The gendarmerie calls for vigilance, after an increase in burglary attempts in recent days in the east of the Somme. While in July, the Péronne company recorded an average of three attempts per week, on the days of August 16 and 17 alone, seven events were recorded within its jurisdiction. “Mainly in the Péronne sector, that of Chaulnes, with even an extension in the Moreuil sector”details the squadron leader Guillaume Arnaud, commander of the company.
The facts occur when the inhabitants are not in their homes, each time with an identical operating procedure, since cleaning products are then dumped inside the homes, in an attempt to remove all potential traces. left behind during burglaries. The criminals leave with cash, but also sometimes jewelry or bottles of alcohol. The track of itinerant delinquency, at a regional level, is favored by the investigators.
A spike in burglaries
If burglary attempts do not occur only in summer, the period remains favorable: “On average over the month of July, to give you an example, we were more than three burglaries per week. There, we had seven in the space of two days. Indeed, it is a peak“, confirms squadron leader Guillaume Arnaud. If for the moment, no one has been arrested, the gendarmerie provides some advice to limit the risks.
“You have to secure your home when you’re away. Protecting and reinforcing access is a first step. We close the shutters, the windows. When we leave, we close our gate and that’s as many obstacles as are imposed on criminals. Nor should tools be left outside the home which would facilitate the break-in, nor ladders which would allow burglars to hoist themselves up to the first floor.“, lists the commander of the Péronne company. It is also not recommended to hide keys nearby, or to let the mailbox fill up when you go on vacation.
Another point of attention, social networks. While it may be tempting to post videos of his stay, “we have burglars who are very well informed on social networks and who can take advantage of this to come and visit”, emphasizes squadron leader Guillaume Arnaud. In the event of a somewhat long absence, the solution can be the holiday tranquility operation, with the passage of a police or gendarmerie patrol regularly around the home.
What to do in case of burglary?
When you are a victim, it can be tempting to rush to check what has been stolen. A very bad intuition, for the commander of the company. “The first thing to do is not to touch anything to preserve the traces and clues as much as possible, so that the investigators finally have the most traces to exploit. Afterwards, it is of course necessary to warn the 17th immediately so that we can ascertain the facts.