Burglars Target Houses With Sash Windows

Police warn local people to put extra locks on

Chiswick police have warned locals to put extra locks on their sash windows as there have been several incidents lately where burglars break through the front and back windows.

There have been a number of burglaries in the Chiswick Riverside ward where the ground floor sash window has been forced open which has damaged the single fastener lock or the top half of the glass has been smashed to unlock the window.

Police say that you cannot rely on the existing central sash fasteners to keep your windows secure. You can add sash stops which are strong and convenient to use and do not need to be removed to open the window but stop it from opening fully.

Otherwise, the dual screw is an alternative form of lock which bolts the two sashes together, said police.

The Riverside SNT team have held two recent bike marking events in the area in which over 80 bikes were marked for free, which will help identify them with their owners in the event of theft.

Other tips from the police to combat bike theft are:

Lock your bike to an immovable object. Where possible, use a proper bike rack, ground anchor or street furniture that offers multiple locking points.

Bikes locked to lampposts, railings or anything else not designed for this purpose are more vulnerable to theft, so only use these if you really have to.

Basic bike security at home. More than half of all bicycle thefts take place from an owner’s property. So as well as taking care of your bike when you are out and about, you should think about how safe it is at home. Some things you can do are to:

- keep your bike in a secure shed or garage
- lock your bike inside the shed or garage by securing it to an immovable object, or consider installing a floor or wall-mounted anchor lock for extra security
- keep it out of public view

October 11, 2014