"I don't want you to feel the way I did" - latest burglary prevention advice from Woking Borough Commander Ed Lyons

"I don't want you to feel the way I did" - latest burglary prevention advice from Woking Borough Commander Ed Lyons

“It won’t happen to me.”

This was a thought that crossed Woking Borough Commander Ed Lyons' mind before he discovered he had been burgled.

"Around 10 years ago, I was the victim of a burglary. Ironic that a police officer could be burgled however it can happen to anyone. This really impacted me and my family - it made me constantly worried, caused me to lose sleep and still is something I think about years later." He said.

“Therefore, I wanted to share a few ways to protect your home. I don’t want you to feel the way I did.”

Double lock doors and windows even when you’re at home or only stepping out briefly including your upstairs windows. Ed said “Whilst I might not be great with heights, we have seen that some of Surrey’s criminals are much better at climbing than I am.”

Use light timer switches to make your home look occupied when you’re away as well as check side gates, sheds and garages are secure.

Report suspicious activity - You can upload videos or photos to our Suspicious Activity Portal which means we can start to see emerging trends of criminality. Unfortunately, we can’t always reply to everyone that uploads footage, however please be assured this is reviewed and has helped gather evidence for cases.

Look out for each other - We actively patrol Woking, changing our beats to be present where we can, however we can’t be everywhere all the time. Therefore, one of the best deterrents is a community that look out for their neighbours.

Consider buying Secured by Design (SBD) products as they are a police-approved initiative that highlights security products such as locks, doors and alarms tested to meet higher standards. You can find more information on their website.

We attend every residential burglary reported to us and investigate them. Our officers and PSCOs regularly patrol along with attending crime prevention visits. Actively working with you and your local neighbourhood watch, we also visit areas that we have seen burglary trends to speak with residents on how they can keep themselves safe.

But we want to do more. Get in contact if you have seen any suspicious activity or visit our website for more crime prevention advice.

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Fiona McJarrow
(Surrey Police, Communications Assistant, Corporate Communications Team)