Burglary figures lower
Kensington and Chelsea residents are less likely to be victims of burglary today than at any other time this century.
Residential burglary figures have fallen by half in seven years from 2,520 in 2000 to 1,226 in 2007.
Despite this some residents do worry about being burgled and the Council is working hard to reduce the number of burglaries even further.
Below we examine what actions Kensington and Chelsea Council has taken in conjunction with the local police.
Safer neighbourhoods
Burglary is a very unpleasant crime – precisely the type people fear and it is not surprising that residents in the Royal Borough are worried and afraid of it.
Fortunately it appears that this fear is greater than the chances of it actually happening.
Figures show that in general the rate of burglary is lower in Kensington and Chelsea than in the rest of London.
A range of measures have been implemented to make the community safer.
More Police Community Support Officers are being deployed and Neighbourhood Watch schemes operate in streets across the borough.
Two years ago the police suggested that any further reductions could only be achieved through crime prevention measures.
The Council jumped to this task and teamed up with the police to launch a campaign raising awareness among residents.
Targeting hotspots
Throughout 2006 and 2007 the Council’s Community Safety Team focused on improving security in homes which have been subjected to repeated burglaries, as well as those in areas identified as burglary hotspots.
The £137,000 funding for these works has come from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund, the Borough Command Unit and Metropolitan Police Authority Fund.
Officers from the Council work closely with the police to approach landlords and tenants at these properties.
Based on the recommendations made by local Crime Prevention Officers, a total of 126 security grant applications were made that resulted in 560 homes benefiting from improved security measures.
Examples of works varied from improved window locks, internal collapsible grilles, improved security locks to main front doors and in some cases fencing and gated entry systems to communal garden areas.
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Campaigning Council
Last year the Community Safety Team produced timely advice leaflets about the seasonal crime trends regarding burglary.
These incidents tend to rise during the summer months. In addition, there is a historical rise when the clocks change and the evenings become darker earlier as winter approaches.
Again, the Community Safety Team has joined forces with Neighbourhood Watch and Police Community Safety Officers to remind residents to be more security conscious at these times of year.
PCSOs have distributed thousands of leaflets in their neighbourhoods at the beginning of last summer and also in October last year.
The leaflets advise householders about basic security measures they can carry out to reduce the chances of them being burgled.
The list of measures includes:
- Locking all windows and doors, (even if leaving home for just a few minutes)
- Keeping valuables out of sight and marking property
- Not allowing strangers into a building in a communal block
- Fitting mortice locks to all front and back doors and good locks to all downstairs windows
- Keeping house and car keys safe and away from doors and windows
- Fitting a letterbox cage to the back of front doors
- Ensuring contents insurance is up-to-date.
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Legislation changes
Changes introduced in the Housing Act 2004 have also helped reduce burglaries.
Environmental Health officers are now able to use new enforcement powers that allow them to assess properties and give them a rating on how easy it would be for an intruder to enter.
If officers do find that there is a need for crime prevention measures the Council will invite a local Crime Prevention Officer to the property to recommend the appropriate works.
The legislation has seen security improvements to properties that are mainly
within the private rented sector and in houses of multiple occupancy.
Do you think the measures the Council and police have taken to reduce burglary are sufficient? What other measures do you think can be taken to reduce domestic break-ins?
Email your comments on this story to
rbkcdirect@rbkc.gov.uk.
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