November's Newsletter from Brentford's Lead Neighbourhood Watch

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Burglaries, Skip and Animal Thefts

Burglaries, Avenue Road and Enfield Road, Brentford (North of the A4)
There have been two recent burglaries in Brentford, one in Avenue Road and one in Enfield Road.  During one night time burglary, the resident woke and confronted the burglar but the intruder was able to make their escape, taking with them personal possessions belonging to the resident.  Determined thieves will take any risk and go to any length to steal and will have no sympathy, compassion or remorse in doing so.  Don’t make it easy for burglars, ensure that all outside doors are locked and windows closed and secured not only at night, but when the house is empty.  Burglars have been known to return to the scene of the crime once residents have purchased replacements for stolen items.

Theft of Skip
Metal thieves go to great lengths to steal and recently, early one morning, thieves stole a skip positioned close to the Brompton Bicycle Factory, Lionel Road South, Brentford.  Across the country there has been an increase of metal thefts and even road side drain covers are disappearing fast.  The stolen metal is sold to unscrupulous scrap metal dealers on a “no questions asked” basis.    
 
Animal Thefts, Hounslow
Many residents have pets and sadly in the Hounslow area there has been a notable increase of animal thefts.  During the period January 2005 and August 2011, 148 animals were stolen.  Pets normally targeted by thieves are dogs, rabbits and birds, but cats, fish and tortoises are also being taken.  Please do everything possible to ensure that your pet is safe and secure.

Warning on Crime and Scams
In the UK between January and June 2011, there was a nine percent drop in credit/debit card fraud losses, believed to be helped by chip and pin technology, on-line banking and fraud protection computer software.  Due to this success, criminals are returning to past methods of stealing from and cheating the public.  Distraction techniques in shops and at cash machines is one method criminals are returning to, while another is when criminals use scam websites to fool their victims into divulging debit/credit card and banking details. With the Festive Season fast approaching, please remain vigilant.

Bicycle Crime
Bicycle crime continues to be a concern in Brentford, with one recently stolen from a locked garden shed in Hamilton Road.   It is worthwhile registering your bicycle with the BikeRegister at www.bikeregister.com   By registering your items and then informing BikeRegister should they be lost or stolen, BikeRegister will instantly inform the police, insurers and the second-hand trade which would aid the recovery process and in the event of theft the possible apprehension of the perpetrator.

To register your property, simply visit the BikeRegister website and sign up.  Once registered, you have a far better chance of being reunited with your property. 

Brentford Safter Neighbourhoods Team, ‘Drop in Surgeries’.
At Brentford Library, between 6pm and 7pm on the first Thursday of every month, Brentford SNT hold  ‘Drop In Surgeries’  for residents who wish to speak privately with a SNT police officer.    Should you prefer you can raise any crime issue that you may have with your Neighborhood Watch representative who will take the matter up with the Brentford SNT on your behalf? 

November 3, 2011