Table of Contents
If you make it easy for them
It’s nearly the end of the school year and while we all start to relax a little and unwind, opportunistic burglars get ready for ‘open season’. You see, the summer offers so many chances for them to commit quick, sneak in burglaries that they go on high alert.
Here are the main danger areas:
Hanging the washing out
If the weather is warm we all like to get our washing out on the line but that 15 minutes out in the garden can be all the time a burglar needs to sneak in any unsecured doors or windows and make off with any valuables that are to hand. Make sure you keep front doors locked and windows closed while you’re out in the garden. If you have a large garden, or you can’t see the back door while hanging the washing out it’s even a good idea to keep this door locked as well. It may seem over-cautious but burglars have been known to gain access if confident that they can’t be seen
BBQs/garden parties
If you and your guests are out in the garden you could be some distance from the front door and noise from conversations and music would make it difficult to hear. You may even opt to leave the door unlocked so that any guests arriving can let themselves in. These are perfect conditions for a break in – easy access, lots of noise to cover their entry and perhaps even a choice of jackets with wallets/car keys and handbags within easy reach of the door. Make sure you keep doors and windows locked if you’re outside. If you’re concerned that you won’t hear your guests knocking then maybe consider getting a wireless doorbell that you can plug in somewhere that you can hear or just ask them to come directly to the back if that’s an option
Kids playing out
We’d probably all acknowledge that it’s better for kids to play out than sit looking at a screen during the holidays but just be aware of the potential chances you could be handing to an intruder. If kids are playing in the street then you’ll want to make sure they can get back in the house whenever they come back. If you do leave the door unlocked or open, make sure you’re in that part of the house. It’s all too tempting to make the most of them being out of the way to go upstairs and do jobs but this could leave you vulnerable. Perhaps, if the children are older and responsible, make sure they take a key or if that that they understand the door may be locked when they return and they will have to knock on the door/ring a bell to be let back in. If you need to go out to get them in then lock up, even if it’s just a few minutes or they’re not far away
Gardening/sunbathing
Just as with the other activities you may be doing in the garden, if you don’t lock up you could easily be enabling an intruder and it could even be several hours before you would know that they’d been in.
Ice cream van
An ice cream is a great treat in the summer and most of us would dash out to catch the van before it disappears but remember, if you’ve heard the chime then so has anyone else around that may be looking for their chance. It’s worth potentially missing out on the ice cream to take a minute to secure your home before you run out for your 99
So really, the advice is pretty much the same for all these scenarios – keep the front door locked at all times and be aware of the dangers at the back door as well – always locking it if you leave that area of the house or garden.
Some might argue that there’s little chance of doing any of these things with the weather we’ve been having but perhaps that might make people all the more likely to forget common sense on those rare occasions that the sun does show its face?!
By all means, use the summer to relax and have some down time but don’t let the sneak in thieves spoil it because of your own oversight.
See our burglar alarm review article.
If you need further security advice then call us on 0345 833 5543, e-mail us or call into our security shop in Wakefield.