Oisterwijk takes the cake when it comes to Christmas burglaries. Nowhere in Brabant are burglars more eager to strike than in the village. For example, the chance of a burglary increases by 221.5 percent compared to a normal day of the year.
This is evident from figures that comparison website Independer requested from the police. In December and January, burglaries generally occur more often than on a normal day. But burglars prefer to strike on New Year’s Day.
A woman from Oisterwijk says she is shocked by the high burglary rate. “I think that’s a lot, that number. I didn’t expect that.”
“This is a golden age for burglars and criminals.”
Make sure you keep your valuables out of sight when you go on a Christmas visit elsewhere. “Because this is a golden age for burglars and criminals,” adds one man. “Besides, there are plenty of people here in Oisterwijk who have something to offer.”
A resident told Omroep Brabant on the street that he unfortunately spoke from experience. “If it happens to you, you’re very shocked.” He therefore immediately decided to purchase an alarm system. “Within a day. I now close everything properly, turn on the lights and have new locks.”
By the way, not everyone is so badly off. “I have to knock something off, but no one has been to us for the past 27 years,” says another woman. “I really like that.”
“Don’t wake sleeping dogs.”
Would Oisterwijk have any more tips to keep thieves out? One woman says she prefers “not to wake sleeping dogs.” She says she really does a lot about it. “But I’d rather not say anything.” Another says she always turns on the switch when she is not at home. “So the lights come on.”
In Oisterwijk and the rest of Brabant we have to wait a while for better times in terms of burglaries. The month of April sees the least amount of burglaries. In the meantime, you better take the right measures against burglaries. And if things do go wrong, definitely report it to the police, says Michel Ypma of Independer, otherwise you are not insured.
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