Burglary (on Barry road Wed 5th Aug.)

[Barry Rhode]

Hello

I am sad to report we had a burglary on Barry road today

It occured somewhere in the middle between Silvester Road and Goodrich Road

Looks like they targeted the two buildings that had the least effective protection between detachments

Most buildings have a wooden, door-like structure, between neighbouring structures, this one doesn't

They must have been chancers looking for the weakest spot on Barry Road to get in and out quickly.

They must also have had a vehicle, probably a van, waiting outside the property. They no doubt were casing the property and the home owner's behaviour for a while, in order to know when to strike.

If you see a Van you or your neighbour isn't expecting one then be cautious and take the number

They took the stolen property onto Barry Road and drove off

So be wary of "removal men"

BR

[Barry Rhode]

Needless to say all local households are on alert for any suspiscious activity

[tiger ranks]

So sorry to hear that i was about yesterday evening drove past but can not recall noticing any sort of van or people moving stuff out of any house along that part

[JetSetWilly]

insecurities are what they will look for, but its amazing the number of scenes i am called to where the laxness of the residents just makes it that bit easier for thieves to get in, and i hate to say it but its the obvious ones like not closing and locking windows and doors, but the even more unforgivable sin of locking the door and leaving the key in the lock, to be honest you,d be better off leaving the door unlocked in the first place, at least then you don,t have to replace a broken window as well. it sounds obvious and patronising, but if you lock it remove the key and put it somewhere out of sight and unaccessable, its a simple measure, but in my experience it can be sufficient to put off a potential thief and make them move on to somewhere more easier, as most burgularies are not planned, but oppotunistic breaks.

[helena handbasket]

Sorry, did you suggest taking the key out of the door and into the house with you? Did you reallY?

And that a key in the door MIGHT be an invitation to enter the house because in your experience thieves are less likely to target the house WITHOUT the key in the door?

JetSetWilly...... seriously?

Are there people out there who KNOWINGLY leave the key in the door?

[KalamityKel]

To be put simply... yes

[Siduhe]

I think he means on the inside of the door, not the outside.

[Domitianus]

Siduhe Wrote:

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> I think he means on the inside of the door, not

> the outside.

Exactly, Siduhe! As I would have thought wud have been bleeding obvious to MOST readers!

[EvilLaugh]

Internets, who'd have 'em?

Honestly, if you're gonna start anally picking people's posts apart who are just offering help, then you should at least make the effort to read them properly. The bit about having to break the window to get at the key clearly indicates he meant leaving the key in the inside of the door.

[Steph]

Hehe that did make me laugh helena handbasket!

[computedshorty]

?

[helena handbasket]

Okay, call me stupid all you want be he suggested to not make yourself an obvious target. If the key is on the inside, how is that obvious? Once they have smashed the window to get at the key, aren't they already in your house?

I owe JetSetWilly an apology because the he is obviously a locksmith and knows wayyyyy more about locks and keys than I do,

but I am still a bit stumped. Clearly I am not from around here. :)

[Huguenot]

No worries Helena I didn't work it out either, I was scratching my head when I read it. All makes sense now.

But then I've never left a key in the lock unless I was really drunk, and then it would be on the outside, and the door would be swinging in the breeze.

I should say that I've done that overnight a number of times on Crawthew Grove, and we never had any unwanted visitors.

[Strawbs]

Think the thread should read 5th August not 5th Sept unless we are predicting when we are all going to get done! >:D

[computedshorty]

?

[JetSetWilly]

helena handbasket Wrote:

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> Okay, call me stupid all you want be he suggested

> to not make yourself an obvious target. If the

> key is on the inside, how is that obvious? Once

> they have smashed the window to get at the key,

> aren't they already in your house?

>

> I owe JetSetWilly an apology because the he is

> obviously a locksmith and knows wayyyyy more about

> locks and keys than I do,

> but I am still a bit stumped. Clearly I am not

> from around here. :)

i,m actually a soco(csi), and while i,m not a locksmith i do through my role know a fair bit about locks and keys. however i do know a lot more about how entry is gained to peoples homes and generally it is through lax security even when the person is in the house, eg front window left open, purse,keys,games console in view, homeowner nips into the kitchen to pop on the kettle, thief walks past and bang the property is gone, sounds incredulous but it happens and its very common. as is leaving keys in locked doors, occasionally front doors but generally back/side doors, a thief will always look for an easy access point and will look through windows to find them, and also make sure as much as possible the place is empty, but if there is a key in a door or window, they will smash it to gain access to the key,reach through and open the door, its very rare that a thief will climb through a smashed window, very easy to get cut and leave blood and consequently a dna hit.

as i mentioned before most burglaries are opportunistic and again i dont want to sound partonising but simple measures such as locking windows and doors(even when in the house, removing keys from doors and placing them out of site ,not leaving valuables lying around in view, will be sufficent to prevent most people from becoming the next victim. police safer summer campaigns advocate such behaviour, why because it works.

[Citrovie]

In this case the entrance to the garden (and then the flat, which had its windows locked) was gained through a side alley. There was a padlock on the gate but the gate was not easily visible from the street and this relative privacy made it easy to force it open (during the day). Easier than when the gate blocks the alley off at the front of the house.

Basically: check your gates and watch out for people parking their cars in front of your flat and behaving strangely (don't ask me for a definition of strange behaviour :-S)

[Administrator]

Strawbs Wrote:

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> Think the thread should read 5th August not 5th

> Sept unless we are predicting when we are all

> going to get done! >:D<

Well spotted, I have changed the title