Three burglars broke into a family home in Radlett and threatened the victims before taking a safe and a vehicle.
The aggravated burglary took place on Monday, December 17 in Beech Avenue between 8.30pm and 9.15pm.
A police statement read: “Three men carrying screwdrivers forced a door in Beech Avenue in Radlett on Monday, December 17 and demanded money from the house owners. They stole cash, an android tablet, mobile phone, jewellery, credit cards and a black VW Polo.”
The incident was one of several similar occurrences in Hertsmere around that time.
St Albans detective inspector Alexandra Warwick said: “We are keen to trace three men, possibly Irish or Eastern European, wearing baseball caps or beanie hats, possibly travelling in a dark coloured BMW or Passat. Please continue to call us on 999 if you suspect a crime is in progress – or 101 if you are reporting something retrospectively. The offences have become more daring with the threat of violence but fortunately no-one has been injured.
“We have received additional operational support from other teams in the county to help catch the burglars and we have had some success from residents who have captured people acting suspiciously on their video door bells and CCTV systems with burglar alarms disturbing opportunist offenders.
“My team and I take these burglaries personally. We will not rest until we have caught these unscrupulous thieves. We do not believe that these burglars seek to confront homeowners but they are brazen enough to do so when they find them unexpectedly at home. We, in line with the rest of the country, tend to see an increase in burglaries when the clocks go back in October but that didn’t happen this year. However, December has been very unusual, with 44 burglaries this month, with at least half of these targeting Asian households, we think for gold.”
She said: “The majority of burglaries have occurred during the daytime, in particular as it is getting dark. Think about leaving lights on and using timer switches and consider leaving a radio on to make your house seem occupied.”
She said: “We continue to arrest and interview suspects and are thoroughly investigating all burglaries. Always report any suspicious incidents to police on 101. If you suspect a burglary is in progress, always call 999. We would rather turn up to a call with good intention than risk a burglar escaping. Please call us if you have witnessed anything that may help us solve these recent crimes.”
Any witnesses or anyone with information should contact Hertfordshire Constabulary on the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference 41/66925/18.
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