Burglary – What is burglary and how can I best protect my home?

What is burglary?

Crimestoppers UK define burglary as “an unlawful or forcible entry or attempted entry of a residence for the purpose of committing a criminal offence, usually theft. Victims of burglary not only lose items of value, some of which are personal or irreplaceable, but the emotional shock of having your property invaded can be deeply upsetting.” (Crimestoppers UK)   

Intruders will look for a number of signs to detect that a home is unoccupied and some may take when the best opportunity should arise i.e. allowing post to build up whilst you are on holiday is a definite sign that your home is unoccupied. 

When are you most likely to be vulnerable?

• When you are away from your home such as being on holiday or even at work.

• When you are at home but either you are busy/distracted or asleep. 56% of burglaries happen at night. (Tesco Compare)

• The Christmas period is usually a vulnerable time of year for any household, as an intruder will know there is a high probability that there are new and expensive presents located inside your home, especially if they can be seen from a window!

Not all burglaries are opportunistic some may be premeditated by an intruder...

What is ‘Distraction Burglary’?

According to Crimestoppers UK, “distraction burglary is a form of burglary where the offenders trick or dupe the occupant or distract them, allowing co-offenders to gain access and commit burglary. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to distraction burglary.” (Crimestoppers UK)  

Thames Valley Police has put together a comprehensive leaflet about ‘Distraction Burglary’ and how best to deal with it. 

How can I best protect my home?

• Try storing bins and ladders away from the property as these might be used to access 1st floor windows.

• Never leave any valuables where they can be seen by a burglar i.e. in view of a window!  

• Don’t discuss any holiday plans on any types of open forums i.e. Facebook or Twitter. Posting details of when you will be away from your property will let any of your followers know that your home is potentially vulnerable.

• Keep out any unwanted guests – it is always a good idea to have a spy hole or door chain fitted as additional security.

• It can be a good idea to leave a light on or on a timer, especially during the darker evenings and if you are spending a night or week away from your home! Leaving a television or radio on is also a good alternative to leaving the lights on. Security products such as a light with a timer can be purchased in most DIY stores and online. 

• If you are going to be away for a long period of time ask the Royal Mail to hold your mail with their ‘Keepsafe™’ service - they will do this for up to 2 months. It is recommended to ask the Royal Mail to hold your letters as this avoids a pile up of post inside the front door which could be an invitation for an intruder as they will be able to see you’re away.  

• Store all sets of keys away from the front door! Whatever time of year it is, it’s always a good idea to have a key hook fitted internally away from the front door. Having a key safe fitted externally to your property may be a preferred option. 

• A letterbox cage/guard is recommended as intruders may use the letterbox to retrieve keys stored inside the house; this type of theft is referred to as ‘Key Fishing’. 

• Lights with sensors in the garden and front of your property will help to deter an intruder as they tend to be more confident when working in the dark. 

• Use a UV pen to mark any valuables, so if the worse was to happen it may help to make recovery easier.

• Check the locks on any gates or sheds and upgrade/replace if necessary. Make sure anything that can be used by an intruder to gain entry to your property, i.e. garden tools, are safely locked away.

• When leaving the property always remember to lock any doors and windows. The majority of intruders will use an unlocked door or window to gain entry to a house.

More security advice and tips can be found on our dedicated page www.keytek.co.uk/security-tips/

Are you aware of the crime levels in your local area?

Visit the ‘How Safe is Your Neighbourhood’ widget to see what levels of crime have occurred in your local area www.keytek.co.uk/crime-stats/national/.

Simply visit the URL, input your Postcode or Town into the dedicated field and click ‘Find’, which will then take you to a map hosted by Police.UK (www.police.uk) that highlightsspecific areas where various levels of crime have taken place, from anti-socialbehaviour through to burglary.

New Year Security Resolutions – Time to be more security conscious...

As part of your New Year’s resolution for 2014 it may be worth thinking about being more security conscious when it comes to the security of your home. 

