CITY BURGLARIES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1494, 17 July 1912, Page 5

CITY BURGLARIES.

'PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY.

. (By "Watchman.") Wellington has been extremely fortunate during the past year or two in the absence of serious crimes against property, a;a<l this at a time when'burglary has bean particularly rife in centres near and far. Wellington's sufferings have been insignificant, but. it is just at such times that an extra spirit of alertness should infect both the police and- citizens, for these waves of crime, according to past experiences, have a habit of spreading like an epidemic, and just when immunity appears to exist the assault is most likely to be made. » The writer dees not wish to' appear aa an alarmist, but would rather impress on the public that to be forewarned is to by forearmed, and, as the winter months ore always selected as tho most opportune "season" for the Bill Sikos faculty, it is as well to "watch out," as tho Americans say. A police officer, with a good experionce of Wellington, remarked to a Dominion, reporter recently that tho number of dubious characters.'in the city at 'tho present time was abnormal. During tho winter the class referred to was usually supplemented by some who were induced to work in the country during the summer months, but who, rather than work on at bush-falling and other winter employment in the backblocks,- generally decided ■to take pot-luck iu the city, and when idle in town were not the most desirable residents. Within the past few weeks tho premises of threo business jiouses on the western sidp' of Lambton Quay have been entered at; night time, with comparative ease. This should be a good and suf-' fieient warning to tradesmen throughout the city, not to neglect at least tho ordinary safeguards against burglary. \ •In tho case of tho burglary at Hilbahd Sons, the exit of the' two men who got away was checked for a time by the heavily-barred window of the back office,, and they bad perforce to turn their attention hurriedly to other means of making their way out of tho building, which, they were able to do owing to the struggle between Constable Thompson and his prisoner. The moral here is that bar'red windows are am effective barrier against ordinary burglaries, and in thoso nlaccs where goods aro slored that are likely to tempt tho burglars, tho windows should be barred at least on the ground floor cither inside or .out Another pretty effectivo manner of preventing trouble of the kind, now fairly commonly adopted, especially in the case of jewellery shops, is;. when practicable, so to arrange the interior that practically the. whole' of the shop shall be visible from the street, and (o keep the, lights burning within all night. This to a great extent places, the premises under tlie suryeillance of the'police, and night-watch-nieh, whereas' in.unlinhted premises almost anything could, ba done without the suspicion of the. passer-by being aroused.