Summer should be a time for relaxation, of afternoons in the garden and trips to the beach, even a jaunt over to the continent for a fortnight of sun, sea and sleep. Unfortunately, summer is a high time for burglars too.
In summer, with its long sultry evenings and hot sunny days, we’re much more likely to forego some elements of security in favour of comfort. It’s all too easy to slip out of the house for five minutes and forget to make sure all the windows are securely shut and kids will be in and out of the house all the time, leaving the door open. If you’re a keen gardener, you’ll need to keep coming and going to the shed or garage, and remembering to lock the door every time you get out a mower or spade is just a chore.
It’s just this kind of summer chill that criminals thrive on. These guys are professionals and their job is to notice any chink in your armour and exploit it. That’s not a scare tactic, that’s just a fact of life. Most people think that burglars attack under cover of darkness when everybody is out or asleep, in reality it’s more likely that you will be burgled in the afternoon because the streets are empty while everyone’s at work, at school or busy taking care of their homes.
Studies and statistics show that anything up to 40% of burglaries weren’t forced entries. Rather, the burglars were able to just stroll in through a door or climb through an open window. Another favoured method is to hook keys that have been left near the door so they can let themselves in. What makes this worse is that once they have your keys, they can come back at any time, let themselves in at clear your house at their leisure, and if they get your car keys too, then you’ve just supplied them with their get-away vehicle as well.
There are so many simple ways to persuade a burglar that your house isn’t worth the trouble of breaking into, but because we’re not burglars, it would barely occur to us.
Don’t be showy. Leaving bikes in the front garden, leaving the garage door open while you tend the garden and having expensive household items near windows is like an advertising hoarding.
Make it look like you’re in when you’re not. Leaving a TV or radio on when you’re out is the easiest way to trick anybody passing that you’re at home. If you’re going to be away from home for any length of time put lights and a TV on a timer.
Never leave a spare key under a mat or plant pot. It’s invariably the first place someone wanting to get into your home will look. Again, don’t leave keys within sight of the letterbox either.
While you’re in the garden, make sure your fences are well maintained and hedges are cut low. Rather than preventing people peering in, they actually mean that your neighbours can’t see if someone is acting suspiciously on your property.
Talk to your local Crime Prevention Officer and start a neighbourhood watch. You’ll get lots of really helpful advice and there’s no better security than people watching out for one another.
Let your trusted neighbours know if you’re going on holiday. If they can just keep an eye out you’ll have less to worry about, and if you’re going away for a long time, they can collect your mail and cut your grass, as these are really strong ‘tells’ to someone looking for clues that you’re not at home. And don’t forget to cancel the milk and papers.
Keep everything locked. If you keep bikes and tools in a shed or garage, lock them down. You should especially keep things like ladders and tools that could be used to break into your house securely locked away.
Install a visible alarm and security lights on the exterior of your house. Lights that come on whenever anyone passes by your house can be a real pain but well installed lamps and sensors will deter anyone from trying to get in at night.
Make sure side gates are locked. If someone can just walk into your back garden they will and it’s often the rear of the house that is least secure. Keeping all windows, doors and gates locked will mean that they can’t get into you home without attracting attention to themselves, and attention is what burglars fear most.
