Practical Tips for Home Security 2018

After several years of reducing levels, since 2016, burglary numbers seem to be on the rise again! Here are some practical tips to help you protect your home Based on analysis of information sourced under the Freedom of Information Act, since 1995, the recorded incident of household burglary has been dropping steadily across the UK. In March of 1995 statistics indicate that 9 per 100 homes were burgled, a figure that dropped to around 2 per 100 homes in March 2016. A small upward trend in recorded burglary as measured in March 2017 (according to ONS - Office of National Statistics), - escalated to a 9% increase by December 2017 (source; Crime in England and Wales Report: Year Ending December 2017), with 2018 figures not yet available. With serious cuts to the number of Bobbies on the Beat and Community Policing, etc., there is now a real worry, that like the level of violent street crime, burglaries could be on the rise again. It is also likely that many burglaries go unreported, so we can`t afford to be complacent, especially as several Police Forces have already warned the public that they are unlikely to be able to attend Burglary incidents in view of the need to focus their diminished resources on more serious crimes! The reality is that it`s down to us as homeowners and occupiers to protect our homes and belongings – and remember, homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled than those with even simple security measures in place – so don`t wait to become a victim - Act Now! Here are a few practical tips that we hope will be of help; As a start, fitting good window locks and strong deadlocks can make a big difference to your home security. Other things to consider include: •Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even if you`re just pottering about in your garden. •Hide all keys (including car keys) away out of sight and certainly away from your letterbox (where thieves could use a hook through your letterbox to snag your keys and steal them). Many cars are stolen from home driveways by thieves first stealing the keys in this way. •Install a "Visible" burglar alarm as part of your security measures (dummy bell boxes are well past their sell by date, as most make it very obvious that you don`t have an alarm fitted, and whilst even a real burglar alarm may not prevent entry to your home, it will discourage any intruder from hanging around on site for very long!) •Install good outside security lighting – making sure that the lights cover key points of entry and preferably leave no dark areas for intruders to hide in. But do make sure that security lights are installed in a way that they won`t dazzle drivers approaching or driving past your home. •Ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property and do the same for them – and if there is not a neighbourhood watch scheme in place talk to your neighbours to see if they are interested in forming or joining one. •Leaving radios and / or timer controlled lights on in your house will help to make your home appear occupied even when it`s not. •Maintain the fences around your garden in good condition and keep hedges trimmed (hedges that are low enough to see over from outside of your property make it easy for a potential intruder to be spotted, making your home a less attractive target for them). •Secure bikes at home by locking them to an immoveable object inside a locked shed or garage if possible or to a secure ground or wall anchor outside. •Keep ladders and tools stored away; don`t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home. If you have no inside space for your ladder, chain it to a secure fixing such as a wall anchor, to prevent it being used by a burglar. •Make sure that any side or rear gates are kept locked to prevent easy access to the rear of your property and make sure that any rear fences or hedges are kept in good repair. •Security Mark your property and valuables. Items can be marked with your postcode and house number and your property can then be registered for free with "Immobilise". Special purpose designed marking pack such as those produced by Datatag are available for a wide range of applications from marking Motorcycles, jet-skis and personal watercraft, to horse saddles. •Don`t leave valuables in easy view from ground floor windows. Either remove them to a less visible location, or consider installing curtains or blinds at your windows. •High value items such as jewellery, passports, etc. should be stored in a properly secured safe, or if more appropriate in a bank vault.

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