A campaign to highlight the importance of installing burglar alarms in Teesside and
having an effective security system in place has been launched by Cleveland Police.
With an emphasis on tackling Teesside home security problems such as burglaries and break ins, the police force has pledged to make catching burglars one of their top priorities.
Launching the Light the Night Against Crime, campaign last week, the force is trying to make the wider community more aware of home security in Teesside. It is also hoping that they will not be kept in the dark when it comes to securing their property and belongings.
As part of the initiative, police are urging residents to install timer switches in the home or to leave a light on when they go out for the evening in an attempt to discourage would-be burglars.
The police are also giving out two hundred free timer switches to members of the public on a first come first served basis.
Other useful hints and tips will be given to residents over the coming weeks including reminding them to set their burglar alarms and to check that all windows and doors are locked at night or when leaving the house.
To coincide with the launch of this new initiative to make homes safer, police have also released images of a man wanted in connection with a spate of burglaries in the area in recent years.
Michael Kenny has already had a warrant issued for his arrest after committing a number of burglaries in the area, however police have been unable to track down the 50 year old from Hartelpool.
He was charged in November 2007 with six offences and was sentenced to eight years in prison however police have yet been unable to catch him.
They are now hoping that this launch and the release of the images of Kenny will help track him down and discourage others from committing similar crimes.