Burglary has fallen by nearly 60% nationally
since 1995. In Cheshire, burglaries have dropped by 12.9% in the
last five years, which means there are now 592 fewer victims of
burglary a year than in 2005.
The county also has a crime rate which is
below national average. While this is good reason for you to feel
secure in your home, you should remain aware that criminals are
opportunists who will take advantage of any chance to steal from
you.
It is important that you do whatever you can
to deter burglars from targeting your home.
Keeping your home secure
How can I stop my property being a target for burglars?
Burglary is rarely a random crime. Most burglars are
opportunists and will select their target because it provides them
with the easiest chance to carry out a crime undetected and with
the fewest number of obstacles.
Figures show that you are ten times more likely to be burgled if
you don’t take basic steps to improve the security of your home.
That means that taking even simple measures can significantly
reduce the risk of being targeted by a burglar.
Stop potential burglars getting easy access
It might seem obvious, but 35% of burglaries happen because a
door or window has been left open or unlocked. Burglars do not need
a second invitation. Always lock doors and accessible windows. Do
not leave ladders outside where a burglar could use them to get to
an upstairs window. Make sure that side gates are kept locked to
prevent would-be burglars getting access to more secluded parts of
your property.
Make it as tough as possible for a burglar to get into your
house. Leaving garden tools out provides criminals with an easy
method of forcing entry to your house. Putting a spare key under a
mat or plant pot offers burglars an even easier way into your
house. Burglars will look in these places. You should also keep
keys away from the letterbox to stop burglars ‘fishing’ for the
keys and letting themselves into the property.
Don’t label your keys with your address. If you lose them, you
could be handing a burglar directions and access to your house.
If you live in a multi-occupancy property, be careful not to let
people you don’t know into the building. Burglars can easily get
into buildings by simply following residents through the door.
It is also important to consider access to your garage. Is it as
secure as your house? If not, would it be easier for someone to
break-in to your house once they were in the garage?
Make your home appear occupied
One of the best deterrents to burglary is somebody being in the
house. Even if there isn’t anybody at home, there are lots of
things you can do to give the impression that the house is
occupied. Draw the curtains and leave a light on in the house when
you go out in the evening.
If you are leaving the house unoccupied for longer, install
timers which switch lights or radios on and off automatically. Make
sure that milk bottles and parcels are not left on the doorstep,
and that letters and newspapers are not left in the letterbox. Ask
a neighbour or relative to regularly clear the doorstop and
letterbox. You could also encourage someone to park on your drive
while you are away.
Keep your valuables out of sight
Burglars are unscrupulous people. Tempting them by leaving
valuables in view is asking for trouble. Don’t let them go window
shopping at your house.
Remember your car keys are valuable too and should always be
kept out of sight.
Make your property unappealing to burglars
Burglars want to make life as easy as possible for themselves.
Security lights above doorways are one deterrent. A darkened
doorway offers much more potential for a burglar to remain
undetected. Similarly, a property with high and untrimmed hedges
provides burglars with the reassurance that there is less chance of
them being spotted.
Alarms are useful as both a deterrent and to alert people if a
burglary does happen. A burglar will always favour a house without
an alarm over one that does have an alarm.
Even something as simple as a gravel drive can put off
criminals. Burglars are unlikely to take the risk of having to
tiptoe over a noisy surface.
Prepare for the worst
Make sure you are in the best possible position in case you ever
do become a burglary victim. Use an ultra-violet marker pen to
write your postcode on your valuable items. Alternatively, you
could use a unique, invisible forensic solution which can be
painted over your valuable items. If your items are recovered,
police officers will easily be able to return them to you.
Keeping photos of your valuable items is a very easy way of
helping with the search for any stolen items.
Check your insurance policy to make sure you know what level of
cover you have.
Sheds and garages
- Do not keep valuables, such as bicycles, in your shed.
- Consider fitting an alarm to your shed if you do plan to keep
valuables in it.
- Consider fitting an internal bar to secure windows.
- Use a hasp and staple with padlock on doors. For added
security, bolt the padlock to the door and frame.
- Use anti-tamper clutch-head screws on external hinges and apply
glue to the screw heads.