“LIKE a thief in the night” is a well known expression, but as a number of unfortunate Limerick people discovered recently, there’s a reason it is so well known.
Crime Prevention Officer at Henry Street Garda Station, Sergeant Ber Leetch, described how a woman in her forties who lives in the Kilfinane area met with disaster when she locked her car after returning home last Friday evening and left her car keys on the kitchen table before going to bed without locking her front door.
During the night, a criminal who was checking house doors and looking through windows in the area saw the woman’s car keys, walked in through the unlocked door, picked up the keys, and drove away into the night in her car.
“Real security is about layering up the security. Lock vehicles, sheds, doors, windows, store anything of value like the car keys out of sight, and set your house alarm,” Sergeant Leetch warned.
Elsewhere, a lady in her eighties from Kildimo got a bad shock when she woke up on Saturday morning and couldn’t find her handbag.
It was subsequently discovered that when she went to bed the night before, she had set her alarm but neglected to close a downstairs window.
“A criminal climbed in that window, saw the house alarm fob on her back door keys and turned off her house alarm. The criminal picked up her handbag and left the house,” the Crime Prevention Officer explained.
Sergeant Leetch also had some words from the newly launched An Garda Síochána Summertime Burglary Campaign.
The main messages of the campaign are “do not let your dream vacation turn into a nightmare” and “keep the surprises for your holiday”.
The advice is that, when at home or going out, turn on lights or use a timer. Lock and secure all windows and doors, set the alarm, store keys away from windows and letterboxes, and do not keep large amounts of cash or jewellery at home.
“And ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your house and park their car in the driveway while you are away,” Sergeant Leetch concluded.
Anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in their area is asked to contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or their local Garda Station.
