I want to campaign so that every house is numbered
I AM thinking of starting a campaign, and although it may start off at a local level I am sure before long it will become national. And I am sure it will have the support of all the emergency services and other local service providers.
The reason behind this is not, as you may think, some form of equality at work or frustration in relation to the bureaucratic side of my role as a police officer.
It is something more mundane. House numbers.
Ever since I can remember, as a police officer, I have struggled to understand why residents do not feel the need to identify their respective properties using the age old system we are all used to.
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I find I spend ages driving up and down the same stretch of road looking for 203a or something similar only to find that it does not appear to exist.
Or I have to count down from the last identifiable house number in that rank of houses.
Blocks of residential flats also offer a challenge as although they may have individual numbers, the external intercom system that allows you access rarely gives you a clue as to which one you need to press.
You find that you end up inconveniencing other residents by pressing every buzzer in turn.
At night it gets even worse and I find that I have to use the side light on the top of the police vehicle to illuminate a front door in an attempt to identify a property. I feel like a search light operator in the Second World War or some form of American cop.
I have even been known to get out on foot and search a rank of houses for the correct address.
All joking aside, sometimes the difference between being able to locate a correct address via its house number can be the difference between catching an offender or them getting away.
It can even be a matter of life or death should it be a genuine emergency.
The ambulance service I know suffer the same frustrations.
Our communication system can sometimes help to guide us in the right direction but a clearly displayed house number or name would easily alleviate this issue.
And it would benefit householders as it ensures that the required help is on hand when it is genuinely needed.
You may also get your post delivered on time and to the correct address.
I am aware that in America some house owners have illuminated house numbers to assist the relevant service users.
I know I often encourage people to be more security conscious or highlight a crime related issue.
So could I please make a request that residents consider how effective or visible the numbering of their property is and should it not be clear to either themselves or others to do something about it?
Comments
by nickthompson
Thursday, March 14 2013, 10:02AM
“I agree, properties without numbers can cause delays for the emergency services, although perhaps not so much for the Fire Service, who on arriving at the road given, would get a major clue in finding only one property was on fire.”