 If
ever a saying was wrong, this is it. Being 'safe as houses' means in reality that you have
a one in fifty chance of being burgled in the next 12 months. The goods you are most
likely to lose are videos, TVs, cameras and computers. Police say that the age of the
average intruder is 15-18. He (statistically it will probably be 'he') will commit the
crime between the hours of 3 and 4 pm, when mothers collect children from school and a lot
of the rest of the population is out too. The chances are that he will get in through an
unlocked window and leave the same way, having spent no more than 10 minutes in your
property.Most of us remember not to leave our windows unlocked when we go out. We
usually remember to cancel papers and milk when we are away. Here are some other reminders
to keep homes secure:
*Don't leave garden sheds unpadlocked. Thieves may help themselves to lawnmowers and
other tools, and use some of them for breaking in
*Don't leave ladders hanging about - again never in unlocked sheds or garages. They
come in very handy for would-be burglars
*Don't leave the keys from locked windows lying in view on the windowsill
*Don't have an overgrown front garden that could hide someone trying to force a window
*Do tell a neighbour to watch for parcels left on the doorstep or post stuck into
the letterbox when you go on holiday
*Never leave the front door key under the doormat or in a flowerpot
*Get advice from the police on marking valuable goods
*Think about cementing garden ornaments to the ground
Doors and windows
Any door that opens on to the outside of the home must be strong, with a solid core no
less than 44mm thick. Intruders can kick in lightweight doors and break frames in a trice.
Heavy-duty doors can have hinge bolts. Frames can be fitted with a steel strip.
Patio doors need special systems that include a device to prevent the door from being
lifted off its rails. French windows need security mortice locks and mortice bolts top and
bottom.
Strong doors are necessary even in a block of flats where public access is operated by
a telephone entry system. Some public front doors of blocks of flats close very slowly, so
intruders can slip in. Defects should be pointed out to the freeholder or estate manager.
Outer doors to houses or flats need five-lever mortice deadlocks which can only
be opened with a key and will not open from the inside when locked. This means that a
thief cannot get in by smashing a glass panel and putting a hand in to open the lock. A
chain on the door means you don't have to open fully to strangers. PVC doors should be
bought with chain already fitted. Key-operated locks on windows are an important
deterrent. There are many kinds available to suit different window frames. Remember even a
small half-window - anything wider than a human head - can be a security risk, so it needs
to be shut and locked when you are out. Louvre windows are easy game because they can be
lifted out. If you don't want to part with them, have iron bars or a metal grille fitted
over them outside the house. Consider laminated glass if you are getting new windows -
they are much harder to break.
Out for the evening?
Use a time switch, available from stores and DIY shops, to turn on lights and radios.
Install in a living room or bedroom rather than the hall. And draw the curtains so items
like the TV or video cannot be seen from the window
Alarms and sensors
Get specialist advice if you are thinking of installing an alarm system. DIY systems
are cheapest but they may be of variable quality, work on low-power batteries so they have
a weak alarm sound or are not long-lasting. A specialist will advise on either a
'perimeter' system wired round windows and doors or infra-red system operated by sensors.
The latter is more easily set off by a pet wandering into the sensored areas. Burglar
alarms undoubtedly put off intruders, and some people gamble on putting up a fake alarm
box to scare people off.
For dark areas outside, fit an automatic light that switches on when a person crosses
the sensored area.
Unwanted visitors
Someone knocks at your door. He or she seems agitated, says there is an emergency - it
could be a flood or a need to make a telephone call or to find a certain person who
doesn't, as you point out, live at this address. The person pushes in, rushes to the
kitchen, and then as you follow feeling confused, he or she rushes to another room,
perhaps looks in a drawer or cupboard, then leaves in a hurry. Only later do you discover
that a purse or wallet has gone too.
The police call this 'burglary artifice', and the obvious way to stop it is to have a
peephole viewer in your front door, and a chain on the door that you use whenever a
stranger calls. This gives you time to think, to examine an identity card if offered and
even to telephone the organisation that the caller claims to represent.
Never allow yourself to be rushed by a stranger at the door. If you live in a
flat and have a telephone entry system, question every caller on it before letting them
in, even if you are expecting a visitor. Don't hold the common entrance door open for a
stranger to come in when you are entering or going out.
For further help
Crime prevention advice on locks, burglar alarms, etc, may be available free from your
local crime prevention officer. Ask at the local police station.
They may be able to provide a list of local approved locksmiths. The Housing Department
of the local council may help pay for alarms, extra locks, etc. This service may only be
offered to tenants who are pensioners or disabled.
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