With the Jewish holiday of Passover (pesach) now over we in Childs Hill ward , which I represent as a Councillor with Jack and Susette and where I live, we are glad if burglars have this year decided to pass over.
It has been a bad year for burglaries with many in my immediate patch. However, the good news is that burglaries here have, with great police action, been reduced by about 25%.
Having been burgled three times over many years we have little left to steal and have protection to keep what’s left safe. Up the road from me a local resident has men on security duty 24hours a day every day of the week.
Burglary is not a new phenomenon attributed to Gordon Brown, as much as I think he has lost his way in a fog of indecision.
I recall our first home burglary. We had physically divided our house in two, letting off upstairs, so one downstairs room was our bedroom. There was no access to the stairs from the downstairs flat.
I was awoken in middle of the night and rubbing my eyes I arose and padded into the corridor in my striped pyjamas.-long since disposed of. I came face to face with a bemused burglar trying to find the stairs to the first floor. I remember to this day. He looked at me in horror. I looked at him in horror. I thought (as one did in those days) ‘hit him with the poker’. Damn, we are all-electric! So quick of mind I shouted ‘Shoo’. The unwelcome visitor frightened by this pyjama clad apparition, dived into the downstairs loo and dived through the small window. For a short moment I thought ‘ I can pull on his legs, pull him back and sit on him’. I decided against this brave action and let him go. I called the police and they took some time to arrive. I wonder to this day how I would have fared attempting to sit on the burglar awaiting the constabulary.
If anyone is interested I can tell the story of the bizarre second burglary but perhaps I have reminisced enough.
So nothing new. But a worrying increase in burglary only reduced by big police effort. I do strongly support the idea of having a ‘No cold calling zone’ to seek to stop people casing the joint, sadly Barnet Council ruling Tory Administration doesn’t want to go down that path-perhaps they could consider again after they finish election canvassing.