Gardaí in Miltown Malbay have issued an appeal to the public for their assistance with their investigation of a robbery in West Clare.
This incident took place in Coore, Milltown Malbay last Wednesday evening just after 9pm. The injured party was at home when two males came to the door. A distressing ordeal followed and the perpetrators fled the scene in their vehicle.
Crime Prevention Officer for Clare, Sergeant Catríona Holohan said: “This was a distressing experience from the homeowner. We are appealing to anyone that was in the Coore area, between Miltown Malbay and The Hand to think back to last Wednesday night.
Did you see a vehicle in the area, do you have CCTV or a Dash-Camera on your vehicle. If you have any information, please contact Milltown Malbay Garda Station on 065 7084222.”
Gardaí have offered the following crime prevention advice to homeowners.
Most intruders entering your property will enter through a door or window. Leaving windows or doors open, unlocked or improperly secured offers little or no obstruction to the intruder. Whether an intruder gains access to your home, through your external doors, may depend on the strength of the construction material, the quality of the locks and the proper fitting and installation of the door. Intruders will identify the physical weaknesses of entry points and choose their targets based on ease of access and reduced chances of getting caught.
There are many types of external and most are commonly fitted with a multi-point locking system and when certified to EU standards they generally offer a high degree of security protection.
Patio doors are generally either sliding or double leaf ‘French Doors’ – sometimes known as ‘French Windows’. A security weakness with sliding patio doors may be found in their fitting along the running rails where the doors could be lifted and removed. Approved anti-lift devices should be fitted. Security bars or security products which cuff the door handles internally to prevent the doors being parted, even if the locking mechanism is forced, are also strongly recommended.
Keys should be stored safely. Avoid leaving them in their locking mechanism. They can be used by a trespasser to deny you entry to your home. Additionally, they can be stolen or removed and copied. In the case of doors where entry or exit is solely key-controlled, it is imperative that the location and safe storage of these keys is known to all the occupants in the event of a fire or emergency evacuation. Keys should always be kept accessible to occupants, but out of reach of potential trespassers or burglars
The front access door to any home should be fitted, where possible and appropriate, with the following additional security features:
Door Viewer, which should be wide-angled, that will allow the occupant to identify callers before the door is opened.
Consider using a doorbell incorporating CCTV.
Door Chain or Limiter, which allows the occupant to restrict the complete opening of the door until desired.
Hinge Bolts which will strengthen the door against forced entry.
Letter Tray/Restrictor to prevent car key fishing.
Garages and Sheds Garages and sheds used for storing valuable property should be properly secured. Padlocks are recommended and consider connecting your garage or shed to your house alarm.
If employing a locksmith when repairing, replacing or adding locks they must be licensed by the Private Security Authority. The contact details of a local locksmith can be found on www.psa.ie