Burglars turn a blind eye to season of goodwill...
“If you’re going out, try to make your house look occupied. Install timers which switch lights or radios on and off automatically. And don’t forget to draw the curtains in the evening.”
Christmas is coming – a time for peace on earth and goodwill to all men.
Sadly, burglars and thieves don’t enter into the seasonal spirit – and they’ll be working overtime to relieve you of yours. Homes and vehicles are the top targets, but by taking the right precautions you can look after your belongings and keep crime figures heading in the right direction.
Burglary victims often wonder ‘why me?’ Generally, it’s because their home offers the burglar the safest bet – a property where the odds favour the thief. Burglars look for the following:
- Side or back gate unlocked.
- Ground floor or other accessible windows left open.
- Ladders left in the garden, which could be used to reach upstairs windows.
- Garden tools left outside, which can be used to force entry.
- Untrimmed hedges or high fences to obscure them from view.
Any one of these is enough to encourage a closer look. Thieves look for tell-tale signs that there’s nobody home.
- Milk bottles or parcels left on the doorstep.
- Newspapers and mail stuck in the letter box.
- Houses unlit after dark.
Beating the burglars
Under the umbrella of the Wigan & Leigh Community Safety Partnership, organisations like the police and council work together to drive down crime – and burglary rates in the borough have fallen by a massive 43% since 2003.
Chief Inspector Bob Pell of Wigan Division has this advice on how to beat the burglars.
“First and foremost, don’t make it easy for them! One in three burglaries happen when doors and windows are left open or unlocked – even when there’s somebody at home. So lock all your external doors, whether you are at home or not. If you’re going out, try to make your house look occupied. Install timers which switch lights or radios on and off automatically. And don’t forget to draw the curtains in the evening.
“Also, if you’ve got a burglar alarm, use it – even when you’re asleep. Many victims actually have alarms but fail to activate them.”
If you are away for extended periods:
- cancel the delivery of milk and newspapers;
- disconnect your telephone answering machine;
- ask a neighbour, friend or relative to keep a regular eye on your property and keep the front door clear of deliveries. You could also ask them to draw curtains at night.
- encourage a neighbour to park on your drive.
Store keys away from the front door and out of sight. Do not label your house keys in case you lose them and they fall into the wrong hands.
Finally, never leave a spare key concealed anywhere near the front door – burglars know all the hiding places.
Prevent theft from your vehicle
“Theft from motor vehicles is also an opportunistic crime,” says Chief Inspector Pell, “and it’s easily preventable.
“Basically, more or less anything left on show will tempt a thief to break in. They will take anything they can flog – even if it’s only for a few pounds.”
Chief Inspector Pell has the following advice to motorists:
- Never leave anything of value on show. Take belongings with you or store them out of sight in the boot.
- Do not leave ‘in car’ mobile or Sat Nav kits.
- Invest in a good immobiliser alarm. You’re less likely to have you car stolen and vandalised too.
- Park in a well lit area.
- Use driveways or garages if you have them.
- Register your mobile phone, laptop, Sat Nav and other electrical items free at immobilise.com – crime reports are uploaded onto the system and will cross-check against registered stolen property.
