My next door neighbour got burgled 0n 17th January

[louisemurray]

(epidemic) Continues in the Ondine/Marsden/Oglander area. My next door neighbour got done yesterday lunch time.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Epedemic? Based on?

[Loz]

I thought it was a tsunami?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Being burgled is always horrible. Not question that at all and sympathies go out etc. But using epidemic as a first word is just spreading fear

[mynamehere]

An epidemic is a cluster of occurances: affecting many persons at the same time It seems perfectly acceptable to lable this a cluster of occurances. There was an outbreak of breakins through backdoors in SE22 and once people started to compare notes they were alarmed and were more careful. There's clearly an outbreak of car breakins: bending doors, it happened to my neighbour when I brought it up in passing. These mini epidemics, that is, patterns of something, make it easier to think of solutions and to take action. These crime patterns are in all likelihood one two or a tiny group in each case. The perpetrators have to be stopped and the way is to take joint action with the police in the lead.

[SeanMacGabhann]

How do you know there was a cluster of breakins in se22?

[ianr]

>The perpetrators have to be stopped and the way is to take joint action with the police in the lead.

What sorts of joint action did you have in mind?

[louisemurray]

I used the word epidemic only because the police who interviewed me agreed that there was one. I did not mean to alarm anyone, just warn people to be more aware.

[MrBen]

I could add our friends (newcomers to ED) last week on Landcroft Rd. Broke in whilst sleeping, took belongings, car keys drove off in car. Or my break in last year. Or getting robbed and beaten up on Whatley Rd just before Christmas. Just unlucky? I think not - I'm keen to keep perspective but my interactions with the police confirm that there's a definite higher than average freq at the moment. But London living eh?

Give me the Outer Hebrides any day....it's just they don't pay as well...

[Beej]

Good grief Sean, what are you the word police? I'm with the others, there does appear to an increasing undercurrent of nastiness in the area. We live on Crystal Palace Road, and were broken into while we were upstairs asleep. They stole lap tops, bags wallets etc, thanks to friendly neighbours we got our cards back after debris was strewn across nearby gardens. That was the second time, the first time someone took an axe to our shed and stole our bikes. It happens. It happens everywhere. Hopefully by people talking about it, it increases people's vigilance.

[Asset]

Increased vigilance - Sitting in garden all night with pitchfork, anyone joining me?

[jimmyraj]

Sounds like it's all blasting off in the Ondine / Marsden / Oglander area - no doubt because they are the most affluent looking properties near to the main transport terminus - and the main roads!

When I was a young'un, our family home - a six bedroom victorian semi, in a northern seaside town near to a train station - our place used to be burgled at least a couple of times a year. The point I'm trying to make here is that wealthy looking houses rubbing up against areas with high footfall - especially main roads and rail stations - will always attract the robbers

[Jeremy]

How are burglars getting in? Front door/Back door/windows/etc? Were there any lights on? Did you have an alarm installed? More info could help people understand what aspects of their home security need beefing up.

[indiepanda]

One of my friends had an intruder while she was home - he had rung the bell and when he didn't get a reply he came in the front door. Fortunately he left when he heard they were home.

It had one of those yale type locks which if not double locked take all of about two seconds to get past - as I know from when I shut my front door without having my keys with me - locksmith took no time at all with a piece of plastic to open it.

I wouldn't rely on one of those locks - use a mortice bolt also and we tend to lock ours even if we are home.

[MrBen]

Indeed Jezza - let us make this thread useful. And I can confirm (in policeman like tones) that two of the break ins above were down to neglecting the basics:

- Reliance on a front door Yale lock only for front door security. Usually forgetting to lock the bottom mortice.

- Sash windows at the front of the house without any window bolt locks (i.e. just the basic old sash screw lock)

My old front door is also now beefed up with the great London Bar - which Callows on the lane fitted for a really reasonable price.

You have to have been broken into at least once to be arsed enough to fit one but you'll wish you'd done it sooner.

[karter]

What indiepanda said, always double lock your door. Also consider changing the 'yale' lock to a bigger type 'yale' lock like an 'Era' lock that are not as easy to kick in. Burglers got in once (another house) by taking the glass out from the outside so had shutters fitted and they tried to get in again not realising the shutters were there. Windows and doors that are beaded from the outside are not that secure and i asked the company why they do this having the guarantee from previous owners, their answer was so that fire brigade can get in if they must. What a load of bollox i thought, another company said it's a cheaper way of making the product. I wonder if somebody from a window/door company reading this can give an answer to this.

[James Barber]

From memory the latest crime stats showed in December 13 burglaries for East Dulwich ward.

This is a little up on trend but not an epidemic.

Almost universally every crime incident is trauma for those involved. So it doesn't have be an epidemic to be awful experience when just 1 crime happens.

My kids always have to think before going down stair about is the alarm on and still talk about burglars coming to get them/us - and that's after two years where the chased the b***ers away and they didn't get to take anything.

[Jeremy]

James - thanks for the info, but surely the alleged epidemic is not within the East Dulwich ward?

[firth]

The putty should be on the outside as it is a lot more waterproof than the beading.

[DirtyBox]

You can buy London Bars, Birmingham Bars, and all sorts of other door protection at http://www.londonbar.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d76_Door_Security.html. They don't take long to fit.

[MissDollyMixture]

Melbourne Grove burglaries Dec and Jan.

My neighbour's ground floor flat was burgled on a Thursday around 21st December; they forced a window. My other next door neighbour was burgled on Friday at around lunchtime; they forced a back door. There is apparently a wave of burglaries at the moment in this area.

Please speak to your neighbours; let them know when you're in or out. Have each other's numbers to text them if you are concerned etc They apparently target houses with sash windows and yale lock doors that can be forced with a few hard pushes. The entry has all been at ground floor level. The one in December was particularly obvious; the front sash was forced and left wide open on a freezing day with the lights switched on, which raised suspicion. In both cases laptops were taken, and cupboards were raided and objects broken.

Perhaps the best deterrent is for us to watch out for our neighbours; secure windows and doors, and most of all hide laptops away in clever or difficult places. Please challenge those who seem suspicious. I once asked a man ringing on my neighbour's door and looking through the window if he was 'looking for Danny' 'He said 'yes'. As there is no Danny living there I called the police.

Does anyone know of a neighbourhood watch? Some roads in this area have many neighbours who are unknown to one another.

[sequinstars]

Further to your comment MissDollyMixture, I too would be interested to learn if there is a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the area. It's seems like such a scheme would be beneficial.

[James Barber]

Hi MissDollyMixture,

Holding a street party is a great way to get to know your neighbours. You even have an extra excuse this year.If you need any help with the paperwork let me know.

Melbourne Grove where the two burglaries took place is part of the Vale Residents patch - that's another great way ot get to know your neighbours in the street and perhaps suggest a Neitghbourhood Watch scheme.

[MissDollyMixture]

thanks for the suggestions James, they all sound good!

[Jaws]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if any of these thieving b@stards have been caught? I see that James mentioned that there had been 13 burglaries, but how many were caught? Just keen to know... thanks,