West Yorkshire Police release an anti-burglary campaign twice a year in spring and winter and the new spring campaign is now out. Last spring the campaign was all about the true cost of burglary and featured insights from convicted burglars. This year it focuses on one of the key factors in burglary – unlocked doors and windows. See the full details here.
This is something that we have warned about a lot but the stats seem to remain the same – 30% of burglaries happen via an unlocked door and 26% via an open window. Spring and summer represent a risky time for these ‘insecure’ burglaries due to warmer weather and lighter evenings when many of us like to spend time in our gardens.
People assume that their homes are safe in broad daylight when they are at home but if you are distracted in the garden – even if only for the length of time it takes to hang the washing out – that can be sufficient time for an opportunistic thief to sneak in and take any items to hand. Purses/wallets, gadgets and jewellery are all items that are easy to grab and are of value to the thief.
The campaign looks at the kind of things that can create ideal opportunities for burglars such as sunbathing, barbecues and hanging the washing out. The 3 posters demonstrate how easy it is for a thief to take advantage of you being outside, after all they only need a few minutes.
Of course, nobody is suggesting that you can’t enjoy your own garden. Should we ever get any sunshine (!) we want to be out making the most of it but you do need to take some sensible precautions. The most important being to keep doors locked and windows shut. We understand that that’s not ideal when the weather is hot but just use some common sense. If you’re out in the garden at the back, you don’t need windows at the front of the house to be open or consider getting some window limiters that restrict how wide they can open. Other advice includes:
- Don’t leave keys lying around where they can be reached via windows and letterboxes
- Don’t leave valuables on sight through windows
- Consider adding a door chime so you can hear throughout the house and garden if someone comes in
- Remove keys from the inside of locks on doors and windows
Hopefully some warmer weather is coming along (please!) so don’t let a sneak in burglary ruin your summer.
If you would like further security advice or are interested in secure locks or a burglar alarm then please give us a call on 0345 833 5543 or send us a message.
