Burglary
Alleygating
The Alleygater’s Guide to Gating Alleys
Burglars prefer to break into a house through the back door or window or at the side. Only 15% of domestic burglaries use the front doors or windows. A criminal can use the alleyway at the back of a terrace without having to be seen, even in broad daylight. A lockable gate to the alley that burglars can’t climb helps to keep the number of burglaries down. In some parts of London, it’s been demonstrated that a gate can bring down the number of rear access burglaries by up to 90%
Gates Work
People in a small West London estate decided to make their homes harder to burgle. They asked the local Crime Prevention Officer for advice. They paid for and put in place three strong, lockable gates to block off the network of alleys behind their houses. Eight more gates were soon put in place.
The gates had a dramatic effect: the number of houses broken into fell from 81 to 24; the number of times burglars came back and broke into the same house fell from 15 to 2. Gates are now being put in place all over the estate.
The Alleygater’s Guide
The Alleygater’s Guide to Gating Alleys contains a great deal of information about the effects that gating can have on communities. It discusses how local residents can go about putting a scheme into effect. The guide even contains a sample letter that can be used by prospective scheme leaders to consult with other residents on their estate.
The leaflet includes sections on
gate design and locks;
the cost of purchasing and installing the chosen gates;
planning permission and public rights of way - the gate may form part of a footpath, in which case agreement must be made with the Highways Authority to de-adopt the path;
providing access to council workers and the emergency services; and
a suggested timetable for residents planning to install gates on their estate.
Download The Alleygater’s Guide to Gating Alleys 
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Last update: Tuesday, October 31, 2006