Chorlton supporters hit back at 'high burglary' tag

Yesterday I put up a post refuting claims that Chorlton is the UK's Burglary capital. This article appeared in today's Manchester Evening News in response to yesterday's media reports:

Chorlton NOT Burglary Capital

A number of residents have contacted me about alarming media reports suggesting Chorlton is the burglary hotspot of the UK. Residents often tell me that burglary is a major concern to them. This is a crime that always comes up in meetings with the local Police and I know it has been one of their local priority for a number of years. However crime statistics show overall crime is down in Chorlton including burglary.

The figures that have been reported are a massive distortion of the truth because they only reflect the number of insurance claims for burglary. Chorlton is an area where most people have household insurance and consequently they use it if they are unfortunate enough to experience a burglary. Many parts of Manchester are blighted by more burglaries but fewer residents have (or claim) on their household insurance so they are not represented so highly in the figures that have been reported.

Chorlton's Police Inspector, Paul Kinrade, sent me the following message today following the reports:

Burglary is undoubtedly a major challenge for my team, however there are far worse areas, within Greater Manchester, with significantly  higher burglary rates.  

The reality is, that overall crime, including burglary,  within your ward, has reduced, over the last 12 months, compared to the same period in 2012. Burglary is an onerous crime, which leaves an indelible impact on the victims, this is why it has and with always be one of my top priorities. 

We have made some significant arrests over the last few weeks, of individuals who have been preying on Chorlton residents. On a daily basis, I have staff out on the ground in both an overt and covert capacity, policing the area. 

Please ensure that you disseminate the reassurance message to the Chorlton community, it's a great place to live and my neighbourhood team are doing everything possible to ensure that it continues to be. 

These statistics give the wrong impression of our area. Chorlton is one of the most vibrant parts of Manchester and I know so many residents care about and get involved in the community. However I will make sure I continue to raise resident's concerns about burglary when I meet Police officers so that tackling burglary remains a top priority and we don't reappear in these statistics! If there's anything I can do to help or if you would be interested in setting up or getting involved in a Home Watch scheme please get in touch with me.

Chorlton Bike Sheds being targetted by burglars

I recently attended a meeting with Chorlton's Police Inspector. Sadly there has been a significant rise in the number of cases of 'Burglary Non Dwelling'. There have been 56 of these crimes in the present period compared to 8 in the same period last year.

Inspector Kinrade said that in most cases it meant burglars had been targeting sheds to steal bikes. This is in line with a massive increase in bike thefts across Greater Manchester.

To tackle this issue the Police have been taking preventative measures such as high profile patrols and monitoring places the stolen bikes are usually sold. The Inspector confirmed that there have been a number of arrests.

The Police are advising residents to get bikes marked up with UV pens and serial numbers and also to make a note of anything which is unique and distinctive about your bike (e.g. a scratch or dent). Residents are also advised to keep there bikes in as secure location as possible, preferably inside. The Police are going to organise another Bike Marking event in the near future. I will post details when I get them.

If you have had your bike stolen please make sure you report it to the police. You can also contact the Property Store at West Didsbury Police Station to see if it has been recovered or handed in.