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Dear Santa,
I would really like the following this year:
• Houses with lots of new, expensive items in them
• Said items to be left in a really easy-to-find place, all together
• These houses to be unoccupied for most of the time
• Owners of said houses to be distracted enough to be pretty slack about locking up
It’s not too much to ask; I got all this last year and while I realise I have been a naughty boy, it didn’t stop me getting a lovely haul then and I never got caught.
Lots of love, your local burglar xxx
PS Cash and gadgets are my faves so plenty of those would be great
We don’t all get what we ask for at Christmas but this is a typical wish list for most burglars and they nearly always get what they want. They do put in the hours though; some even work on Christmas Day.
The problem is, a great Christmas for a burglar can mean a terrible Christmas for you. Don’t let them take what you have worked hard all year to get for your family.
Foiling them just requires a bit of common sense. Use this check list to make sure they don’t get their wish list:
- Don’t leave all your presents under the tree any longer than necessary. Bring them out on Christmas eve and then put them away once they’ve been opened on Christmas Day (harder for burglars to find plus it makes your house so much tidier!)
- Don’t leave the curtains open to show off the tree. If you can see the tree from outside, chances are you can spot the presents too
- Always check that doors are locked when you go out. We’re in and out of the house a lot at Christmas; visiting people, going to parties, cheeky drinks down the pub etc. Be vigilant at keeping the doors locked when you leave
- Keep the doors locked when you’re in. It may be lovely at Christmas to have an ‘open house’ where family, friends and neighbours can just call in but if it’s open to friends, it’s equally open to intruders
- Make your house looked occupied when you go out. Leave a light on or even the TV or radio. Lights on timers work well if you’re going to be away for a while.
- If you have a burglar alarm, use it! You would be surprised how many don’t bother to set it and it could potentially invalidate your insurance if you don’t take all reasonable measures available to you to protect your home.
This year, let the burglar have the kind of Christmas he really deserves: don’t give him anything he asks for and make sure he’s definitely on the naughty list!