Spate of burglaries in East Dulwich

[TigerMountain]

Really sorry to read about Ricktoomer.

One more fairly inexpensive tip:

Buy one or two "Beware of Dog" security signs/stickers. Preferably fairly large and with an image of a large, fearless and ferocious looking dog or dogs.

Stick them at the front and back of your property where they will be clearly visible.

It does not matter if your dog is the friendliest and cutest Chihuahua in the world - or you've got a cat, goldfish or hamster instead of a dog. Or like me - you don't actually own any pets at all.

You are creating a simple illusion and again trying to deter a burglar from choosing to break into your property. Unless the burglar has been casing and watching your property for days beforehand - it's unlikely they will know that you don't actually have a big, ugly ferocious dog inside your home.

For added effect: buy a large dog feeding bowl and big rubber bone - put them outside with some water in it. Somewhere visible and close to say your back/kitchen door. The birds, the squirrels and perhaps your neighbour's cat can have a free drink on you.

Hope the police catch'em soon. In the meantime, "Keep'em peeled!" (showing my age with that one :-)

[EastDulwichRose]

I had no idea that burglaries were running at 50-60 per month on average for the East Dulwich area - that seems so high for such a small part of London! I'm just wandering what the figures are for 'high crime'areas of London...! It must be horrendous.

Great tips 'TIGERMOUNTAIN' - i'm going to keep alot of them in mind and use them for securing my own properties and properties of my 2 friends who had already been burgled in the Dulwich area.

[lance_elot]

It is quite shocking. I have now installed CCTV, bolted in a safe onto my floorboards and have metal bars acrossmy front windows.

Hopefully that will be enough!

[joom]

The person who burgled our house and frightened my daughter also carried out another two burglaries on the same night. I've just received a letter from the CJS to inform me that no action is being taken. So, if you happen to be a burglar, hiding under a car at 3am with several items of stolen property and a few hundred pounds in your pocket - don't worry!

What a joke and what do I tell my daughter when she eventually asks me what's happened to him?

[ianr]

joom Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The person who burgled our house and frightened my daughter also carried out another two burglaries

> on the same night. I've just received a letter rom the CJS to inform me that no action is being

> taken. So, if you happen to be a burglar, hiding under a car at 3am with several items of stolen

> property and a few hundred pounds in your pocket - don't worry!

>

AnotherPaul previously mentioned only "my wife's phone in his pocket."

Do you know how many stolen articles were found on the suspect, and whether they were from more than one household?

Was everyone's missing property (a) believed to be on him and, if so (b) recovered from him and restored to its stated owner?

[James Barber]

Hi EastdulwichRose,

East Dulwich is a huge area - close to the heart of Dulwich Village in the west and as far as Forest Hill Road on the east. We're talking about 20,000 homes and 45,000 people. 60 burglaries in a month is clearly 60 to many but at this incidence rate it would take on average 28 years for each home to be burgled. Taking preventative measures such as those listed by TigerMountain dramatically reduces your chances of being burgled from that.

Hi joom,

You should talk to the newspapers about your case - clearly ridiculous. Email if you want to be introduced.

Hi drew,

One of the three East Dulwich ward Police priorities is fighting burglary.

[*Bob*]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

at this incidence

> rate it would take on average 28 years for each

> home to be burgled.

A particularly unreassuring statistic, presented particularly poorly.

[Jeremy]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A particularly unreassuring statistic

That's what I was thinking! So if you live here for 7 years, there's a 25% chance your house will be burgled during that time...

[*Bob*]

Quite. 'Don't worry - the burglars will get around to your house eventually'

Great news.

[milk76]

I believe it is called perspective Bob.

I have lived here for sixteen years and was burgled for the first time this summer. We have an alarm that flashes to signify it is active as a deterrent but we stupidly left our back door open overnight. The guy just walked from house to house trying doors and got lucky. It was horrible, and I have nothing but sympathy for all the victims of crime on this thread.

I find it comforting to see what the real odds of being so unfortunate are. If you tell me that there is a fifty fifty chance of being burgled here in London every fourteen years, which can be reduced with simple precautions, I can sleep better.

[PipD]

well said Milk76

[*Bob*]

I'm not dissing the stats / odds - merely Jame's odd presentation.

eg "the chances are your house might only get burgled once in 26 years" sounds considerably better than "all houses in East Dulwich will be burgled with 26 years"

Dunno what the % is of houses that suffer unforced entry but it's probably quite high.. indeed we occasionally (accidentally) left various doors unlocked for days on end - but got lucky.

[ianr]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> James Barber Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

>> at this incidence rate it would take on average 28 years for each home to be burgled.

