Unlocked doors are a burglar's paradise (From Swindon Advertiser)

Unlocked doors are a burglar's paradise

1:40pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in News

A LATE-NIGHT police operation has found some homeowners are still leaving their front doors unlocked despite repeated warnings over an increase in burglaries.

West Swindon police patrolled the streets of Freshbrook and Westlea at about 11pm on Thursday night and tried the handles on cars and front doors at 80 addresses.

Of these, five homes and three cars were found to be unlocked – which police say equates to week’s work for the opportunist thieves that have been targeting the area in recent months.

It comes after the Adver revealed earlier this month that burglaries, particularly through insecurities, had soared at the end of last year with a 22 per cent increase in the west police sector compared to the year before.

PC Tom Turner, community beat manager for West Swindon North, said the area had seen a drop in burglaries recently but the results of the operation gave him cause for concern.

He said: “Since the last article we have seen a decrease in the number of burglaries and insecure burglaries.

“But it’s clear that it is imperative to keep the issue in the public’s mind and eye to keep their homes and cars secure.

“The risk of leaving doors unlocked even when you are in at the time is there are often valuable items left in the hallway and a thief can be in and out before the homeowner even realises. We appreciate people can forget or be in a rush but you are then making yourself an easy target by leaving doors unlocked.

“Had I not been a police officer and had been a burglar, those five houses and three cars we found insecure could be a week’s work “It’s difficult to put a value on it because it depends on the items but just from the operation there were car keys, bags and electrical items in the hallways or cars.

“It is worrying because of the 80 or so we tried it is a larger percentage than I hoped.

“Having said that I think the message is getting there and people are becoming more security conscious – we just need to remind people to be cautious.”

Where police found an unlocked car or house door, they alerted the owner and gave them some basic security advice.

Among the homeowners whose front door was unlocked was mother-of-three was Lorraine Best, of Westlea.

A victim of break-ins twice in her 20 years in the area the 49-year-old said she was all to aware of the impact of a burglary.

“It’s worrying because I’m here on my own with my three kids and we have been broken into before. We park the cars up against the garage now but I never thought about the front door and I left the keys in the back of it as well.

“I think it’s a good idea for the police to raise awareness like this and I will be locking my door from now on.”

For more details or security advice call Wiltshire Police on 101 or visit www.wiltshire.police.uk