Residential burglary figures for W4 contradict recent study

A recently published report claimed that burglars found certain homes, like those that line Chiswick's residential roads, "too posh to pinch from".

Commissioned by Halifax Home Insurance, Criminologists interviewed suspects awaiting trial for burglary for the study which found that most burglars consider a property worth more than £600,000 not worth the risk.

Burglary suspects were asked to rate the desirability of homes that steadily increased in value from photographs. Their interest dropped off dramatically, from around £600,000, as the homes were seen as liable to greater security measures in place.

One burglar said: "There's no point in going for rich houses because they've only got the same stuff as ordinary houses but it's harder to find because there's more rooms plus they've got better security. You want a neighbourhood that is nice but not too nice."

The study's findings appear to be in direct contrast to actual crime figures in Chiswick where the average price of a property is over £650,000. As can be seen from the screen print below, many of the wards in Chiswick fall in the High and Above Average categories for residential burglaries.

The same picture is reflected on the forum where one resident wrote "At 12.30 lunchtime, my neighbour's house was burgled. It was two males on a powerful black motorcycle. The front one wearing a full black helmet and the passenger a red full face helmet. An elderly neighbour went to put some rubbish out and saw they park their motorbike by the kerb in front of her house; thought nothing of it and went back inside. She then heard the alarm ringing.

"At first they tried to open a sash on the side of the bay window with a screw driver but that was well secured. They then stood on the side fence to smash a fairly high up (about 6 foot) hall window and got in. The alarm went off and essentially they got nothing but a nice box with some inexpensive bits and pieces and costume jewelry. They had to exit from the same window as the front door was also well secured. Once again it was an original stained glass window but the cost of repairs will be large as the window will have to be completely remade."

Another resident added: "There has been a huge rise in burglaries mainly daytime in the roads bounded by Sutton Court Road, Burlington Lane and the Great West Road."

Street by street crime statistics can be found on Metropolitan Police Crime Mapping website.

April 7, 2011