Chiltern South Bucks Autumn Burglary Update

From PS 3675 Darren Walsh, Chiltern & South Bucks Neighbourhood Policing, via Thames Valley Police Neighbourhood Alert

With the dark nights and mornings fast approaching, we expect the number of burglaries to increase during the autumn and winter seasons. As a result of this we are looking at working with residents in making their neighbourhoods safer.

You will often hear about the police working in partnership with agencies to combat crime. With burglary the most important partner we can work with is you! By this we mean getting you to look out for your neighbours’ and your own properties.

Last year we worked closely with Neighbourhood Watch to get more people signed up to the scheme. A Neighbourhood Watch is a great way to get to know your neighbours so that you can build up community resilience. The scheme is free and some studies have shown that you could reduce the chance of being a victim by 25%.

Keyless car thefts
With the innovation of keyless cars we are finding a huge increase in cars being stolen. Burglars do not even have to enter the home address anymore. Investigations have shown that criminals are going up to front doors and scanning car keys through the front door. As people start to adapt to this new threat so do the criminals. Please be careful with your car keys, at home and when out and about, and be aware of the risks when left next to the front door on the sideboard or a coat pocket. Faraday tins can be used to block car keys signals or signal blocker pouches can be purchased for around £6 on the internet.

Top Crime Advice on a budget

1. Keep your doors locked at all times. This is the first port of call for a burglar. Challenge your family when they leave the doors unlocked.
2. Use your Window locks. It’s all very well having window locks but are you using them. Again this is a common method of entry so let’s make sure that the burglar can’t just open it and wipe the glass away. If it is locked there will be an increased risk of DNA transfer.
3. Keyless technology. Make sure that your keys are in a safe location where car thieves can’t target them or use devices to get a signal. Keyless car? purchase a faraday box.
4. Lock your gate. Stop people from having free access to the rear or side of your house.
5. Keep a light on. Make it looks like someone is up and around. Use timer switches, have a radio on or use a fake TV light display to give the illusion you are in. Burglars do not want to get caught and will target somewhere else.

I will be providing further information and facts around burglary over the next few weeks and what we have been doing and our successes.

You know your neighbourhood better than anyone else. If something is not sitting right with you, act on this and do not be afraid to call the police. If you think it could be a burglary or theft of vehicle then call 999.

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Chiltern & South Bucks Burglary Statistics

Bar a spike in July, reported burglary numbers across Chiltern & South Bucks have remained thankfully at historic lows. However, in the early part of the year, they certainly benefitted from residents being restricted to their homes, and now, as PS Walsh says, we are approaching the dangerous time, with dark evenings.