Warning to Limerick homeowners as thieves enter properties by upstairs windows
GARDAI are appealing to homeowners who may be visiting friends and relatives this Christmas to ensure the upstairs windows of their homes are properly secure.
There have been a number of burglaries reported to gardai in Limerick and around the country over the last few weeks where entry was gained by forcing an upstairs window.
"This is unusual in that the ground floor windows or doors were not tried; there were no marks of attempted entry on them. The houses all had alarms but they did not go off as many two-storey houses only have PIR beams in the landing but good perimeter security on doors and windows on ground floor," said divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch.
"The criminals guessed this and since they didn’t break the alarm beam, no alarm went off. They climbed straight into the main bedrooms where most people keep their cash and jewellery," she added.
The garda advice to residents is to consider more extensive alarming of upper levels of houses by way of additional PIRs to any upstairs room with a window and consider installing contacts on upstairs windows.