Feeling Safe at Home

Do you feel safe at home? Many people would say that they do, but there are some shocking facts that may leave you sweating at the brow.

How common is burglary?

• Every 37 seconds, a home in Britain is burgled.
• Every year, there are over 1 million burglaries and attempted burglaries.
• 20% of households will experience more than one incident a year. 13% are burgled twice, and 7% are burgled three or more times!

Which houses are targeted?

• When walking down a road, a burglar will choose the property without obvious visual signs of security. This includes security lighting or alarm boxes (with flashing lights).
• Households that have been burgled in the previous four years are twice as likely to be burgled.
• The majority of burglaries are not pre-planned – instead, they’re committed by opportunist thieves who will walk down a street and spot an open door or window, or even their ideal TV sitting in the living room, on display.

Who are the burglars?

• Statistics show that 88% of burgars are male. 6% are committed by a male and female partnership, and 6% by a female.
• The most likely age is from the age of 16 to 24. 16% of these people are school age.
• Only half of all burglars are strangers – the other half are known by the victim by some form (sight, speech, or even someone you know well!)

How do they get in?!?

• 20% of thieves get in without using force – instead, they spot an open door or window and creep in.
• 70% will use a door, with almost all the rest using a window.
• A thief can get through any gap larger than a human head.

What happens in a burglary?

• In 25% of burglaries, some is at home and aware of what is happening.
• In a fifth of cases, the victim sees the offender.
• In 27% of cases, there are two offenders.
• Victims are emotionally affected in over 80% of burglaries.
• Property is stolen in 40% of incidents.

When do burglaries take place?

• Most burglaries occur after dark, with 32% in the evening, and 23% at night.
• A lot less occur in the morning, with 10% in the morning, and 20% in the afternoon.
• Only 30% occur on the weekend.

So there are your top facts about burglaries!

Feeling safe in your home is very important to many people, and theives are not highly thought of. If you are burgled, the first thing to do is call the police. Leave the premises, just in case the thieves are still in the building, and let the police know what has happened. When the police leave, resist the temptation to tidy up, as taking pictures of the exact where-a-bouts of everything is important in a court case, if it comes to that. The police will issue you with a crime number, which is important to claiming your insurance – make sure you make a record of the number.

So there you have it… How to look after your house, and make it a home worth living in.