October saw a slight increase to 110 burglaries on our Borough, above the year-to-date average of 84 and our neighbouring force, Thames Valley Police, are also reporting an increase in burglaries - unfortunately this is usually the case as the darker nights draw in.

However, to put this into context this means that each property in Hillingdon only had around a 1 in 1,000  chance of being burgled in the past three months - but prevention is the means by which we can all play a part in keeping that figure as low as possible.

Here are some of the ways by which criminals identify properties for burglary from cases that have been brought to the attention of Hillingdon Neighbourhood Watch in recent months:

Lights

If your property is in darkness as light begins to fall - which is about 30 mins before the official dusk time shown on e.g. the BBC Weather App - then burglars will single your property out as being potentially unoccupied.  If you are in and at the back of your house, you should still make it appear occupied from the road.  Please use a timeswitch to make your home look occupied when you are out.

Foliage

If trees or other foliage mean that you can't see the front door and/or front windows of your home when you are standing on the pavement opposite then that's the perfect target for burglars - once they are in the front garden they have more time to gain access unseen.  Consider trimming back foliage at the front of your property to give a clear view from the road.

Access

Side access to any house or block of flats is an easy way for a burglar to gain access to an unseen area if it has not been properly secured.  Make sure that all side access is kept locked and that it is difficult to climb over - you can use trellis, spiky plants or consider plastic gate/fence-top spikes (with suitable signage).

Doors

Front doors of the PVC variety should be properly locked at night - we have seen properties where the owner has forgotten to "lift and lock", making entry for the burglar straightforward if the door is tested. Rear patio doors with handles can use a "patlock" device if it has two internal handles that can be locked together.

Alarms

A visible alarm is a deterrent - not having one is an attractive sight for a burglar.  Remember to set your alarm when you go out - this may sound obvious but we have seen occasions where the alarm was simply not set.  Think about detectors in rooms adjacent to any flat roofs which may be points of entry.  Also consider setting your alarm at night for unoccupied rooms - if you have infra-red sensors then those will also act as an early fire warning as well, by triggering the alarm.

CCTV

Burglars really don't like being on camera - we have seen footage where a potential criminal walks onto a property, sees a camera and then leaves immediately.  It is perfectly legal to film beyond the boundary and into a public area provide that you comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act (see the ICO website) which includes displaying a sticker to say that CCTV is in operation. CCTV includes video doorbells - please ensure that if these record audio then that it only picks up conversations within your own boundary.  CCTV overlooking private areas such as rear gardens of neighbours is never acceptable; and it is of course common sense to be additionally careful when positioning cameras if you live e.g. opposite a school.

Thank you for your continued help in making Hillingdon a safer place in which to live and work.