus caller network, which is a group made up of representatives from all the tasking groups across the North West. Allowing information about bogus activity and rogue traders to be passed across borders and all authorities work together to combat Doorstep crime.

Rochdale ’s Doorstep Crime Action Group has come second in a prestigious national competition – the Local Government Chronicle’s Sustainable Communities Awards for “safer communities”.  In March 2007 the Group was highly commended for its work.

Both the local DCAG and the Greater Manchester bogus caller network use the bogus caller early warning system. It is a simple email system, which is used to alert all group members and other relevant agency staff to bogus caller activities locally or across the North West. It provides them with up to date information to pass onto vulnerable clients.

This system has been successful in assisting arrests, and in preventing crime.

Training

Joint training is carried out by DCAG members and is aimed towards health and social care key workers.

Research into victims of burglary identified that out of those respondents who were over the age of 65, a large percentage received home assistance from formal services or help from assisted warden schemes.

This identifies potential to intervene with practical support and advice for those who may be vulnerable to this crime before victimisation. A good way of cascading this advice was through home carers who have a good relationship with their clients and can offer simple safety advice on a regular basis.

Aims of this training:

• All agency staff will be able to identify the role their agency has in preventing bogus caller crime.
• Informing agencies on the nature and extent of bogus offending.
• Equip staff members with doorstep crime safety advice to cascade to clients.

The evaluations for these training events have been very positive identifying all key worker have left the training feeling more confident with Doorstep crime issues.

For more information on training session available, please contact Trading standards on 01706 924238.

No Cold Calling Zones in the borough

A no cold calling zone is a designated area where the resident community declare they no longer wish to accept traders calling at their homes without an appointment. Quite simply, this is about local residents or communities having the confidence to say “NO” to uninvited salespeople.

The zone is clearly defined by the installation of signs at the entrance and exit to the zone and residents are supplied with educational and advisory information, along with door stickers to indicate all houses included in the zone.

Across the borough of Rochdale there are three NCCZ’s;

• The pilot scheme was launched in Syke in February 2006. This was the first zone to be set up in the Greater Manchester area.
• The second zone was launched in November 2006 and encompasses 80 houses in the Longford Street area of Heywood. The results from the evaluation carried out 6 months on, identified a decrease of cold calling by 40% and an increase in feelings of safety in the home by 39% since the zones launch.
• The third zone was launched in November 2007 and covers approximately 60 properties on Moss Lane in Alkrington. There has been a history of doorstep crime in this area and there has been a very positive response and support from local residents within the zone.

For More information on NCCZ’s go to www.doorstepcrime.com

Help and Support

• Crime Prevention Team - your crime prevention team can give you more advice about home security. Contact them on 0161 856 8478.
• Home Watch - Try to join or set up a Home Watch scheme or a residents group. It’s a good way of working together to make your community safer. For information visit www.neighbourhoodwatch.uk.com or call 0161 856 8480.
• Community safety - For free Home Security Check and fittings - contact your local Community Safety Officer who can do a survey and pass a request to the Home Improvement Agency for work to be done. Contact – 01706 924982.
• Rochdale Home Improvement Agency (HIA) - Rochdale HIA delivers a range of practical services such as home repair assistance, handyperson scheme and support services such as benefits advice, financial information and other related advice. To make an enquiry for help through the Handyperson Scheme, please contact RMBC on 01706 647474.
• Age Concern - A local charity working with and for older people in the metropolitan borough of Rochdale. For more information on the services they provide contact 01706 712515.
• Help the Aged - Provide practical support to help older people live independent lives. They run a free national phone advice line called SeniorLine – call 0808 800 6565. The line is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
• Trading Standards - Consumer direct provides clear, practical, impartial advice to help you sort out problems and disagreements you may be having with suppliers of goods or services. For more information visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or call 08454 040506.