Diwali is a wonderful time to spend with family and to exchange gifts, but some criminals are keen to capitalise on the latter. Some burglars are well aware that gold jewellery is often given. Indeed, the BBC reports that out of 1,079 gold related burglaries in London from September to December 2013, almost three quarters of victims were ethnically Asian. Here’s some advice on keeping your home secure during this celebration and the months after.
Burglary prevention is crucial, but it’s important to prepare for one too. A quick, easy step to aid the chance of getting your property returned following theft is to use Smart Water and Immobilise. Smart Water has a unique chemical code in its UV spray that links anything sprayed with it to your address. Immobilise allows you to upload details, including photos of your property, to a database used by police.
Another step that you should take is to use creative hiding places for your valuables. It’s not just effective, but also doesn’t necessitate much time and effort. Burglars are well aware that valuables such as jewellery are often hidden in draws and boxes. However, whilst most burglars are opportunists and might give up, this isn’t necessarily the case with these thefts. Therefore, it might be useful to have something less hidden and of lesser value that they could thieve.
It is definitely crucial to prevent burglary in the first place. This should begin with making sure that your house is secured as it currently is: not leaving valuable property on display, shutting windows and keeping lights on when you are out, keeping gates locked, etc. A burglar would be less likely to target a house where it looks like the owner pays attention to security.
Personal security habits and routines should also be backed up by specific security measures. Alarms are an important feature as they will often deter a burglar, and home CCTV is another option that should be considered and doesn’t have to be intrusive to you. An even simpler deterrent that is available is a sign indicating there is a dog at the property, as burglars won’t want to take the risk.
One of these habits should be awareness of your surroundings. Pre-planned burglaries will involve the burglar scouting the area and, as such, you should keep an eye out for people or vehicles that are loitering around your area, and those that make repeat visits and seem to be hovering around. Even tradesmen can sometimes be burglars, too, so it’s worth keeping your eye out for any activity that seems odd.
You should also be cautious of individuals who make cold calls, whether in person or other the phone. Don’t give other any information about your possessions, finances, whether you are alone or when you are not at the property. And make sure not to be wearing expensive jewellery that would confirm to a burglar that you possess some. Not taking these steps could lead to you being a target for burglary.
The first, easy step you can take is to ensure that your door and window locks are British Standard approved.
Call Lockrite on 0800 0612 677 for a quote on locks or a security survey, or visit our main site at lockrite.org to find out more.
