- It is everyone’s nightmare to be a victim of burglary. The cost to replace one’s valuables can be high, and the emotional distress can last for years. This experience leaves you with a bitter taste on trust issues and shows how vulnerable we can be.
- There are those like you and me who work hard to earn a living the honest way. But sadly, not everyone is keen to have a clean and honest life. A burglar is an opportunist, desperate and ready to strike no matter the dangers or repercussions.
- We are all vulnerable and exposed one way or another to these delinquents and desperate offenders. To this threat, what can each of us do?
- If your local area has a neighbourhood watch scheme in place, then you may be in luck. Your area may not attract burglars due to the cameras and good neighbours giving a solid base of protection. Burglars may not venture into your area, because it will be impossible for them to evade justice with all the evidence collected by indoor and outdoor cameras.
- In addition, these is some basic advice I can give. You may wish to heed or ignore it as you may have a more reliable or sophisticated system that better suits your needs. If not, then you may follow this advice.
When there are plenty signs showing that you have not been at home for some time.
- Your mail is piling up inside and visible through the front doors or packages are left in a safe place also visible from the outside of your property. If you’re going out of town, arrange for someone to stay at your house or ask the Post Office to hold your mail until you return.
- When you have defective doors or window locks, broken windows or any insecure pets’ entrance doors. Make sure to fix any broken entrances that make it easy to break in.
- When the curtains are drawn back this offers an inviting view and on how to break in. Make sure to shut the curtains or blinds on windows giving a view of the interior of the property.
- When the car you left behind on the driveway has not moved for several days and the bins have not been emptied.
- If you have valuables worth insuring, then take out a contents insurance policy for your peace of mind. You can have the best security system installed in your home, but do not underestimate the determination of a professional criminal.
- You may never use your insurance policy to make a claim. But if you do, then you need to gather evidence of what type of valuables you have in the property. The best way to gather this evidence is to take pictures of items in their locations in the house. Each picture should be documented with the date.
- Make sure that the fitted burglar alarm is high and visible at the top of your home to avoid any interference or removal.
- You should under no circumstances leave or hide your keys under obvious places (underneath your door mat, on top of the door frame, under the biggest stone in the garden or under your flower pots). If you still doing it, you may be watching too much TV drama. These are the first places where the criminal will be looking.
- For those celebrating Christmas, do not leave your presents under the Christmas tree. Display the presents the day before to avoid attracting criminals. If you want to display your presents, then close your curtains to make it difficult for the criminals to see them.
- If you have not displayed them under the tree, make sure that they are stored in different places in the house which makes it difficult for a zealous burglar to find them.
When your garden grows disproportionally.
- It is not protected by the National Trust nor are the different plants and herbs growing in it. They are not listed as extinct. They do not need protecting. And the excuse to leave the hedges uncut does not stand. Keep the front and back hedges of your garden low. Do not give the criminal easy access and cover to burgle your home.
- Another area of the house which may not be used daily but sometime to store some of your valuables is the garden shed. People use their shed as a second storage for items which are not used often. Your shed should be protected to the same standard as your main residence. Even if there is not much stored there and your shed is burgled but not your house, it is still violating your privacy. If a burglar finds it easy to access your shed, he may assume that your lack of concern for your property in the shed could extend to your main residence. They will try to force their way in if the occasion presents itself.
