Crime across Greater Manchester sees 30% increase over Christmas

Greater Manchester is one of the UK areas most at risk of crime this festive season.

The country ranked 4th in research carried out by security firm ADT, which looked at the latest ONS data to reveal the UK’s Christmas crime hotspots.

The UK’s top Christmas crime areas:

Year-onYear % Change From Dec 2020 - 21
1    Hampshire  33.82%
2    Gloucestershire  32.32%
3    Merseyside 31.05%
4    Greater Manchester  30.55%
5    West Midlands 28.11%
6    North Wales 25.37%
7    Cumbria  22.88%
8    Nottinghamshire   -5.74%    21.07%
9    West Yorkshire  3.80%    20.07%
10    Staffordshire  18.89%    19.63%

Whilst Greater Manchester is fourth in the table, Hampshire takes the top spot as the area with the highest year-on-year change in crime rates. When comparing the rate of crime in December 2020 to that of December 2021, this South East county showed an increase of 33.82%. This level of increase shows the rise in crime that occurs primarily during the festive period compared to other times of the year. What’s more, it was reported that the Hampshire police force issued a warning for residents to protect their homes towards the lead-up to Christmas.

The rate of Christmas crime is also on the rise in Gloucestershire. In second place, this South West county witnessed a growth in offence rates with an increase of 32.32% last year. Over 18,600 recorded crimes were a result of violence against the person. The second biggest crime contributor was theft offences with a total of 10,878 by the year ending December 2021.

Top five tips to keep your home safe this Christmas:

1. Set your alarm

One of the best things you can do to keep your home safe and secure this Christmas is to ensure you install a burglar alarm. Alarms not only act as a great visual deterrent to opportunistic thieves, but they also provide a great way of notifying you and people you nominate whenever the alarm is activated.

2. Invest in a video doorbell and outdoor cameras

Investing in a video doorbell and outdoor cameras is another great way to keep your home fully protected, especially if you plan on going away during the Christmas holidays. With built-in motion sensors, your doorbell or cameras will be able to detect whenever someone is approaching your home. You will then receive a notification, this enables you to access both live and recorded footage from either device.

Your doorbell or cameras can also work with smart plugs to switch on lamps inside your home which gives the appearance of occupancy when they detect motion. You can also simply see and speak to whoever is at the door, whether you’re home or not.

3. Double-check your doors and windows

Doors and windows act as potential entry points for uninvited guests. That’s why it is important to ensure that all your doors and windows are properly locked whenever you plan on leaving the house.

4. Keep all Christmas presents and valuables out of sight

As simple as this may sound, it is very easy to get swept up in all the fun and excitement of the festive season that you forget to put your Christmas presents and valuables out of sight. Doing this makes a big difference as it won’t attract unwanted attention.

5. Be careful when posting Christmas gifts on social media  

It is always tempting to share on social media what you got for Christmas but be mindful that posting your valuables, and your location for that matter, can easily make your home an easy target for potential intruders.

You can view the research in full here. 

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