A PIONEERING partner-ship link is aiming to crack down on car crime and prevent incidents happening before police are called out to deal with the aftermath.

A PIONEERING partner-ship link is aiming to crack down on car crime and prevent incidents happening before police are called out to deal with the aftermath.

Teaming up with the Waveney Community Safety Partnership and Lowestoft police's central safer neighbourhood team over the coming weeks, The Journal is launching a new campaign today.

By working in partnership with the community safety team, The Journal is calling on people to follow vital safety advice in the build-up to one of the busiest times of the year - which starts with Halloween next weekend.

“This is all about how we can inform the people of Lowestoft about not being the victim of crime in the first place,” partnership co-ordinator Alan Osborne said.

“At this time of year we know that criminal damage incidents on vehicles go up and we need to be more vigilant.”

With this in mind, a targeted leaflet drop is set to be launched next Friday on crime hotspots.

Sgt Steve Wright, from the central safer neighbourhood team, said: “One of the priorities is to reduce criminal damage within the Harbour and Kirkley wards. As a consequence we are working closely with the community safety partnership, Suffolk County Council and Waveney District Council to educate the public and help to reduce criminal damage.”

The main area is targeted at vehicle crime and trying to prevent crime.

“We need people to understand that folding in their mirrors and pushing down their aerials will help to reduce the chance of them becoming a victim of crime,” Sgt Wright said.

“The campaign will start on October 31 with a leaflet drop targeted at cars we consider to be at risk.”

The leaflets will contain crime prevention advice and look like a parking ticket to draw people's attention to it.

Sgt Wright added: “Halloween has been selected to target criminal damage at a time when there will be a lot of people out and about. The programme will educate young people about the consequences of committing crime and the potential impact.”

Karen Hubbard, Waveney District Council's community safety officer, said: “This is all about respecting your community and taking pride in the town.”