Table of Contents
What comes to your mind when you think of a burglary? Is it a conniving character or two, wearing all black, breaking into your house in the middle of the night? While most of this description is true, there is so much more to it that you do not know.
Burglaries are traumatising, to say the least, and with them on the rise in the UK, the first step towards taking action is being informed about how they happen in the first place.
Here are the key facts and statistics on burglaries throughout the UK to help you make informed decisions about your safety and security:
ONE BURGLARY HAPPENS EVERY 108 SECONDS
As baffling as that may sound, it is astonishingly true. In the UK, burglary is one of the most common crimes committed, with one happening every 108 seconds. That means there are on average 34 burglaries committed every hour. When you add it all up, that’s 816 burglaries in a day!
We’ve all heard stories of someone being burgled and it’s becoming too common now. If you’re thinking that it’ll never happen to you and that these are just stories to tell; you are wrong. A burglary is a very serious crime and can happen to anyone. Even you.
Thankfully, taking the right security measures at the right time can help you immensely in that regard.
MOST BURGLARIES HAPPEN DURING THE DAY
Whenever you imagine a burglary in your head, it’s always during the night-time, isn’t it?
Most probably during the wee hours of the night. Well, the truth is far from it. Contrary to popular belief, while a lot of burglaries do take place during the night, most happen during broad daylight, specifically between noon and 4 pm.
The reason is that the afternoon is a prime timeframe when most people are away at their day jobs, and their homes are practically empty. Burglars do their research well beforehand to identify any opportunities, such as this, and break into your residence when there’s a high chance of no one being there.
It’s very likely for them to get unwanted attention if they’re lurking around your property at night. During the day they can just pretend to be innocent pedestrians or someone who’s lost their way.
58% OF THE TIME SOMEONE IS HOME DURING A BURGLARY
According to The Telegraph, more than half the burglaries take place with someone inside the house! Burglaries in empty houses sound terrifying. One can only imagine how much worse it would be with someone present inside.
Even though burglars do their research beforehand to ensure there are no obstacles during their burglary, often, they find someone inside. That could be because most elderly people stay at home during the entirety of the day and because more people are adopting the work from home lifestyle.
When burglars encounter someone inside, they normally resort to physical and mental assault, which is a significant cost to bear, in addition to the valuables lost.
THE AVERAGE BURGLARY COSTS AROUND £3,030
A burglary will cost you – and we are not just talking about the obvious monetary losses here. There’s a lot of costs attached to it than just the valuables lost.
The Office for National Statistics puts the average cost of a domestic burglary around £3,030, out of which £1,400 is the property stolen or damaged. That is a huge amount and it’s more than enough to put someone in a financial crisis.
In addition to financial losses, there are huge losses faced in terms of mental trauma and loss in productivity. Approximately, £1,190 is the reduction in the quality of life of the victim due to the physical and emotional trauma suffered as a result of the burglary.
The remaining £440 is money lost in terms of loss in productivity and time off work for victims of the crime.
There are other costs involved with such crimes such as defensive expenditure, insurance administration, health services, police costs, and additional CJS costs that take up the total of the average cost to a staggering £5,930!
BURGLARIES TAKE LESS THAN 10 MINUTES
Burglars want to get the job done as swiftly and discreetly as possible, which is why they tend to act very quickly without you knowing they were at your home.
Most professional burglars assess and evaluate the property before breaking in, giving them just the right information to get in and out in a matter of minutes, which is why they will specifically target places that are relatively easier to break into.
If you have no security and safety precautions in place, a professional burglar might be on his way back with all your precious belongings before you even get the chance to call the police.
MOST BURGLARS DON’T CARRY EQUIPMENT
Most burglars don’t carry equipment and tools for breaking in. Why?
Mainly because the possession of burglary tools is a criminal offence, even if they don’t break in and rob someone, and because it’s a hassle to carry tools and it might bring attention to the burglars.
How do they manage to break in then? This might be distressing to hear, especially for people who’ve been victims of burglary, but the answer is: with tools and equipment that you leave behind.
Intruders will look for handy equipment such as ladders and crowbars, along with other garden tools and furniture they can use to break-in. Large trees, shrubs, fences, and blind spots all contribute to helping burglars carry out their job successfully.
The solution is to not leave such equipment for burglars to use and to lock up garages and sheds that might contain such tools, trim large trees, and take care of any such blind spots.
67% BURGLARS BREAK-IN THROUGH A DOOR
The most common entry point for burglars to break into your property is through your door. What really comes as a shock is that 21% of the burglars don’t even have to “break-in”. The doors are unlocked, and they just walk in.
29% break-in through a window, out of which one-third of the burglars use an unlocked one.
While we know that a burglary can happen with even the most careful ones out of us, leaving doors and windows unlocked is just plain careless. It’s like willingly inviting intruders to enter your house and take your possessions.
For starters, all the doors and windows should be properly locked. Replacing old, lousy locks with sturdier ones is best practice, and, while you are at it, it would be wise if you were to replace any old doors and windows that you might think would be easy to compromise.
