054 PROPERTY
Be house safe THIS SUMMER
During the summer months it’s all too easy to forget home security and leave doors and windows open, plus local property news
H
omes with no security measures in place are fi ve times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures. Good
window locks and strong deadlocks can make a big difference. But often during the summer months we just pop out without taking the time to make sure windows and doors are locked and our property is secure. The current Crime Survey for England
and Wales (CSEW) estimated there were 750,000 incidents of domestic burglary in a 12-month period, or around three in 100 households. More shockingly, recent research from Churchill Home Insurance revealed that once someone has been a victim of a burglary, there’s a good chance that they will be targeted again: 28% of people get burgled for a second time – in the same property, while they even had an 8% chance of being burgled a third or fourth time. There are a number of reasons for this. In some cases, if the burglar hasn’t been caught, and your home remains vulnerable, they will consider it an easy target. Other people just live in particularly
vulnerable areas: this may be a busy urban area where people come and go so often that burglars can be diffi cult to track down. Others live in buildings with multiple occupants, and once someone gains entrance to the building, it becomes relatively easy to get through internal doors.
Some live in leafy suburbs, where most people are out all day, and burglars know they can move around without being seen, and take their time. Others live in expensive properties within a stone’s throw of an area with a higher crime rate. It means offenders don’t have far to travel to fi nd rich pickings. Part of the problem is also the fact that one in 10 people who have been burgled say they didn’t take the opportunity to improve security at their property. A repeat offender would be able to use exactly the same method to get into their property. Taking just a few steps can make a big difference in keeping your home safe from burglary. • Don’t be tempted to leave any door open because you’ll just ‘be a minute’. All it takes is a few minutes
(remember a device could be used to hook keys through the letterbox), and do not stash them under plant pots or the doormat, which are obvious and easily accessible places.
ALL IT TAKES IS A FEW MINUTES OF DISTRACTION TO GIVE A CRIMINAL THE CHANCE THEY NEED TO ACCESS YOUR HOME
of distraction to give a criminal the chance they need to access your home. • Ensure your front/back door is well constructed: the fanciest locks in the world won’t save your possessions if someone can kick right through it. Solid wood or metal doors are a must for exterior entrances. • Check all your windows for locks, including upstairs. Ideally, you have more than one locking mechanism on the windows to keep them secure. • Hide all keys, including car keys, out of sight and away from the letterbox
• Get a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property and keep valuables out of sight. Leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied. Can you see any valuables, such as a television or computer, when you walk in front of your house? Get window treatments to block off casual viewers.
• Install good outside lighting. Make sure your property is well- illuminated at night. Put lights on all entry ways and walking paths. Motion detector lights are excellent for dark corners.
• Make sure the fences around your garden are in good condition. Your bushes give a burglar plenty of places to hide, and nearby trees can lead them right to your windows. Gravel pathways can be a deterrent. • Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable object inside a locked shed or garage.
• Keep ladders and tools stored away – don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home. • Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
