'Fishing' Burglary in Brentford
Don't leave valuables in the car either
Last weekend there was an audacious burglary in New Road, Brentford.
A resident in New Road, had their property burgled by thieves who were able to gain entry into the home by using a rod that was pushed through the front door letterbox, and using magnets were able to lift house keys that had placed near to the front door. The burglars were then able to gain access into the property to steal property, plus take the resident’s car keys. The burglars then loaded the stolen property into the resident’s vehicle and drove away.
Using this ‘fishing’ technique, a burglar can, if necessary, reach 10ft to 12ft into a home. This type of burglary is unusual in the Brentford area, but following the success of last weekends New Road burglary, the perpetrators may return to the area to try again.
Please ensure that your house/car keys are kept well out of reach of front doors and indeed kitchen door cat flaps.
Police in Chiswick are reminding motorists to take their valuables with them when they leave their cars in the area. There has been an increase in thefts from parked cars in the last week and items such as satellite navigation systems, laptops and phones have been stolen from cars parked near the High Road. Police are conducting increased patrols and setting up proactive operations to combat this increase.
PS Ben Clark of Turnham Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team said "As well as items being left openly on display, we are starting to see more and more cases where the thief has smashed a window in order to have a look in the boot. Whilst you may think that out of sight is safest, the fact is that the only way to ensure that your property is secure is to remove it every time you leave the car. Most of our persistent offenders live outside of Chiswick and are drawn to the area by the knowledge that cars in Chiswick are more likely to have expensive items inside. If we can work together to change this idea and ensure that it's not worth their while coming here, we will see a decrease in other crime types in the local area as well. Chiswick officers are conducting increased patrols in these areas and we are actively targetting our most prolific offenders, but we do need the help of the public to achieve a long term result in Chiswick."
PS Clark went on to say "More and more insurance companies are starting to specify that items should be secured in or even removed from unattended cars. Even if insurers do pay out for these thefts, no claims bonuses can be affected and there is always the inconvenience and cost of replacing items and windows whenever a theft occurs. I really would stress that, whatever your policy says, the best thing is to remove anything from a parked car that you value - you wouldn't leave a laptop out in your greenhouse and car windows have exactly the same level of security!"
February 25, 2010
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