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Before I had children I was a Community Safety Manager for many years, and part of my job was to reduce crime by dispensing safety advice to residents about how they could protect their property.
Protecting your home against burglary
Having your property burgled is not only a costly and inconvenient experience, but can be a traumatic one. Many people report that being burgled is the most horrific intrusion on their personal safe space, and it can have many knock-on effects with mental health.
Unfortunately with austerity measures come rising crime rates, and burglary usually spikes around Christmas time when houses are full of new and exciting technology and expensive gifts all handily stacked in one place under the tree.
Of course, it is essential to have a complete home and content insurance policy which will allow you to replace any items that are stolen and allow you to get locks fixed and home secured should the worst happen.
Here are some tips for protecting yourself from becoming a victim of burglary this festive season:
1) Ensure your locks are up to scratch, and use them
Front doors should be always be fitted with a five lever mortice deadlock which meet British Standard 3621 or European Standard EN12209.
If you happen to lose your keys, then make sure that you get the locks changed as soon as you can; there are thousands listed on google so whether you are looking for a Doncaster locksmith or someone in Sussex, you should be able to find someone to call out quickly.
Patio doors – the burglar’s favourite – come with good locks these days but older ones might not be as secure. If in doubt, they can be fitted with additional alarms.
3) Don’t make it easy for them
Simple advice but important none the less: Close windows and lock them when you’re out.
Obviously this is less likely to be a problem in the middle of winter, but it’s worth remembering. The vast majority of burglaries are committed by opportunists, and they will go for the house that is easiest to access.
Even a small window left open, particularly on the ground floor of a house, can give a burglar a way in.
Additionally, make sure you tidy away things like ladders which could be used to gain access to windows.
3) Plant spiky shrubs around your borders
Put off potential burglars by making your borders inaccessible; berberis and pyracantha, holly and juniper can all deter lazy intruders because they hurt to stand on!
Here are 30 such plants to consider for your garden; if you have children or dogs then exercise a bit of common sense and make sure they’re planted at the back of borders next to the fence.
4) Install security lights
PIR lights with infrared motion sensors can stop a would-be intruder in their tracks, and they don’t cost a lot to buy, so use them!
They’re also really handy when you’re unloading the weekly shop in the dark…
5) Have a visible home alarm system
A home alarm system can deter burglars as well as making your house insurance cheaper.
Stickers on your property alerting potential intruders to the existence of a wireless alarm system should be enough to put them off trying, but if not the sound of an alarm definitely will!
6) Consider CCTV
These days, CCTV needn’t be an expensive outlay with many home CCTV kits on the market which you can install yourself. Ensure that these cover your own property only or your CCTV system will become subject to data protection laws; read the ICO guidance here.
We have recently invested in a Ring video doorbell which alerts you and records footage and allows you to speak and hear sound when someone approaches your front door – even when you’re away from the property.
It’s proven to be really handy so far for receiving packages, but should someone try to enter the property the footage can be sent to the police and used as evidence.
7) Collapse boxes
Don’t advertise to everyone that you have a brand new 50-inch smart TV by leaving the box outside in your driveway, as it might be just too tempting for some!
8) Leave lights on when you go out
Timer switches which turn lights on and off cost a few quid, and are a great investment if you’re away over the Christmas holidays.
They also work on TVs and radios, and can give the impression that somebody is inside the house, which should deter a potential thief as they definitely don’t want to come face to face with anyone!
9) Don’t advertise when you’re away on social media
Telling the world that you’re away from home and that your property is empty is a bad idea!
It could also invalidate your house insurance if people know that your property is uninhabited.
10) Plan ahead if you go away
Make sure that you cancel milk and newspapers as these are a telltale sign to burglars that no one is home.
Ask a friend or relative if they can pop in every few days to collect any post which could be building up, or invite them to come and stay in your house while you’re away.
11) Don’t forget your shed
If you keep expensive equipment in you garage, outbuilding, shed or garden office then it pays to make sure that these are well secured and covered by any alarm or CCTV system that you already have.
Once a burglar is in your back garden, they can go about their business unseen so ensure that access to the back garden is closed off; a 6ft bolted gate on the side of your property should do the trick.
Wishing you a happy – and secure – Christmas period!
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