CommunitySafe.gov.uk

Police are urging residents to make sure they lock their front doors and remove any door or vehicle keys from their entrance hall following a spate of cars being stolen from driveways across the borough. In four burglaries since Wednesday night (27th October) thieves drove off with a total of five vehicles having obtained all the keys to these vehicles. Police believe the thieves either got hold of the keys by either ‘fishing’ with a rod-like device to hook them out through the letterbox or by accessing the letterbox to pull down the inside handle on the front door - taking advantage of householders who had not key locked their doors. A Volkswagen was taken from Brocks Drive, Sutton, and a Renault Clio from Clensham Lane, Sutton. Meanwhile three vehicles were taken from The Causeway, Carshalton. Of these a Land Rover Discovery was taken from one address whilst two Vauxhalls - a Corsa and Insignia - were taken from another address. Police said residents should: lock your front (and back) door, remove the door keys from the door, and put the door and car keys in a draw or cupboard where they cannot be reached from the front door Avoid leaving car keys on a table or shelf near the front door where they can be easily reached via the letterbox if you have a uPVC door, lock it with a key and remove the key to a safe place to prevent the door handle being pulled down via the letterbox and the front door opened. Sutton Crime Prevention officer PC Pat Simcox said residents should take a few simple steps to secure their vehicles and properties. “Make sure your vehicle is locked when you leave it and get try the vehicle door handles to check they are locked. Also try to get into the habit of putting your vehicle keys in a draw or cupboard each time you come home - or at least, to keep them well out of reach of the front door,” she said. PC Simcox advised residents with uPVC multi-locking doors that their doors are only truly secure if they are locked with a key from the inside. “People may think that they have locked their door by lifting up the handle but this does not completely secure the door. Burglars have been known to get access to the handle from outside.” Detective Inspector Jim Bennett, of Sutton CID, said: “It only takes a few seconds to deter opportunist thieves from targeting your home, yet it can take several weeks and months to get over the ordeal of having your home burgled,” he said. Police are running a number of operations in the borough to catch thieves who steal from vehicles. Police tactics include using both uniform and plain clothes officers - and officers from specialist teams, including dog units. Editor’s Notes Here’s some other crime prevention advice: Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes. Ensure all doors and windows have security locks – and use them Make sure the side and/or back gate is locked Invest in a time switch to control your lighting so your home looks occupied when it is not Lock your shed or garage Make sure your front and back doors have at least two locks on them, of which one should be a mortice or deadlock Don’t leave your house keys within easy reach of the letterbox Turn on your alarm if you’re going out Property mark your valuables. Sutton’s Crime Prevention Team can be contacted on 020 8649 0569. If you see anyone acting suspiciously near a property, then dial 999. More than 5,000 homes were burgled last year in London by thieves simply walking in through unlocked doors, latest Met stats reveal. In a bid to cut the trend the Metropolitan Police Service is urging Londoners to ‘lock before you leave’ in an awareness campaign which is running currently to remind homeowners about locking their doors. Although there is a traditional increase in burglaries in London during the Autumn, the overall number of burglaries continues to fall with recent figures (April to August 2010) revealing a 9% reduction compared with the same period last year. While prevention is vital the MPS recognises the need to target known or suspected burglars as well. Operation Bumblebee is continuing to investigate and pursue suspects and bring them before the courts. Residents are being encouraged to visit the Met’s special anti-burglary website: www.metbumblebee.org for more information and advice.