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Thieves swiping kids' keys in new home break-in trend

Published: 27 Jun 11 08:55 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/34582/20110627/

Burglars in Sweden are employing increasingly daring tactics leading up to home break-ins, including sneaking into schools and stealing children's house keys and mobile phones.

Criminal gangs have become increasingly refined in their quest to break into Swedish homes. By rifling through the coat pockets and bags of Swedish schoolchildren, thieves can put their hands on both keys and mobile phones.

The criminals can then use information on children's mobile phones to help find their home address and use the keys to let themselves in and carry out their robbery.

Police in Stockholm have surveyed around 40 reports of lost keys during the spring, and 22 resulted in a robbery.

"My advice is to change the lock and go through the home as soon as someone in the family loses their keys," Tony Roshage of the Stockholm police told the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper.

In addition to stealing keys from children's belongings during the school day, burglars have also targeted school employees.

In one case, after stealing a staff member's home and car keys, thieves were able to use the licence plate number from an employee's car to find the address to which the vehicle was registered.

Because the burglars use stolen keys to enter their victims' homes, the robberies often go undiscovered for some time until someone realises that something is missing.

Roshage also warned that similar tactics could be employed at any public place, such as a swimming area or athletic field.

"Always keep an eye on your things and be careful about writing where you are using social media. Facebook is like candy for thieves," he told DN.

TT/The Local/dl (news@thelocal.se)

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09:28 June 27, 2011 by Grokh
And people get amazed when i say portuguese and brazilian schools are surrounded by fence or wall with a janitor at every entrance standing by for you to swipe your card to be able to get into school.

its just way to easy to do stuff like this in sweden and the swedes dont seem to realize it.
11:11 June 27, 2011 by johnny1939
What about looking the front door when classes are in session? Maybe it is an inside job?
11:33 June 27, 2011 by JulieLou40
I am amazed at the lack of security within Swedish schools. Absolutely anybody can walk in and wander around the schools. It's time they took a leaf out of the UK's book, before a disaster happens.
12:09 June 27, 2011 by Puffin
Well we may just be country bumpkins out here in Dalarna but att ALL the schools my kids have attended valuables for kids aged up to 13 have to be handed in at the start of the day and locked in a secure cupboard until the end of the day - older kids have lockers

I would hate for Swedish schools to become those horrible fortresses that exist in the UK where parents cannot enter without an appointment - I like having the right to attend school and observe what is going on

The article misses the point though in making the assumption that is it people breaking in to school - I had plenty of stuff stolen when I was at school in the UK including my purse during gym class from a locked room - pretty sure that most thefts were down to other kids!!!
13:18 June 27, 2011 by J Jack
That's why everyone should have a Rottweiler.
18:13 June 27, 2011 by Puffin
When I was a kid - there was a spate of so called "summer" burglaries in my area of the UK

Basically the criminals would work there way along back gardens and sneak into the house when people were not looking and grab handbags
20:20 June 27, 2011 by jostein
See no evil, hear no evil.
18:24 June 30, 2011 by Brianito
This happened to a very good friend of mine, I believe the insurance companies will not pay out for crimes like this because it very difficult to prove if there was an actual break-in. The police came and sent a report to the insurance company but in the end, it was a case of "prove that it happened" ..... It took months to sort it out and they only got a small payment from the insurance company. They have been paying insurance for years and have never needed it, that is until the break-in at their apartment. So let this be a warning to you all, to check your insurance polices to confirm that you are fully covered.
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