Would it surprise you if we told you that more than 1 million burglaries and attempted
burglaries take place in the UK every single year? And that on average a thieve only needs 12 minutes to break in, and get away with all of your valuables?
We’re guessing it might shock you. But you’re not alone as many homeowners across the country underestimate the value of home security and the determination of burglars. This week Thornhill Security have complied some shocking facts about domestic burglaries and how you can make the process a lot more difficult with additional security measures.
How Do Burglars Break In?
Surprisingly 34% of people will head straight for the front door if they are attempting to steal. In fact, according to Everest more than 50% of homeowners go out locally either forgetting or choosing not to close and lock their windows and doors. You may only be popping out for a pint of milk but remember that it only takes 12 minutes to break in and steal all of your goods so leaving the door open can be an terrible error in judgement.
Did you know that 23% of thieves will target the first floor window and a further 22% of people will head straight for the back door? The remaining 21% of intruders will target garages, storage areas, basements and even attempt to break in through 2nd floor windows.
When Do Burglars Break In?
According to our sources most residential burglaries occur between 10am and 3pm when people are generally out at work or in school. It is also suggested that July and August have the most burglaries, mainly due to the simple fact that homeowners are away on holiday, with February experiencing the fewest.
Are you an avid user of social media? Do you proudly show off your holiday snaps or your latest gadget purchase? Well, you’re essentially advertising yourselves and your homes to thieves; shouting at them to come on in because you’re not there. According to our sources 78% of burglars admit to using social media when looking for homes to target, particularly paying attention to those admitting to not being at home. Those sunny beach pictures you thought you were innocently sharing with your friends might not be such a good idea.
A Robbery Takes Just 12 Minutes
With a robbery taking place approximately every 40 seconds in the UK, homeowners clearly aren’t taking full advantage of security measures and ensuring that their valuables aren’t on direct display. Do you leave your window keys on the window sill? Well it doesn’t take much for someone to break the glass and grab the keys and open your lock. So instead hide them, or simply ensure they are out of reach. Even more importantly, make sure you have a decent lock on the front and back doors of your home, dead locks are particularly favourable, which means the thieve will have to leave from the same location he came thorough ultimately restricting how much they can take.
Lack of Security Measures
Roughly 1.25million homes in the UK have no security at all. And a poll by Halifax found that 34% of households with an alarm fitted within their home said they rarely activated it.
28% of burglars will force the door lock when attempting to break into a home so it is vital to ensure that locks are secure and relatively difficult to break. If, unfortunately, the lock does succumb to the thieves persistence ensure that you have an alarm system to alert to intrusion. Approximately 60% of robberies on homes that have alarms were in fact unsuccessful.
Taking Action
Items that are most commonly stolen are usually small and easy to carry objects such as phones, tablets, laptops, cash, cards and jewellery. Home safes are an easy and convenient way to secure your belongings. Both inexpensive and robust the likes of jewellery safes cannot be broken into, especially in the few minutes burglars have, and most of them won’t even try.
At Thornhill Security we also provide a range of strong locking systems such as Access Control and Digital Locks. These sophisticated security measures provide high levels of protection against break-ins and unauthorised entry ideal for any property and the level of security required.
It is also important to note that thieves will always check under doormats and plant pots for spare keys into your home. So don’t leave them lying around providing someone an easy opportunity.
Further Help and Advice
If you want to safeguard your home against potential break-ins, why not give our team a call on 0117 967 4994. We can assist you in finding the ideal solutions for you whether its safes (both commercial and domestic), locks or even specialist products that you need. Alternatively you can take a look at our FAQ and blog pages where you’ll find additional information.
For more surprising facts and figures why not have a look at the latest paper from the Office For National Statistics?