Fallowfield Crime Stories
Fallowfield is the student metropolis of Manchester with 65% of the 85,000 students living in Manchester being based in the area. Fallowfield attracts students because its cheap bars and the University campus being right on its doorstep. The area is also targeted by criminals however and is a hotspot for burglaries and muggings. A recent survey showed that I in 4 students have their houses burgled every semester with the average student knowing at least 5 people that have been burgled in the area.
We at Be CCTV Aware, wanted here the stories of some of the students that have had their belongings taken and houses broken into. We took to Facebook on the ‘Fallowfield Student Group’ to ask.
Harry Powell’s Story:
Harry Powell is a History student, he lives with 8 other students on Victoria Road in Fallowfield, it was a normal student night when they decided to go for a few drinks. The did all the normal checks as they left, locking all the doors windows in the front and rear of the house. Harry however left his laptop on his desk in his room, his room is on the bottom floor of the house and faces the road, the laptop is in clear view of anyone passing by. The night however continues, and the boys all go out for a drink.
Whilst they are out a man spots Harry’s laptop through the window, he picks up a brick from the side of the house and smashes the window.
Harry and his friends return later on to find the house in a state, Harry’s valaubles in his room have all been taking including his laptop, television and games console. The door is wide open and other persetions arre taken from arround the house too. The house wring the police.
The police ask whether they can tell them anything about the identity of the thieves, and wther the house have any CCTV cameras installed. Unfortunatly the house have not security feattures installed in the house and could not tell the ploice anything about the burglars identity. A last stitch attempt was made by the police find any witnesses that may have seen the person who committed the crime but it came to nothing.
In this case the police could not help Harry and his housemates as he does not have a sufficient amount of evidenece to show to the police. This is a contineus problem with student housing in Manchester, a recent survey shows that over 70% of the student accomidation in the area does not have CCTV equipment installed.
This coud turn out to be a bigger problem as more and more thieves will get away with their crimes.
Millie Southgate’s Story:
Millie is a Drama student in Manchester she lives with 4 other students from her course. Her and her fellow housemates left the house to go into uni last spring, their was a heatwave happening so she left one of her windows open to let some air in. Millies room is on the second floor so it would take a lot of effort to find a way into her house. Atleast that’s what she thought.
During the three hours that she was away the house two hooded men scaled the back of Millies house and through her window. They stole everytjing that they could find including expensive jewelry that Millie was given by her grandparents. The trail of distructtion was continued throughout the house into her friends rooms and then back out the window that they came from.
When Millie came back there was nothing she could do the house was turned up side down. The only thing she could do is wring the police. Again the first thing the police asked was if their was any chance of any evidence that could help them track down the thieves and hopefully get their blelongings back. That’s when she remembered, her property was lucky wnough to have a Bullet type CCTV Camera facing the front and back of the property. The caameras were able to pick up footage of the the criminals scaiing the back of heer house and into her bedroom window. The footage showed that the mewere both white in ethnicity and that one was around 6’2 in height and theother was around 5’11. The camera also picked up what they were wearing and although the men were hooded their were clear images of their faces.
The police had a sufficient amount of evdence and within a week of the incident the two men were found and procecuted, Millie and the other girls belongings were not found however.
There is a clear lesson that you can take from this and that is is even if your room is on the second floor of your house you still need t take extra care with the lokcing of windowns and doors because even with the evidence that the police were able to collect, you may still not be able to gt your possesions back.