Police from Brent borough in London are urging local residents to take care of their valuable jewellery, especially when they are out of their homes during forthcoming festivals such as Diwali and Navratri.
Brent officers are stepping up their patrol strategy around community areas and temples where members of the Asian and Hindu communities congregate in a bid to curb jewellery theft both on the streets and at their homes whilst they are out celebrating.
Pedestrians and home owners are being asked to take simple steps to help themselves from becoming a victim. While overall crime in Brent continues to fall, robberies and burglaries tend to increase at the same time as the darker nights are drawn in and the clocks change. One of the factors that contribute to this is a rise in the theft of gold jewellery being sold for cash through the second-hand market – largely driven by the high value of gold.
Over the next few months popular festivals such as Navratri and Diwali will be marked across Brent with many thousands of families joining together to celebrate. Unfortunately, at this time of year, we see an increase in robberies and burglaries largely due to more gold and jewellery being worn as the local community travel across the borough to celebrate.
To help reduce robberies and burglaries of this kind Brent officers are urging residents to take a few simple measures to protect themselves. Throughout the year and in particular during religious festivals we are asking people to keep vigilant and make sure your possessions are secure. We also advise the following:
* Do not wear valuables in public. Cover them up so as to not attract untoward attention when in public.
* Store high-value goods in a safe when you are not at home. Remember to secure the safe to the floor or wall.
* Photograph any items of jewellery separately. This will assist insurance companies and the police in their recovery.
* Where possible, and if you are wearing or holding valuable items, always travel to and from your celebration in a group using well-lit streets. Try to avoid walking alone.
* If you drive, keep your car locked and remember where it is parked.
* Consider the use of Property Identity pens and unique encoded traceable liquids.
Chief Inspector Nick Davies of Brent Partnerships said: “Brent Borough police are investigating the recent spate of robberies around the Neasden temple and are concerned about the disproportionate number of crimes committed against our Asian Communities.
“Clearly the religious festivals, the overt wearing of valuable jewellery and the periods when residents are away from their homes to attend festivals and events is an opportunity for some members of the criminal fraternity to seize the opportunity. Our aim is to make it as hard as possible for them to identify and target individuals and their homes. We will respond robustly to those responsible for committing these offences and thoroughly investigate these crimes.
“Engaging and working with our communities is key to this and I am confident our communities will work with us to reduce crime and identify offenders. If you have any information about these robberies, please call us on 101 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111”.