concita

We were also told of this leaflet. We lived in our home for the last 20 years and have been always safe. Apart few incidents in 2000 and 2001 involving the assalt with the hammer and the plastic bag on the person head and attempt to steal an expensive car, nothing was reported in our immediate vicinities for ages. Yet after my case, many neigbours came out with their recent stories.I have always been vigilant, but was never expecting somethign like this happening with windows and doors with many locks etc..

It was the community aid officer, you know one of these people who help the police around, but are not policemen. He came to our house because I express my view to the police and came to ascertain the security of our home

We need to have solutions to this problem from local authorities. The area is divided in two 2-3 boroughs and it is time that they do something about it. Recent burglaries are for gold and silver. Let's stop advertising "gold for cash" on television , newspapers and at stations. let's make pawbrokering laws stronger, so criminals or middle men find difficult to sell stolen goods. Let's control websites, where things taken from people houses can be sold. Let's police responding to alarm calls, instead of ignoring them, unless the burglar is seeing committing the crime. Let's have zero tolerance for these crimes, which sometimes turn in physical assaults and murders. Let's take notice of what goes on in our area. Mr. JB cannot understand the pain this event causes to a family, unless it will happen to him as it has happened to Dr. Liam Fox, recently robbed at his flat. Only after that, he had a go at the Mayor, Boris Johnson, demanding more police on the street. Before that it was "others problem". Also be vigilant for your car. We were also told by the community area officer that thieves are syphoning petrol/fuel from cars parked outside people houses during the night.

Anecdotes are facts reported to police, not fairy tales. The road adjiacent to ours, listed in the catchment of another borough, was indicated as the hot spot for burglaries. Yet it is only few steps from our road and the police was aware of this. We were told that if they did not match the finger prints to anybody on their criminal list, the case would be close. Yet there could be new gangs to the area, under age people or other types of outsiders. Regarding CCTVs, we were told that they cannot point the immediate street, in the front of the house. The Horniman area (half way between ED and FH) has only 1 street CCTV, recently placed at the top of the hill. There are none in the park and in the nature reserve (opened all day long, without any control). These are easy areas where burglars get away easily, without anybody knowing. Few years ago, when there was the crazy man going around attacking people with a hammer, a neighbour was attacked on the way to work/bus stop through the park alleyways, in pure day light.

Regarding CCTV camera. we were told you cannot install them at the front of the house, because it is against the law to point at people in the street and you may need a special licence. You cannot install barberwire on the fences because burglars can take you to court for physical damage, if they hurt themselves. They advise us to grow thorny plants and use switching on/off lights. But these burglaries occur during the day. what can these lights do? I have only a small garden. I also read the Sutton report on the city of Nottingham, ne city with the hgihest rates for burglaries and insurance claims for burglaries. One chap was caught by police by chance on the road, when they noticed something strange with his car. They found all the stolen goods inside the car. He escaped prison by saying that he could not be charged for burglary becuase he was not caught in the act, but on another occasion after the event. Where do we stand against all this???

I believe they were, from the way they smashed the double glazed glass, like a bomb explosion. They must be also very slim and agile to climb over tall fences and get through a very small aperture in the broken panel. We are in a resident association group where we watch each other house when we are away, but it appears on the day, everybody was out.

I have seen the Appendix of this report published only yesterday. It does not convince me on the reality of things in the area. Victims of burglary know perfectly well that these figures do not correspond to the reality.

thank you very much for your kind words. As you said, it is horrible to live in the house at the moment. Every noise makes me jumping and you alwyays worry if they are coming back again, although they have taken whatever I had already. Poverty or recession does not justify this sort of crime, highly penalized in every society, except in UK. This is why these people get away with murder. Things have to change and should be zero tolerance for all crimes.

Thank you for your kind reply. I don't believe these figures are actually true. So far, all the victims I have spoken to, have said that police never managed to arrest the burglars and recovered the stolen goods in their case. In the area where I live, 4 people have been burglared in less than a month. Too much advertising on television and newspapers and at station for "gold for cash" is pushing criminals to dare further. I wish the government could stop this sort of media advertising. Regards Concita

very pleased that your boy is fine and police arrested the scumbags.

There have been several serious burglaries in the Forest Hill (Horniman catchment) and East Dulwhich area. I was the most recent victim of this crime and goods of great sentimental value, have been taken out of my house despite being alarmed and well secured. FH and ED have now become hot spots for this type of crime. All residents of ED and FH be vigilant and watch out. Call the police if an alarm is triggered off, even by a fault. Please note that such events occur mainly during the day, when people are out at work, especially during the working week. Thank you