At the end of last year the Home Office announced the largest increase in police funding since 2010, with an increase of £970m planned for 2019-2020.  The Home Secretary, Sajid Javid said there will be “more money for local police forces, counter-terrorism and tackling serious and organised crime”, adding that “it will enable the police to recruit more officers and be better placed to respond to the increasing complex crimes they face.”

It’s that time of year when hospitals are under extra pressure.  The cold weather often sees a rise in emergency admissions and an increase in the levels of flu and norovirus affecting both staff and patients can cause difficulties for many NHS Trusts.  And this is before even mentioning the impact of the festive season!

The Knife Angel sculpture, created by artist Alfie Bradley, will be moving to Hull at the end of January after spending Christmas and New Year outside Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.

Whether you’ve managed a long and relaxing Christmas or are working in an industry that doesn’t allow time off over the festive season, January is the time for looking forward and making changes and improvements.  

Top 5 things to remember when you finish work for Christmas.

1.    Offices closed-up: Burglars will be expecting offices to be empty over Christmas and are likely to take advantage of this.  Think about increasing your security; adding random security patrols or a static guard over the holiday period will deter any opportunistic intruders and keep your property safe.

A checklist of things to consider…

1.    Risk Assessment: 
When you move into a new premises it’s important to identify the areas most vulnerable to crime and safety, and put measures in place to prevent and protect.   They should be reviewed on a regular basis (annually), and if anything changes or an incident occurs.

On 12 November 2018 The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act became law.  Meaning anyone who attacks the police, fire service, paramedics, nurses and other emergency service workers will face tougher sentences, with the maximum jail sentence being increased from 6 to 12 months.

As violence against NHS staff continues to increase, reaching its highest rate in five years the government is taking steps to turn this trend around.

It’s peak burglary season, with reports of increases of 38% on the rest of the year, so take a little time to ensure you don’t become a statistic.  

Summer is over, the autumn school term is well under way, and the clocks will be going back at the end the month.  It’s time to start preparing for winter and making sure your security systems are up to date and ready for the season.

National Home Security Month is now into its sixth year.  A month-long campaign, throughout October, it raises awareness about the importance of home security as well as providing advice and information on how to keep your property safe and secure.

With the nights drawing in the risk of burglary increases, especially leading up to and over Halloween and bonfire night.  These are statistically the worst time of year, and home damage increases by 160% over the period!