Residents warned about burglar alarms in Rochford (From Southend Standard)

Rochford residents getting calls saying burglaries on the rise

1:01pm Friday 5th October 2012 in Echo News By Emma Thomas

HOMEOWNERS are being warned against phone calls saying burglaries are on the rise.

Rochford District Council has been made aware of some residents receiving calls from a company selling burglar alarms.

The company says the number of the burglaries in Rochford has risen.

The council says this is untrue, between April and August 2012 there was nearly 15 per cent fewer burglaries than the same time last year.

People are being advised to get in touch with their local crime prevention officer who can give independent advice about the best way to keep their home secure.

Jo McPherson, councillor responsible for community safety, said: "As a local authority we always want our residents to feel safe and secure.

"We aren't helped when they are told things that are frankly untrue. The number of domestic burglaries in the area hasn't risen, indeed they have fallen. The Rochford district is still one of the safest places to live with the lowest crime rate in the county."

The Crime Prevention Officer for Rochford is Michael Armstrong who can be contacted on the Essex Police non-emergency telephone number 101.