Burglaries in Dymchurch

Hello all

I recently posted a message with regards to burglaries so apologies if some of the advice below is the same but it's certainly relevant.

Last Friday evening (27th February) there were two reported burglaries in Dymchurch unfortunately, one on the high street near to Lyndhurst Road and the other in Wraightsfield Avenue so not very far apart.

The approximate committed times were between 17:00 and 21:00 so not late but of course this time of year it starts to get dark around 17:00-17:30.

Therefore please take a look at the advice below.

CCTV-keep the cameras charged, lenses clean, subscriptions up to date or if you have a memory card in the cameras make sure you format them from time to time to keep the memory clear and just have a general practice on how to use the CCTV system just in case you need to review any footage.

LIGHTS-if you have outside security lights make sure they're covering the most vulnerable areas where a burglar or vehicle thief might approach your property and it's a good idea to have your CCTV and lights working in conjunction with each other so that the area where the camera is covering is lit up if the camera detects movement.

Ensure that all exterior doors and windows are closed and locked especially when you go to bed or go out leaving the property empty, consider leaving internal lights on and close curtains/blinds if its dark outside so it looks like someone is in.

If you have an alarm please utilise it.

If you have a driveway with gates, please close and lock them when you know that you're not going out again.

Check that your sheds, garages and outbuildings are locked because there are plenty of tools and implements that these criminals can use to break into your property. Also, if you have heavy objects in your gardens like ornaments etc these can also be used as projectiles to smash through patio doors and although I'm not suggesting that you remove ornaments/garden gnomes and the like it's worth being ‘aware’.

If anyone has information that they might think is relevant to these burglaries please let me know by emailing me.

I am also aware of the person who was seen on CCTV to walk up a resident's driveway in Jefferstone Lane St Mary's Bay which was shared on Facebook very recently and I now have that footage. If there is any similar footage that you have please email me. I am not suggesting that this person is connected to the recent burglaries but it's important that any footage that is deemed to be suspicious is looked at by us.

Thank you

Steve.

13183@kent.police.uk