Chadwell

Update

The Chadwell Area has seen an increase in Burglaries and Vehicle crime in the last month. Please read the below advice on how to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

Burglaries

Burglary, on the whole, is an opportunist crime. A burglar will select their target because it offers them the best opportunity to carry out crime undetected and with the fewest number of obstacles in the way. A building that presents itself as unoccupied and insecure is far more likely to be targeted than one which is properly secured.

If you have:
- Side gates open
- Accessible windows open
- Ladders left out, allowing access to otherwise inaccessible windows
- Garden tools available to force entry
- Untrimmed hedges or high fences preventing natural surveillance
- Unlocked Sheds
- Keys left by the front door or on display

You are making access to your building far simpler and is an indication to the prospective burglar that it's worth a second look.

Residents of multi-occupancy dwellings or flats should be mindful not to grant entry to people via an entry phone system if they do not know them and to be cautious of people seeking to 'tailgate' them into buildings.

Security systems on modern cars are now so good that a thief can only steal them if they have the keys. This means that the modern day car thief has to resort to breaking into your home if they want to steal your car. However, following these few simple steps you can take to make the thief's life more difficult:
- Make sure you deadlock your front and rear UPVC doors
- Don't leave your keys in the door lock
- Keep your keys where a thief is unlikely to find them

Vehicle Crime

Like Burglary, vehicle crime is an opportunist crime. To help prevent you becoming a victim of vehicle crime we advise that you;
- Don't leave personal belongings or loose change out on show
- Don't leave expensive items such as mobile phones and Sat Navs in the car, even if in the glove compartment
- Ensure your car is properly secured when you park it
- If you have a steering lock etc, make sure you put it on every time you park
- Take your Sat Nav / Mobile Phone holders off the windscreen and either take them with you or place out of sight

For further advice on crime reduction, you can visit http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/

What can I do as a resident or as someone working or travelling through Chadwell?

The Chadwell Ward is very much intelligence led.

If you see or hear anything that raises concerns then please feel free to contact the team. If it has drawn your attention then it will no doubt be of interest to us as well. All information can be provided anonymously.

It is armed with this information that we are able to obtain warrants from the courts and put the operations in place that reduce such things as anti-social behaviour, therefore providing a better quality of life to the majority of law abiding citizens.

We hold monthly meetings and beat surgeries to discuss any problems or issues that may have arise from the local residents. If you wish to attend please contact us for details.