Yet another break in spitting distance from the old police station

[michelle_a]

Another burgalry (this time on Bawdale Road) to add to the growing number on this forum. Two secure doors absolutely busted and our poor downstairs neighbours' house ransacked. Not exactly the news you want to break to a mum and her two young daughters as the return home. Police have informed us that there have been multiple break-ins recently on the surrounding roads. Would have been useful if they'd made people aware of this via posters...leaflets...anything. So this is me doing my neighbourhood watch duty and warning everyone to ensure your properties are thoroughly secure and locked up. If you see anybody acting suspicious...report it! My guess is it's two blokes given that they had the audacity to leave this poor ladies toilet seat up.

[michelle_a]

Just as the forensics finish up downstairs they get called to another burglary on Silvester Road TODAY!!! Literally the cheek of these people. They have no shame!!!

[bethdate]

I think the call out to the burglary on Silvester Road was us :( the police suspect it was two men, so may well be the same people!

[LondonMix]

It was apparently two men on Beauval road as well. It seems like a team are working the area at the moment. If its any comfort when we were burgled 4 years ago, he police did eventually apprehend the person (who had done several break-ins) and did recover my watch.

Its a spree and they seem reckless so hopefully the police will catch them soon. Thank you for posting and alerting the neighbourhood.

[Angelina]

I always calll out to whoever's in the house when I leave "bye - see you in a bit" - even if it's just the cats.....or even if the cats are out...... just in case anyone's watching....

[Applespider]

Nice idea but probably ineffective. The MO is usually them ringing the door with a clipboard or a parcel - occasionally even in high vis vests unbelievably as passersby then think official! If someone answers, they blag their way out by claiming wrong person. If no-one answers, they try to jimmy the lick. Communal doors are often just on Yales rather than a mortice that are easy to get through. Once they are in, they have time to kick down secure doors knowing that no-one in. It's a horrible experience to come home too.

Best wishes to those done most recently and fingers crossed they are caught soon.

[Katnap]

I was burgled in beauval road last week. I'm nit being racist in ANY way but stating a fact that there were 2 really suspicious guys on the road (also noted by others) who were both black males. The tall one was on watch and the shorter one went into the frontage of number 37. I tried to take pics but was too sunny. They were there for about 10 mins and I walked up the road and the property door was open. They had a dog so I expect that scared them off. They are opportunists who are taking advantage of tale locks being so easy to open without attracting too much attention

[mynamehere]

bolt doors and windows when you go out

[Sue]

Katnap Wrote:

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

> I was burgled in beauval road last week. I'm nit

> being racist in ANY way but stating a fact that

> there were 2 really suspicious guys on the road

> (also noted by others) who were both black males.

> The tall one was on watch and the shorter one went

> into the frontage of number 37. I tried to take

> pics but was too sunny. They were there for about

> 10 mins and I walked up the road and the property

> door was open. They had a dog so I expect that

> scared them off. They are opportunists who are

> taking advantage of tale locks being so easy to

> open without attracting too much attention

Did you not call the police when you saw activity you thought was suspicious?

These people could have been caught.

I'm sure the police would not have minded if it turned out the suspicious activity was actually perfectly innocent, given the apparent spate of burglaries recently.

ETA: Apologies if you did call the police but didn't mention it in your post.

[Katnap]

Hi Sue

I was waiting for the police to come back and dust for prints after the burglary at my flat so I decided not to call again to get another unit out.

I went up to the property with the policewoman when she had finished at my flat but they had gone before then anyway. I would probably recognise them if I saw them again I think.

[Dulwichwanderer]

A neighbour was broken into on St. Francis Road over the weekend. They got in through the bay window at the front of the house.

They had new double glazed uPVC sash windows. Check your windows people!

[Sue]

Katnap Wrote:

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

> Hi Sue

>

> I was waiting for the police to come back and dust

> for prints after the burglary at my flat so I

> decided not to call again to get another unit

> out.

>

> I went up to the property with the policewoman

> when she had finished at my flat but they had gone

> before then anyway. I would probably recognise

> them if I saw them again I think.

Fair enough, and of course I understand your reasoning, but time is of the essence if you're wanting to catch people red-handed :(

A patrol car might have already been in the area and could have gone straight to the property before the thieves scarpered :(

Any burglars would wear gloves, surely? Did they find fingerprints??