 

When considering how you may want to upgrade the security of your home it is always a good idea to think like a potential intruder. The majority of intruders will look for the best opportunity to break into a property, some will even scope out a property prior to breaking in. Therefore it is important to think about how you can ensure that your property appears as if it is occupied at all times and that there isn’t anywhere external to your home anyone could hide i.e. high hedges or bins. 

Which advises that you ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it obvious when you're on holiday or away from the home? For example, are your curtains always shut or is there lots of unopened post?

• Are windows and doors left open, even if they're not easily accessible?

• Do your windows and doors have visible locks?

• How well lit is the outside of your home?

• Is there a spare key that’s easily visible, or easy to find, such as underneath the plant pot or above the ledge on the door?

• Are the lights on or off all the time, making it look like you're away?

• Do you have high walls and hedges, which could give burglars protection from being seen?

• Is accessing your house noisy for a burglar? For example, is there gravel?

• Are there any ladders lying around that a burglar could use?

• What equipment do you keep in your shed and garage? What is its value and can it be used to help someone break in?

• How secure is the shed or garage? Is it always kept locked with high-quality padlocks and security locks?

Additional Security Measures

How many of us actually use additional security in our homes? According to figures by Which only 38% of Which members had extra locks fitted to their doors and 32% use a door chain. 

As well as having an extra lock or door chain fitted it is also advisable you have the following fitted to your door:

• Spy-hole – Keep out any unwanted visitors! A spy-hole offers 180 degrees of vision allowing you to identify callers before opening the door.

(Image source)

• Hinge Bolts –Mortice fitted hinge bolts are designed primarily for outward opening hinged wooden doors. These offer added protection against forcing the door hinges and are automatically engaged when the door is closed.

• Mortice Bolts – These are suitable for side and back doors as well as French doors. These are fitted to the top and bottom of the door and the bolts are not visible from the outside.

• Letterbox guard/cage – These can be fitted to prevent ‘key fishing’ i.e. a burglar using props such as a coat hanger or fishing rod to hook keys on the inside of the door (Aviva).
  
  
  
  

Other additional security measures you may want to consider...

• Security lights - Lights with sensors in the garden and front of your property will help to deter a burglar as they are more confident when working in the dark.

• Key Safe - A Key Safe is a secure box where you can safely and securely store your keys without having to hide them or to rely on a neighbour or family member to look after them.  

• Leave a light on a timer on if when you are not at home as it will act as it will look like the home is occupied. Other products on the market such as ‘Fake TV’ also act as a good deterrent as these products make it look like someone is watching TV.

• Upgrade the locks on any garages or sheds and if there is a window fit a curtain to ensure a burglar cannot see what is inside.

When having any additional security fitted to your home it is always a good idea to call an accredited locksmith. An accredited locksmith will be able to do a security and insurance compliance check on your home and they will be more than happy to upgrade your home security for your peace of mind in 2014.

If you missed our ‘The 12 Security Tips of Christmas’ over the Holiday period then read them again here for further security advice and tips.

November the month you are most likely to be burgled

It has been recently reported by the Daily Mail that November is the month that you are most likely to be burgled!

According to Victim Support around half a million burglaries take place each year in England and Wales, although crime overall has fallen considerably over the last few years, in fact BBC News in October of this year reported that crime had fallen by 7%, burglary still remains a common crime that affects a large percentage of the population. A recent study by LV= Home Insurance highlighted the fact that in the month of November a home in the UK is burgled every two minutes.

Burglary is largely an opportunistic crime, many home insurers will advise taking certain security steps to insure your home isn’t ‘easy pickings’ as according to Home Insurance Guide.co.uk, “burglars are looking for a home that gives them the easiest way of committing their crime undetected, with the fewest obstacles to negotiate.” The majority of burglars will not even use force to gain entry to a property, two out of ten burglars according to the Home Insurance Guide.co.uk, in fact 73% of burglars use doors to gain entry and in 3% of cases the door was open (Tesco Compare).

