Many of us have the latest electronic gadgets,
computers, jewellery and must-have accessories in our home.
Unfortunately, this provides thieves with the perfect incentive to
commit burglaries.
But there are a number of precautions you can
take to protect your new gadgets and belongings from opportunistic
burglars.
Tips to secure your property
- Mark your property. Use an ultraviolet pen to
mark your items with your postcode and the number of your
house/flat or the first two letters of its name.
- Take pictures of all valuable items.
- Make a note of the make, model and serial numbers of
your items. This will help the police to identify them if
they’re stolen.
- Invest in motion sensor lighting to light up
the approach to your house.
- Dispose of gift packaging carefully. Make sure
you only put your rubbish out just before the collection and do
your best to fold boxes so they don’t advertise your new contents
of your home to thieves. Ideally take the packaging to a recycling
plant.
- Protect your identity and shred receipts and
personal information.
- Make sure your doors and windows are locked.
As tempting as it is during the festive period, don’t feed outdoor
light cables through windows as thieves will use this as a way of
getting into your house.
- Keep your curtains/blinds closed at
night.
- Make your home looked lived in if you’re going
away. Cancel milk and paper deliveries, use light timers to turn
lights on and off, and ask neighbours or a family member to pick up
your mail and open and close your curtains.
- Make sure your garage and shed are locked
securely. Any ladders that you leave outside are also
secured against something so burglars can’t use them to access your
house.
- Don’t hide keys under flowerpots or under door
mats as burglars know where to look.
- Use a house alarm if you have one.
Most burglaries are carried out by opportunist thieves. In
2 out of 10 burglaries, they don’t even have to
use force to enter your home – they get in through an open door or
window.
So make sure your windows and doors are locked.
Other ways to protect your property
More information can be found on the Secured By Design
website, which includes burglary
prevention and
Asset Marking and Recovery advice.