Crackdown on "cold callers" sees doorstep crime plummet
05/09/2007
The thousand "No Cold Calling Zones" - set up by local councils in an attempt to rid the streets of rogue traders, bogus callers and distraction thieves - is helping to radically reduce doorstep crime.
The typical victim of doorstep crime is aged 81, female and living alone. Criminals posing as cold callers tend to target homes with visible clues such as hand rails or wheelchair access ramps, and in some cases they have even been known to trawl obituaries columns to identify the recently bereaved. In extreme cases people have lost their life savings, or have had to move into residential care as a result of being repeatedly targeted by unscrupulous cold callers. But the 'No Cold Calling Zones' (NCCZ) set up in the last two years covering almost 350,000 households have led to a drop in overall crime by as much as 80% - with an even bigger impact on doorstep crime such as distraction theft.
During 2005/06 there were 12,612 reported incidents of distraction theft, where crooks posing as officials such as meter readers or council officers con their way into people's homes before stealing cash or belongings. But police believe that as many as 9 out of 10 incidents go unreported due to a feeling of shame or embarrassment at being duped, meaning the true number could be as many as 130,000 every year.
Zones are set up with the help of local councils as well as the police and community groups such as neighbourhood watch. Anyone can apply for their neighbourhood to become a NCCZ, with grants of £300 available to cover the cost of leaflets, stickers and street signs.
Cllr Hazel Harding, chair of the LGA's Safer Communities board, said: "There is no shame in falling victim to doorstep criminals. These cold-hearted crooks deliberately prey on the elderly and the vulnerable, and if we want to get them off our streets for good, we need the eyes and ears of the whole community. People mustn't be afraid or embarrassed to say 'no' to cold callers and to report anyone acting suspiciously to their council or the police.
"Most cold callers are nothing more than a nuisance, but a small number pose a serious threat, especially to older people. We know that distraction burglaries and rogue 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.
"Legal loopholes around cold calling mean more and more people are turning to their local council for help. Councils are committed to helping people safely through their day, and our trading standards officers will provide support and assistance to anybody who is worried about cold callers or who thinks they have fallen victim to doorstep crime. Thanks to the support of local authorities, local police and local people, people living in No Cold Calling Zones feel a great deal safer in their homes."
In addition to enforcing No Cold Calling Zones, councils are getting tough on doorstep criminals in other ways. Bury Metropolitan Borough Council recently paid for the installation of spy holes, intercoms and security lighting around the front doors of elderly residents after a spate of high-pressure salesmen and bogus callers in the Trinity Green area.
Surrey County Council is one of a number of councils which operate a rapid intervention team to catch rogue traders and uninvited workmen in the act. In the last year the team has saved Surrey residents £210,000 by challenging uninvited workmen to prove they are acting within the law.
And Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield District Councils have drawn up a newspaper protocol which local editors have signed. Newspapers have agreed not to print addresses or any other details which could help criminals identify and target the recently bereaved.
For more information about your area write to: The Local Government Association, Local Government House, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3H. Visit the website linked below or call 020 7664 3131.