Dordogne villages suffer burglaries: How to protect your property

Residents in Dordogne are warned to stay alert and take protective measures after a spate of burglaries reported in the past week.

A gendarmerie investigation is now underway to find the criminals, and to raise awareness among locals.

The burglaries mainly happened in remote homes that were empty as residents were away for Christmas. The burglars broke in by smashing through shutters and windows, and stole jewellery, cash, and electronic devices.

Christmas break-ins have been reported in the villages of La Chapelle-Gonaguet, Tocane-Saint-Apre, Montagrier, and Saint-Victor. 

One burglary was discovered by the mayor of La Chapelle-Gonaguet, Franck Moissat, when he was visiting the area to deliver Christmas presents to a resident in her 90s.

Break-in signs

The perpetrators are thought to have identified properties that were empty over the Christmas period by using methods including the ‘letterbox paper’, which sees criminals half-post a piece of paper into the house’s letterbox. If the paper is still in the same place a few days later, it is likely that no-one is home.

Small changes like this at your home can be a sign that burglars are operating in the area, and are a sign to residents to take extra care, and report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.

Other signs may include:

• A small branch placed in front of a gate to check if the gate has been opened or not

• A coloured wire or cable attached to a front door for the same reason

• Any other unusual object deliberately placed on your doorstep to check if anyone has entered or exited

In all cases, if you notice anything like this at your home or at a neighbour's property, remove it immediately and report it to the police.

How to protect your property

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There are a number of ways that you can protect your property from burglary in France, particularly if you know you will be absent over holiday periods.

These include: 

• Checking your letter box and entrance way regularly (or having a neighbour check them) to see if there are any unusual signs, and to avoid post from building up if you are away

• Checking your neighbours’ properties for the same

• Signing up to the Opération Tranquillité Vacances service, which sees gendarmerie or police patrols check on your home regularly while you are away, to check for any disturbances or odd signs. You can sign up online or on the phone app.

• Giving the impression that someone is home, by using smart lights designed to come on at certain times

• Installing security measures, such as ‘unbreakable’ glass, a multi-point lock, and locks on shutters

• Remove tree branches and/or exterior items that could offer burglars access to upstairs windows

• Install an alarm and/or cameras

• Put your most valuable items in a safe, and take photos of them (as well as receipts), which will help with police reports if anything does go missing

• Ensure you have valid, up-to-date home and contents insurance

Police also advise you not to post on social media about being away from home, or being on holiday, until you are back home. Burglars could take advantage of these posts to find out which properties may be empty.

The gendarmerie also offers a service called Opération Tranquillité Seniors for those aged 65 and over. 

Officers can include their home on their patrols to be alert to anything suspicious, and can even visit the elderly person in their home regularly to check that they are safe and well.

They can also share tips to help an elderly person feel more secure in their home, and prevent burglaries or other security problems.

You can sign up (or you can sign up on behalf of an elderly relative) at your local gendarmerie. Again, you can check your closest station by typing in your post code on this page.