It was a normal Monday morning, and Alexane sat down to eat her granola in peace, when she heard a scuffle at the door. What she thought to be one of her parents turned out to be a gang of robbers, who stole both her new laptop and family car. By the time, her Mum had come downstairs and discovered the damage, the robbers had left without a trace. 

Alexane's car was eventually found about a week after the robbery, which came as some relief to the family. Unfortunately, it was extremely damaged and the cost of repairs outdid the actual value of the car itself. The laptop has still not been found and is likely circulating the black market. 

'I don't feel safe in my own home', Alexane said while I was interviewing her. 'It's scary to think that I was only metres away from these people...there's so many different things that could've happened if I hadn't been as quiet as I was'. 

Unfortunately, Alexane's story echoes many. Across the country, gangs of organised thieves have been striking suburban England, and successfully escaping. Victims tend to be those owning a lot of gold or significant amount of jewellery. Not so long ago, my family friend was robbed of their gold by resourceful robbers, who used the glass from the wing mirror of a car to break open the lock. The thief even had the audacity to have a cup of tea and leave the house. As you might tell, this was a traumatising experience for the family and it took a long time for them to feel safe in their home again. 

Stories like these are only half as representative of the pain these families experience in real life for many months after these events. Although the police do all they can to get them justice, these criminals are very sophisticated and elusive and have learnt to avoid the police for years. So, if the police who are the main safeguarders of a society, can't prevent these events from occurring, what can?