A burglary cannot only affect a victim financially, but it can also affect how safe you feel in your home after the burglary has taken place, some may even think they are at fault if they had forgotten to secure a window or door to their home, which can be distressing and traumatic to some especially if an item of sentimental value has been stolen.

When having any type of lock upgraded or replaced for security or insurance purposes we always recommend that you contact a locksmith who can carry out a full home security and insurance compliance check as part of the service for your peace of mind.

So don’t get caught out this November by watching our home security tips video.

One third of all recorded burglaries are against businesses

Did you know that one third of all recorded burglaries in all London Boroughs are against businesses (http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/londonfacts/default.htm?category=4)?

In the UK alone there were around 214,000 incidents of burglary, including attempts, against businesses; these incidents were across four sectors, which included wholesale and retail, manufacturing, transportation and storage and accommodation and food. In terms of what items were stolen in 38% of cases it was reported that goods and stock were the most common.  

The most common way in which entry was gained by a burglar was through either a wooden or glass door – 36% of businesses, therefore it is very important to maintain and upgrade your office security, especially on a regular basis. The security of any office can be maintained through a 24 hour locksmith, all a business has to do is sign up as a Commercial Business Account to a National Locksmithswho will be able to fulfill all of your business security needs.   

Many locksmiths will recommend a Master Key Suite for offices who wish to restrict the access of certain areas of the office i.e. stopping a customer or client from accessing certain areas of the office such as the Managing Directors office; therefore only authorised staff members with keys will be able to access certain areas. Companies such as Avocet are able to offer a Zone Control ABS Master Key Suiting, the supplier are then able to fully manage both the key registering and cutting for the client – therefore providing and ensuring maximum security. See info graphic below for more information.

As well as providing locksmith services to domestic customer, Keytek™ also provide a range of locksmith services for commercial/business customers. As a national company ourselves we are able to offer full ‘Nationwide’ coverage to all of our customers, these locksmith services include a number of benefits that other companies do not incorporate into their operations. Currently we service a large portfolio of National companies; these include Ministry of Defence, Lidl, Safestore and Debenhams.

To find out more about the locksmith services for commercial businesses provided by Keytek™ please visit http://www.keytek.co.uk/locksmith-for-business/

All statistics provided in this blog post are from the Home Office (2012).

Feeling hot hot hot...

We’ve all been enjoying the return of the British heat wave today and we’re sure the hot weather will continue this month. According to The Independent we could see the hottest day in August for ten years and in some areas the temperature is set to rise to a scorching 32C and possibly higher!

(Image source at Washingborough Hall)

Whilst we enjoy the sunshine, unfortunately the exceptionally high temperatures are not great for uPVC or wooden doors as changes in heat can often cause doors to swell or shrink. Potentially, these changes can unfortunately leave your property unsecure, as you may be unable to unlock or worse lock your door, leaving your home vulnerable to break-in.  When a door swells or shrinks it’s often a simple case of calling an accredited 24 hour emergency locksmith to fix the problem for you, making ongoing accessibility much easier during those hot summer days, leaving you far less likely to find yourself locked out when you return from a day on the beach!

Problems with your door can be caused by a variety of other factors during the summer; a common cause being simple wear and tear especially when everyone is more partial to popping in and out of the back garden to top up the tan. This can also cause security issues for your home, especially if you’re unable to lock up due to the lock being damaged by continuous use. This problem can also be solved by calling a locksmith to your home who will be more than willing to fix or replace any locks that have been damaged by wear and tear.  

Also, don’t forget to secure your home even when just popping out to the garden, this includes the window you have left open to catch the rare breeze. Leaving any doors or windows open during a sunbathing session in the garden could leave your home unsecure and pretty much a burglar’s dream of entering your property undetected whilst you’re in the garden.  According to statistics provided in this fantastic UK Burglary report provided by Tesco Compare 73% of burglars use a door to gain entry and in 3% of cases the door was open.