In March 2002 Rotherham’s figures for burglaries were soaring with sneak in thefts accounting for 35% of the total. Whilst not totally preventable, a sneak-in burglary is a crime that householders can help protect against by taking a few simple crime prevention measures.
The Rotherham Partnership recognised this and decided to launch a community campaign focusing on sneak in burglaries. The campaign objective was to encourage people across the Rotherham area to recognise they can protect themselves against sneak in thefts.
The Beat the Sneak campaign was officially launched in August 2002 with original photography and artwork developed and used across a range of materials including:
- Information leaflets and posters
-A tent dedicated to the Beat the Sneak message at the Rotherham Show in 2002
-Bus stop posters at public transport advertising sites
-A large Beat the Sneak display board used at campaign events
-The Beat the Sneak video
-A range of Beat the Sneak promotional materials from pens to carrier bags, key rings and balloons
-A Beat the Sneak pantomime was written and produced by members of the partnership and performed in primary schools in sneak in hotspot areas. Pupils were given campaign leaflets to take home at the end of each performance and partnership workers led sessions encouraging children to get to know the Beat the Sneak messages
-Special sessions were developed around Beat the Sneak to take the messages out to other audiences including South Yorkshire Police’s ‘Crucial Crew’
-Beat the Sneak information was displayed at the 2003 Rotherham Show
-Beat the Sneak beer mats were produced, backed by Rotherham pubs
-The evaluation of the campaign did not have the capacity to assess public knowledge or opinion of the campaign. Instead success has been evaluated using statistical evidence of the levels of recorded sneak-in burglaries in Rotherham, which demonstrate an overall reduction during the course of the initiative.
As a result of this success, a regional launch took place in July 2003. This event was organised to share the experiences of the Beat the Sneak campaign and the theme has been taken onboard in a number of areas in the region including Sheffield, Kirklees and North Lincolnshire.
For further information contact Rachael Marsh, Safer Rotherham Partnership, 01709 822092 rachael.marsh@rotherham.gov.uk
