Front Window Burglaries are showing an alarming increase
Chris Trim (Senior Security Advisor)
This year has seen notable change in the way that some burglars are entering homes.
“If you lost your keys, how would you get in?”
A question often asked by surveyors when carrying out a security survey of peoples homes.
The answer is usually an unlocked toilet window or weak back door, the key under the flowerpot (not a good idea).
A career as a security surveyor with numerous contacts and regular conversations with Crime Reduction Officers and risk assessors from the insurance industry, I am surprised to see a growing number of break-ins through the front windows of people’s homes.
We should all be aware of keys being “fished” through our letter boxes, with the obvious risk of loss to both homes and vehicles.
Cottages with lead light windows, terraced houses with wooden sash windows and modern estate houses with uPVC glazing are examples that I have come across where intruders have forced, broken or simply opened the front ground floor window and gained entry.
Ensure all windows are fitted with correctly fitted locks. If you have an alarm ensure the level of protection is adequate and provides the earliest possible notification of an intruder, wherever the point of access.
Sheds and outbuildings must be secure as they provide the tools for the burglars trade; likewise garden tools and if possible ornaments securely stored to prevent them being used against your property.