43% OF BURGLARS KNOW THEIR VICTIM
It’s a common perception that burglars are strangers who don’t know the victim or the house they break in to. While most of it is true, 43% of burglars know their victims and live close by. As scary as that may sound, it is a fact!
Most criminals target places closer to their homes, most likely in the same neighbourhood. This is mainly because they are more familiar with the area and can keep close tabs on their victims before robbing them.
Try not to give out your personal information to people you don’t trust and be alerted when someone pries too much.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BURGLED MORE
You might think that the most common victims that come to mind are the elderly. But the numbers suggest otherwise. The elderly experience the lowest rate of crimes, specifically in the case of burglaries.
A lot of older people worry about being victims of a crime, but it is demographic aged between 16-24 years, who are more vulnerable to burglaries.
This might be due to the fact that the burglars believe the young would-be more careless with their possessions and their properties would be easier to break into, which is why it is important for this demographic to seriously consider burglar-proofing their homes.
In addition to the young, burglars often target homes run by single parents.
THE MASTER BEDROOM IS THE FIRST TARGET
The majority of the population doesn’t know how and where to keep their valuables safe, and burglars are aware of this, which is why they head straight for the master bedroom.
The bedroom drawers, closet, and under the mattress are normally the first place they look for valuables, and lo and behold, that’s where they find them! Things like cash, jewellery, and personal information can all be easily found from there.
To avoid such easy scenarios for the burglars, keep your valuables stored in a safe, or keep them in places where they are unlikely to look, such as the kid’s bedroom, the pantry, the attic, or even the basement. If you have very high valued possessions, look into the option of depositing them into a bank vault, where you will be identified and your possessions will definitely be safe from burglars.
BURGLARIES ARE MORE COMMON DURING THE SUMMER
According to the West Yorkshire Police Department, the number of burglaries drastically increase during the warmer months, particularly during Summer. Apart from Christmas time during the winter, all the other months see a low trend in burglaries.
The reason why people see a spike in burglaries during summer is because most people tend to be on holiday and are away from their homes. Again, an empty house is like an invitation card for most burglars. They wait for the residents to leave so that they can strike.
Another reason is that during the summertime, a lot of people prefer opening the doors and windows to let fresh air inside, which is also a great opportunity for robbers to chime in.
BBQ parties are a common practice during summer and that’s when people generally let their guard down and are too distracted to notice someone break into their property.
MOST BURGLARS AREN’T AFTER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
The most stolen items are money, jewellery, gadgets, and car keys, to name a few. These are all things that we know and hear of. Some addicts even break in to steal medication.
But there’s something else that they can be after too. Your data.
You may not realize this yet, but in the 21st century, your data is the most valuable asset you possess and must be protected at all costs. People don’t just hack into your computers to access your data. They might be after physical data too. Data that you store and keep in your house!
Important and confidential documents such as passports, bank statements, credit card statements, and birth certificates can all be stolen to mine your data for future burglaries, cybercrimes and the lot.
BIG COUNTIES IN THE UK ARE MOST AT RISK OF BURGLARIES
The bigger the county, the riskier it is in terms of being targeted for burglaries. If you look at the percentages, West Yorkshire has the highest risk of burglaries in the UK, followed by Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Yorkshire, and Cleveland.
It’s a good thing you have Yorkshire’s leading independent security company to take care of all your safety and security needs.
63% OF BURGLARIES HAPPEN IN HOMES WITHOUT A BASIC SECURITY SYSTEM
That really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Since most burglars closely monitor the area they choose to break into, they make sure there aren’t any deterrents that get in the way of their burglary.
Properties with security alarms, cameras, and security locks lose most of their charm to burglars since they know that such places would be difficult to break into and because the chances of getting caught would be way higher.
Now that you have all the facts and statistics on UK burglaries in mind. You have the power to potentially help curb these crimes to a minimum. How? Read on to find out!
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?
You’ve worked too hard to build your life to have someone break into your house and steal it from you. You can be prepared to deal with, and even stop such situations from arising by following a few safety measures such as:
- Keeping the doors and windows always closed and locked with sturdy locks that don’t break easily.
- Leaving the lights on indefinitely might do you more harm than good, which is why it is best to use timers to make your house look occupied – even when it is not.
- Do not post about your travel plans or daily schedule on social media. Burglars look out for such information and use it to break into your property. Check your privacy settings on your social media while you are at it as well.
- Cut large trees and bushes that might be good hiding or climbing spots for burglars.
- Always keep your sheds and garages locked .
- Most importantly, consider investing in a good security system.
Luckily, Calder Security – Yorkshire’s leading independent security company, is here to help! We offer security systems for your home as well as your business.
There are quite a few security measures you can take to burglar-proof your property and we, at Calder Security, can help you with everything! We have:
We also have a lock and safe shop in Wakefield, where we sell a wide range of locks, safes and other home security items as well as offer key cutting services.
Reach out to us for your security and safety needs and make your home and business safe. After all, security is paramount in today’s bustling world.
Photo by Tobias Jussen on Unsplash