Summer Safety Tips As Burglaries On The Rise
By Hannah2009 | Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 10:45
If there is a downside to the long and (hopefully) hot days of summer, it has to be that burglaries often go up at this time of year. In recent weeks, for example, there has been an increase in the number of homes being burgled around Victoria Park.
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A number of homes around Victoria Park have been burgled in recent weeks
So, here’s a timely bit of advice from Safer Bristol, one of the partner organisations working with our Neighbourhood Policing Teams.
Whether you’re going away for your holidays or staying at home for the summer, there are a few simple steps you can take to avoid being a victim of burglary.
It can be easy to forget to lock a door or window, but if they are left open it creates an easy opportunity for a burglar.
If you’re going away on holiday, you can still make it appear that your home is occupied by taking care of jobs like cutting the lawn or the hedges before you go, and perhaps getting an automatic timer to switch lights and a radio on and off.
When it comes to cancelling deliveries of newspapers or milk from your local shop, do so discretely.
Don't leave valuable items like TVs or stereo systems visible through windows.
Lock the garage and shed with proper security locks, after putting all your tools safely away so they cannot be used to break into your house.
Don’t have your home address showing on your luggage for the outward journey. Put this only on the inside of your cases.
If you want to find out more information about keeping your home secure you can call 0845 456 7000 and ask to speak to your local Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Comments
Some sound advice there but there is a caveat to using automatic timers. If you use them in a main room in your house then there is a pretty good chance you will illuminate everything for potential thieves to see and show that there is no-one in the house. Closing the curtains can help but again may indicate that the house is unoccupied to would-be burglars. If you know your neighbours well enough then perhaps get them to draw curtains and switch on random lights or use timers for things like hall lights. Timers with a random switch on/off function are a good idea as a light coming on and going off a exactly the same time each night for two weeks is a dead giveaway.
Mail too can be a giveaway if it piles up on the doormat (particularly if you have a glass door) or protrudes from the letterbox. Again, if you know your neighbours maybe arrange with one of them to pop in and put the post out of sight.
Finally, be discreet when using your mobile phone as well. Walking along a street loudly chatting about how you are going on holiday next week is not a good idea. I was recently walking along behind a young lady doing just this and not only did I discover she was going to Turkey for two weeks, I found out when she was leaving and that her housemate was going too. By the time she turned into her gate I also knew where she lived as well. If I had been a burglar I had all the information I needed and her holiday in Turkey would have been ruined on return to find her valuables stolen.
By Kaptain_Von at 11:33 on 16/06/10
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