>A particularly unreassuring statistic

Is it? How would it compare with the losses and affronts you've suffered over the same period from other causes involving others' selfishness, wilfulness, complacency, greed, or negligence of your rights and feelings? Or even from your own negligence or foolishness? And in how many of those cases would there in any case be an insurer, bank or whatever to compensate you for your monetary loss?

[joom]

I've lived here for 7 years and have been burgled twice!

ianr: my phone was returned, not the money, police don't give back money. I don't know about the other property or whether it was returned. I suppose it's a genuine problem when there are no fingerprints to prove he had taken them, but then any self-respecting burglar probably wears gloves, right?

Either he or his accomplice was on bail for previous burglaries and even that seems not enough to get him off the streets. In all, it's an utter waste of time, money and effort. I can't imagine how disheartening police work must be at times.

[Penguin68]

The figures are slightly misleading, as it is wrong to assume that each house is burgled only once - in fact it has been quite common for a house to be burgled, the burglar to wait until electric etc. goods have been replaced under insurance, and then re-burgle it, this time getting brand new items.

Certain houses etc. are also more vulnerable, therefore more likely to be burgled more than once, and burglars tend to 'hit' quite a small area at a time, so burglaries are often clustered, leaving other areas burglary free.

All this means is that a simple divison of total households by total number of burglaries does not really generate a statistically sound probability of being burgled.

You will always reduce your chances the more 'costly' you make it to the burglar to attack you, in terms of locks, alarms, security measures. Marking your property (which James advocates and has got funding for) does not, in fact, reduce your chances of being burgled, but it does raise the chances that your property may be recovered, perpetrators caught etc. [if it was widely known that a whole area had ALL their property marked this might reduce burglary attacks, but that assumes that burglars are generally well-informed and act sensibly, not so true of those stealing to feed a drug habit, or teenagers. The prime time for teen burglary used to be (don't know whether it still is) the school lunch break.

[*Bob*]

ianr Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Is it? How would it compare with the losses and

> affronts you've suffered over the same period from

> other causes involving others' selfishness,

> wilfulness, complacency, greed, or negligence of

> your rights and feelings? Or even from your own

> negligence or foolishness? And in how many of

> those cases would there in any case be an insurer,

> bank or whatever to compensate you for your

> monetary loss?

Blimey.. sounds like you've had a rough trot, Ian.

I see what you're saying, but let's face it, most of that stuff doesn't have nearly the same impact as chancing-upon a hooded man carry a bag of your wife's jewellery past your children's bedroom at 4am.

[ianr]

> ianr: my phone was returned, not the money, police don't give back money. I don't know about the other property

> or whether it was returned. I suppose it's a genuine problem when there are no fingerprints to prove he had

> taken them, but then any self-respecting burglar probably wears gloves, right?

I was just thinking about the possibility of civil action for restitution against him. The more firm evidence of his possession of multiple items shortly after they'd been stolen from different households[*], the easier it would be to prove your cases, which would be decided on the balance of probabilities. I doubt you'd even need to prove that he'd been the person who had broken in.

[*] If you had stated that this was the case, I'd have begun seriously wondering about the CPS's decision. I'd just begun looking at ICO decisions concerning FoI requests made of them, to see what information if any can be obtained about their decision processes.

[the-e-dealer]

only 10 years for me to go then.

[the-e-dealer]

Don't forget that once your house is burlgaled they sometimes wait a few weeks and come back hoping for new replacement TVs etc. So locking the door after the horse has bolted in this case is not a bad idea - and makes a nonsence of JB's 'calculation'

[PipD]

Or to give it a more positive spin, If you haven?t been burgled yet there?s less chance you will in future (if you know what I mean)

James' stats were clearly overly simplistic but meant for a bit of perspective. No need to give him such a hard time.

the-e-dealer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Don't forget that once your house is burlgaled

> they sometimes wait a few weeks and come back

> hoping for new replacement TVs etc. So locking the

> door after the horse has bolted in this case is

> not a bad idea - and makes a nonsence of JB's

> 'calculation'

[the-e-dealer]

Just move out of ED after 27 years.

[joom]

The letter I received cited three burglaries that he was involved in. I don't know any more details regarding what was taken.

[joom]

I keep taking too long to post and missing the slot that I intended to post in!!! Novice forumite!

[Sue]

joom Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I keep taking too long to post and missing the

> slot that I intended to post in!!! Novice

> forumite!

xxxxxxx

If you click on the "Quote This Message" button instead of the "Reply To This Message" button, it will be clear which post you are replying to even if several other posts have intervened in the meantime.

Hope that helps.

[Jennys]

I have just noticed that our water butt has been knocked over. I am sure it would have been much too heavy to have been knocked down by a cat or fox and can only assume a potential burglar climbed on it to try and get into the house.