Help us to reduce burglaries – Reading - 16-05-2008

Police are urging Reading residents to help them in the fight against burglary by ensuring windows and doors are not left insecure and by following some simple steps to reduce letterbox burglaries.

During the recent warm weather police have noticed a rise in burglaries from an average of around three to four a day in the winter months to around double that during the past couple of weeks.

Reading's Crime Reduction Adviser John McNicholas said: "There is without doubt a direct link between warmer weather and increases in burglary.

"Many of the burglaries we have seen during the past couple of weeks have been carried out without any form of forced entry because doors and windows have been left insecure. The old saying of breaking and entering does not seem to apply.

"I want to urge residents not to leave an open or unlocked window or door unattended because it only takes seconds for opportunist thieves to come in and grab small but valuable items such as handbags or electrical items including laptops or mobile phones."

Deputy Reading Local Police Area Commander Ch Insp Steve Thwaites is equally keen for residents to help prevent the letterbox style entry burglaries.

He said: "One in five burglaries in this area is committed through the letterbox entry method, but these types of burglaries can so easily be prevented.

"I urge residents to make sure that they always deadlock doors rather than just pushing them shut and not to leave any keys in easy view or reach of the letterbox.

"People can also take more drastic measures like sealing up their letterbox and setting up an external letterbox, but I am sure that if people follow my first two tips we can dramatically reduce this type of offence."

Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to contact their local police station, via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don't want to talk to police and don't want to leave your name call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

More security advice can be found on the Thames Valley Police website at www.thamesvalley.police.uk/reduction/saferhomes/safehome/index.htm

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