The last three months have seen more burglaries than usual in private homes.
Ole Geert Olsen and his neighbors have become more vigilant after the break-in at his home. 30 minutes ago
Thieves were at work in Ole Geert Olsen’s home while he was on holiday in Sweden at the end of June.
He had an arrangement with his neighbor, who was to water the flowers in the summer heat, and on the first evening of house-sitting, the neighbor discovered that an unusual number of drawers had been pulled out and cupboard doors were wide open inside Ole’s house – someone unauthorized had searched through them for valuables.
“It’s unpleasant to know that other people have been inside your home, looking and rummaging around,” says Ole Geert Olsen.
The neighbor got hold of Ole in Sweden, who immediately called his insurance company and later the police. They responded that same evening and confirmed that the thieves had forced their way into the house in Havnsø, West Zealand, by breaking open a window.
And with that, the homeowner in Hvalsø joins an unfortunate statistic. For the past three months – April, May, and June – there were 16 percent more reported burglaries in private homes compared to the same period last year, according to figures from Statistics Denmark.
According to the police, the increase may be due to a change in the crime pattern regarding burglaries in recent years.
“There is an increase in the number of organized criminals and traveling criminals who commit thefts and burglaries across the country, but especially in North Zealand,” says Lau Lauritzen, deputy police inspector at North Zealand Police.
“They take cash, jewelry, gold, and high-value electronic equipment. That gets stolen, and then there are others who arrange to have it shipped off, possibly out of the country,” he says.
Read also: More thieves at work than last year (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/flere-lange-fingre-paa-spil-end-sidste-aar)
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Missing instant coffee and close neighborly ties
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But the thieves apparently found nothing of interest in Ole Geert Olsen’s home. Despite a brand-new iPad and several lamps and furniture of value, they left the items untouched.
“I haven’t finished cleaning up because everything has been emptied out of binders and so on. But I have to conclude that nothing was stolen, because what they were after wasn’t there,” he says, suspecting the thieves were primarily looking for cash and jewelry.
On the other hand, there was a can of instant coffee on the kitchen counter that is no longer there, and which Ole suspects was taken in passing.
Ole Geert Olsen emphasizes that he does not feel unsafe after the break-in, but that it mostly puts him in a bad mood.
And he and his neighbors in the area have agreed to keep a slightly closer eye on things and help each other during the holiday season. For example, one of the neighbors will park their car in Ole’s carport when he soon leaves again.
“I’ve also had a fairly relaxed attitude about open and closed doors. If I need to go down to the store to buy a liter of milk or something, I don’t always lock up, but I do now,” says Ole Geert Olsen.
Besides good neighborly relations, there are several tips to make life difficult for thieves, who often strike during holidays, says Bent Nikolajsen, who advises on burglary prevention at Bo Trygt.
“The thief should think: This is too much trouble, I can’t be bothered,” he says.
“Send out all the signals you can to make it look like someone is home. That is simply the most important thing.”
This can include emptying the mailbox, keeping the trash can full, and having lights on in the windows in the evening. Get more tips in the article here:
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