[Katnap]

No just glove prints

[phobic3000]

The run up to Christmas is the busiest time for break ins. Presents under tree, less daylight, people out shopping leaving houses empty etc... Hopefully there will be more police patrolling the area in light of the increased activity.

[icicle]

This makes for grim reading. Does anyone know if the properties targeted had burglar alarms?

[Lynne]

Break in on Worlingham Rd last night

[fazer71]

Sorry to hear this, scum bag burglars.

Also posted this on the beauval thread.

IMHO

Alarm systems are a must have.

Wireless dial up ones are pretty cheap these days I paid a few hundred and installed it myself really anyone can do it the bell box can just go high up near the front door even if it's ripped off the internal dialler calls the number you program in.

I?m away for weeks at a time so it dials my neighbours first, they?re happy to look out while I?m away.

For me the worst thing is turning up at a ransacked property I?ve had that a few times.

When the alarm goes off the burglars don?t hang around.

I also installed two IP cams inside networked unlike cctv, I can access live and recorded video anywhere in the world over the web they record on movement and will send me an email, also a couple of hundred quid and just plugged into a router.

No brainer for the peace of mind!

[monica]

Hi

There have also been shoplifters on Lordship lane, who have successfully taken items from shops, we think to order. I have emailed James Barber about this and apparently they are looking into setting a scheme up with the police and shopkeepers. Burglary is rife in the Dulwich area at the moment, and it is getting worse.

[aandl]

Just posted a new thread as we were burgled tonight (playfield crescent) tonight and car keys and car taken

[fazer71]

!!!!

Keep bags and keys away from your front door

If they can see valuables through your letterbox they will kick the door in and grab them.

[Ruskin]

Sifting through all the burglary threads this morning makes for grim reading.

We've been done over several years ago (a 4.00am break-in while we slept upstairs and we didn't hear a thing until the stairs creaked right outside out bedroom) and my wife didn't sleep properly for months, years afterwards, imagining noises of all sorts in the dark.

But I would agree with others in that if you leave things in sight of a window or letter box then it will eventually lead to someone having a go and all the devices and locks won't make the slightest difference.

As a result of our close escape from injury, we've gone to almost bonkers lengths to avoid a repeat but which I won't go into here and it's not until you've been through the same thing that you realise just how naive/stupid you were.

[fazer71]

Alarm up your homes and sleep easier.

This is what I have at ?129.99 it's a no brainer.

http://tinyurl.com/qdss8uw

[Penguin68]

Just a slight warning to those who have already been burgled - it's not uncommon for thieves to revisit former crime scenes a couple of months later to steal the (now modern and up-to-date) replacement goods bought on insurance (i.e. laptops and phones). Update and revise your security if you have been burgled. Also, if you have had windows broken remember that putty will take some time to harden, making it easier to lift out windows that have been repaired.

Proper window locks (or even screwing shut street facing windows at least) are vital. But also remember that entry from gardens etc. is always possible. I remember a number of years ago (not in ED) when burglars managed to get into one house from the front, went through it, exited at the back and then hit a number of houses from their gardens - going through much more vulnerable patio doors etc.

The ?good? news is that burglary teams (this spate of burglaries seems like a team is working) do move on after a few weeks, not least because they wish to avoid increased police vigilance.

[BrandNewGuy]

And the other 'good' news is that there has not been a huge increase in burglary recently. Awful though burglary is for the victims, we should be careful not to scaremonger ? Cllr. Barber reported just now: "At the Dulwich Community Council meeting the local Police Inspector commented on crime levels. Burglary - very slight rise in reported burglaries from an incredibly low reported burglary crime rate."

[Penguin68]

Cllr. Barber reported just now: "At the Dulwich Community Council meeting the local Police Inspector commented on crime levels. Burglary - very slight rise in reported burglaries from an incredibly low reported burglary crime rate."

This is clearly good, but I suspect the figures being discussed will have been drawn up at least 10 days ago - so probably the most recent occurrences haven't yet hit the books. And of course a significant increase over a few blocks will probably not have a great impact within a borough (or even ward) - being maybe a displacement of activity from one group of streets to another. So, locally, it may still feel like a significant increase, even if statistically it isn't.