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Burglary victims often wonder why the burglar picked on their house. To find out you need to consider:
"How does a burglar's mind work?"
Burglary, on the whole, is an opportunist crime. A burglar will select his target because it offers him the best opportunity to carry out his crime undetected and with the fewest number of obstacles in his way. A building that presents itself as unoccupied and insecure is far more likely to be targeted than one which is properly secured:
- side gates open
- accessible windows open
- ladders left out, allowing access to otherwise inaccessible windows
- garden tools available to force entry
- untrimmed hedges or high fences preventing natural surveillance
Each of these makes access to the building far simpler and is an indication to the prospective burglar that it's worth a second look.
Residents of multi occupancy dwellings or flats should be mindful not to grant entry to people via an entry phone system, if they do not know them, and to be cautious of people seeking to 'tailgate' them into buildings.
The question is, are the occupants in?
- milk bottles or parcels on the doorstep
- newspapers and mail in the letter box
- unlit houses after dark
- all windows shut in very hot weather
These are signs telling the burglar that he is unlikely to be disturbed in the course of his work. Naturally, circumstances may arise when such situations may be unavoidable. If we can take measures that tell the burglar that this building is too difficult or too risky a target, he will hopefully move on.
Are you leaving a thief the key to your house?
- never leave a spare key concealed anywhere near the front door - burglars know all the hiding places
prevent letterbox burglaries by storing keys away from the front door
- do not label your house keys in case you lose them and they fall into the wrong hands.
Remove temptation
- where possible, try to keep valuables out of sight from windows.
- Make it look as though your house is occupied
- install timers which switch lights or radios on and off automatically.
- have a neighbour or friend pop round to clear your letter box or doorstep.
- encourage a neighbour to park on your drive.
- if going out after dark, draw the curtains, leave some lights on and a radio playing.
If you are away for extended periods.
- cancel the delivery of milk and newspapers
- disconnect the telephone answering machine, or re-word your greeting message to give the impression that you are only temporarily unable to answer.
- enlist the help of a neighbour, friend or relative to keep a regular eye on your property and keep the front door clear of deliveries.
- if you are prepared to leave a key with a willing neighbour/relative, ask for curtains to be drawn and lights to be put on at night. If snow is on the ground a few footprints will make the house appear inhabited.
- check your insurance policy. Some insurance policies for contents don't cover you if you are away for more than 30 days.
- set your burglar alarm.
if you do not have an alarm, consider investing a few pounds in a dummy alarm box. It may well deter the opportunist thief.
Glazing
All crime prevention advice is based on the deterrent and delaying value of the various security devices which can be installed. Locks on doors and windows certainly provide the main thrust of the advice, but in themselves they are only part of a complete security package.
All single-glazed areas on both the ground floor and other accessible areas can be vulnerable to attack. After all, plain glass is easily breakable. Consider replacing ordinary or toughened glass with laminated glass, two pieces of glass bonded together with a sheet of laminate. This is far more difficult to break through as it will not shatter and will therefore delay any attempt at forced entry, a valuable deterrent.
Alternatively, you can place a plastic glazing film over the glazed area to prevent the glass from shattering, though the clarity of the glass will be reduced.
When replacing glass in wooden windows use a glazing mastic to bond it to the frame, as it is far tougher than putty.
Leaded windows are particularly susceptible in that they offer little resistance to attack. Lead is a soft material with poor tensile strength. To protect them you can install secondary glazing, or, alternatively, fit metal grilles or bars. Such measures can detract from the overall look of your windows, but it is important to be aware of their vulnerability.
Lighting - Exterior
A useful addition to perimeter security can be exterior lighting, either switched manually or automatically operated. Lighting does have its limitations - burglaries often take place during daylight hours; if the light is activated, someone has to notice it - and take action. Lighting should be seen as an aid, but on its own it is not sufficient to deter a burglar.
The most common form of lighting is passive infra-red which is activated when someone comes into its field of vision. The light can be set to stay on for a set time and then it will re-set if the cause of its activation is no longer present. A passive infra-red unit can activate single or multiple lights.
Lights can be useful on the approach to a front or rear door or garage, not only lighting up if someone approaches your house, but also when you approach, so that you can see if anyone is lurking in the shadows. It must be remembered though that lights can be activated by certain animals. Also, you do not want the light to be activated every time your neighbours go into their garden or when someone walks past the front of your property. However, the field of activation can be adjusted. You must also make sure that your light does not intrude into your neighbours windows or those of passing vehicles - light pollution can often be at the centre of many disputes.
An alternative is to fit low pressure sodium lights which are operated by a photo-electric cell. This turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn. It is a much less obtrusive light and, although it is on all night, it can be cheaper to run than spotlights.
These lights can be DIY fitted, but if you are not sure, it is essential that you contact a qualified electrical contractor.
