My cleaner has just emailed me warning of 4 breakins in Duquesa Village last week, all using keys.
She also had a distraction burglary on the 8th Nov. A stone was thrown to the patio door, when she investigated she spoke to a Spanish speaking man, an accomplice then entered her open front door taking her hand bag with passport, credit cards and quite a lot of money. (Her appt is in phase 1)
I was out in DV the weekend of the 3rd-4th Nov. There seemed to be no day time security. I saw a couple of guys driving round in an old white car. By the time I had found my car keys to go and see what they were upto they had disapeared.
Thefts seem to be off at least 3 different types
1. Patio door breakins with a view to breaking into the safe
2. Breakins using a copied or stolen key
3. Distraction burglary.
There is quite clearly more than one group opperating in our village, it seems to be a free for all, as everyone seems to know we have no daytime security and that entry is made even easier as none of the barriers are working and even when they are the guy at the top will let you in with no checks being made .
If people are able to drive into the village unchallenged these breakins will gather pace over the winter months when there is no one around. Duquesa Suites and Duquesa Fairways are both guarded as is the development by the port. You are unable to have a look round there without being challenged.
We need 24hr security urgently and those working at the top half of the village should not be allowed to drive through completed areas without good reason.
I now know of 7 breakins, they have all been during the day in broad day light. People walking or driving around our village need to be stoped and challenged.
It is easy to identify occupied properties... Just take a look at the planters. If there are plants growing, its occupied.
P.S. The iron mongers by Super Sol will sell you a new front lock/barrel for I think 30-40 euros. I changed my lock in 5 mins, you need to use a screw driver to take the barrel out first to look at the off set. You should get 5 keys with this barrel. It may not stop entry by a master key though!!! Fitting patio door locks at the bottom and possibly the top will prevent patio door entry. These locks can be seen from the outside if the shutters are left up and will also act as a deterant as well as actually stopping entry.
Andy Gibbs.