Last week's Channel 4 documentary filmed in Leeds entitled
'Burgled' followed West Yorkshire Police tackling the issues faced in the fight
against burglary in Leeds.
There are over
675,000 burglaries reported each year and every 47 seconds a home is broken
into, making Britain the most burgled country in the EU!
The documentary looked at some of the innovative crime
prevention techniques being used by the Leeds Police force and how they have
begun to see a fall in the number of burglaries and a drop in their crime
statistics.
With interviews from both Police and ex-criminals it
portrayed an insightful view into the mind state on both sides. One of the main
issues brought up in the documentary was the ease at which criminals found
access into homes. The programme showed various ways that properties were
accessed and the types of burglary to be aware of and how to prevent them from
happening:
Doors and Windows
The programme highlighted many homeowners leaving doors and
windows unlocked and often wide open –this made it extremely easy for a burglar
to sneak in without causing any disturbance.
Prevention –
always ensure you keep your doors and windows not just shut but also locked if
you are not in the room, especially if you are in the garden for example.
Targeting Elderly
people
Sadly elderly people are often targets for thieves,
sometimes posing as window cleaners or repair men. Often the home owner is
distracted by one person whilst another sneaks in the back door.
Prevention –
Always use a chain when opening the door and check ID for anyone who wishes to
gain access to your home. If in doubt call CASAC
Checkpoint which operates to protect householders from bogus and “cowboy”
tradespeople by providing a recommended, local and reliable tradesman when you
need home repairs, maintenance or improvements carried out across West
Yorkshire.
Hanoi Burglary
This is when the home is broken into and the car keys are
taken to steal the car as well. This is also known as ‘Car Key Burglary’ or ‘2 in 1’ burglary.
Prevention - Other
than ensuring the security of your home always ensure that car keys are left
out of sight in case you are the victim of a burglary. Don’t leave spare car
keys in an obvious place like a kitchen drawer and don’t
leave keys visible on a key rack or close to the door as they can be hooked out
through the letterbox.
Student properties
As student properties are usually home to 3-5 people all
with their own laptops, phones, tablets and other valuables they are ripe
pickings for a thief!
Prevention - Always
ensure all doors are locked, even when at home and be sure everyone in the
house is doing the same. Ask your landlord to fit an external lock on each bedroom
door so you can be sure that if the house is accessed then valuables in
bedrooms are safe.
Read our guide for more tips on keeping
student properties secure.
The police reiterated the importance of good home security
such as locking doors, fitting an alarm and outside lights and not leaving
valuables in view which they stated could reduce burglary by up to a third.
If you are worried about any of the issues raised in the
Channel 4 Documentary or would like to know more about your home security, CASAC offer a free home security assessment
where we can advise you on the best measures to secure your property and recommend
products and tradespeople to carry out the work. Please contact us on mail@casac.org.uk
or 0845 519 2122
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