We all know that there are burglars around all areas of the nation and the world, its normal nowadays. However the recent years, in Chigwell the crime rate is on the rise and it’s becoming worse by the day. In this article, I will be writing about the increase in robberies, the way burglars break into houses, and ways to prevent and deter thieves.
Chigwell/Epping is known as an affluent area with many wealthy residents and may be regarded as a safer area amongst the rest. However in recent years, it has been seen as a burglar’s paradise, wealthy people means wealthy possessions, which leads to a great day's work for them. More and more thieves have been seeing the opportunity in Chigwell/Epping as many homes have not been secured properly and do not have deterrents to stop the burglars stealing anything, such as alarms. Burglars have been thriving off the innocence of the citizens, ransacking tens of houses per month. In August 2012, there were a reported 6 burglaries. In August 2016, there were 15 reported. That’s a 150% increase of burglaries in just 2 years. In March 2017, 5 houses were broken into on the same day! That’s more burglaries than in a month in previous years.
There are many ways thieves break into houses. The most common being forcing the front door open using a crowbar or other prying tool when you’re not in the house to enter and steal. However, thieves today use more dangerous and violent methods to break in and steal. Some pose as postmen and burst the door open as soon as someone opens the door. Others dress as salesmen, electric meter readers and anything else you can think of.
The burglars then violently through the residents on the floor and hold them in the house like hostages while their group to ransack the house. This method is being used more in Chigwell more than ever, and we need to learn how to keep safe from thieves.
There are many useful and cost-free tips to deter burglars when you’re not at home. Things such as leaving the radio/TV on, or keeping a couple of lights on will trick a burglar into thinking someone is inside the premises, easily deterring them. There are also more substantial/secure methods to keep safe, such as CCTV systems, alarms and motion detective flood lights that alert someone when a potential burglar arrives. The more substantial methods have been proven to work more effectively as they can go as far as prevent a break in.
As burglary becomes more common in Chigwell, it is more likely you’ll be a victim of theft. The most important thing is to stay safe if encountered with a thief. If threatened by a burglar, let them steal everything as they may have weapons that could possibly cause fatal injuries.