Lighting - Interior
A sensible arrangement of leaving lights switched on inside the house while the house itself is unoccupied can substantially help to give the impression to a passer-by that the house is in fact occupied. It is sensible to use a downstairs room with a drawn curtain and sufficient light inside to suggest that the room is occupied. A light should not be left on solely in the hall - a thief may guess that the premises are unoccupied as it is not normal for the occupants to spend all night only in the hall!
There are many automatic devices available - simple and extremely sophisticated - that will turn lights on and off in random fashion and may even be set to control other electrical appliances such as the radio or television. Automatic switching will help to convince the casual thief that the house is occupied.
Most of the time security lighting will be all that is necessary to scare off a potential intruder. But do remember, lighting cannot work miracles. It is sensible to make sure that your physical defences - the locks, the bars and window bolts - will resist attack. Let your neighbours know that you are out, and if you are a member of your neighbourhood watch scheme so much the better. You can also inform your local police station that you are away.
Home Security: Alarms
Alarm systems are a worthwhile investment in the protection of your home and family. Studies reveal that it is far less likely that you will become the victim of a burglary at home if you have a correctly fitted and well maintained burglar alarm. However, they should be regarded only as one element within a complete security package.
The variety of alarms and their fitting is a complex subject. As a starting point the installation should meet with British Standard 4737. This type of installation refers to hard-wired systems as opposed to wire-free. Though more expensive than many wire-free or DIY packages on the market, they are more reliable and conform to the Association of Chief Police Officers Intruder Alarm Policy. The only wire free system which conforms both to British Standards and the ACPO Intruder Alarm Policy is a BS 6799 Class VI alarm. This type is typically more expensive than its hard-wired counterpart. Be aware that systems that claim to meet with British Standards, but don't specify BS 4737 or 6799, may well be referring to the electrical standard and not that of the alarm system.
If you are thinking about the installation of an alarm system in your home it is worth taking into account that the police response to alarm activations varies according to the type of alarm installed. In recent years the percentage of false alarm calls caused by either equipment, communication or user error represented in excess of 92% of all alarm activations nationally. In order to redress the balance in favour of genuine calls, the ACPO Unified Intruder Alarm Policy has been adopted by the police, in which two types of alarms are defined, together with the relevant police response.
Type A - Remote Signalling Alarms, including intruder alarms terminating at approved central monitoring stations. They must be maintained and used in accordance with British Standard 4737, BS 7042 (high security systems) or BS 6799 Class VI (wire-free alarms). Such alarms will be registered with the police and identified by a unique reference number (URN) and can include personal attack alarms. The police response to their activation will be based on the assumption that an offence is taking place, but against the background of competing urgent calls and available resources. Such a response will also be conditional upon the number of false activations in any 12 month period, in which case the activation may receive a lower priority police attendance. Type B - Audible Only and Hybrid Alarms, including bells-only and automatic dialling alarms, as well as alarms from non-compliant companies and non-compliant central stations. URNs will not be issued for these systems. To obtain police attendance, in addition to their activation Type B alarms will also require some indication that an offence is in progress, e.g. from a witness.
In identifying a compliant company installing Type A alarms you should seek answers to the following questions:
Before disclosing personal security details, have I checked the address and credentials of the company and seen proof of identity from the representative?
Is the company subject of an independent inspection process and if so which organisation?
Is the installation of an alarm a requirement of my insurance company and if so, is the company acceptable to my insurer?
Can the company representative provide me with a list of police rules for occupiers of premises with alarms and written confirmation that the alarm and the company are currently acceptable to the local police for the transmission of alarm messages from new installations.
Have I sought written quotations from at least two alarm installers?
Does the quotation:
specify that the installation will be to British Standard 4737 or BS 7042 (high security systems), or, if it is a wire free alarm, BS 6799 Class 6, as amended by BS DD 244?
include the terms of maintenance and monitoring contracts?
Does the company operate a 24 hour call-out service and emergency attendance within four hours?
Police accept the installation of remote signalling alarms from alarm companies whose business is subject to inspection by independent inspectorate organisations identified in police policy. Currently these are:
Alarms Inspectorate & Security Council
Independent Alarm Inspectorate
Integrity 2000
National Approval Council for Security Systems
Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board
All of these organisations publish lists of relevant companies.
All alarm systems should have two keyholders, trained to operate the alarm, able to attend activation within 20 minutes, contactable by telephone and with their own transport.
If you are contemplating having an alarm installed and need additional advice, contact your local Crime Prevention Officer who will be happy to offer you further guidance. You may find that the cost of fitting an alarm system is lower than you originally anticipated. If several houses in a street or Neighbourhood Watch are considering installing alarm systems, it is possible that an installer may give a discount for multiple installations. What is more, it is possible that the cost of an installation could be partly offset by reduced household insurance premiums.
You should be aware, however, that the insurer may stipulate that the alarm should be set at all times when the property is unoccupied, and that any claim for losses incurred as a result of a break-in while alarm was not set may be adjusted accordingly.
Advice as provided by the London Metropolitan police.
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