Horley Locksmith

Do the maths, and that’s 34 burglaries committed every hour and 816 in a day! As alarming as that may sound, sadly it’s true. 

Burglaries are the most common crime committed in the UK, and most take place during the day between midday and 4pm, often with someone inside the house. 

Everyone knows someone who has been burgled, and most people probably think it won’t happen to them. Well, it can, even to you. Thankfully, taking the right security precautions at the right time can help you enormously.

Afternoons are a prime time for break-in’s because most people are away at their day jobs, or on the school run etc, leaving their homes empty and vulnerable. Despite the image we have in our heads about burglars wearing black and white striped tops with a large sack to carry away stolen goods – just like Burglar Bill - the reality is burglars are one step ahead and avoid attracting attention to themselves. They do their research well beforehand to identify any opportunities, such as periods when homes are empty, and break into your home when there’s a high chance of no one being there.

Furthermore, it’s very likely for them to get unwanted attention if they’re hanging around your property at night. During the day they can go unnoticed and protest their innocence about appearing to be lost. Often a plausible excuse. 

With more people working from home these days, the likelihood of someone being at home when a burglary takes place has increased. Sadly, when burglars encounter someone at home they resort to physical and mental violence, which is likely to have lasting effects, aside from the trauma of your valuables being stolen. 

In and out within 10 minutes

Burglaries are reported to take less than 10 minutes as they want to get the job done as swiftly and discreetly as possible, which is why they tend to act very quickly without you knowing they were at your home. If you have no security and safety precautions in place, a professional burglar might be on his way back with all your precious belongings before you even get the chance to call the police.

So, how do they manage to break in in the first place? The truth is by items lying around outside your property like ladders, garden tools and furniture. The solution is to not leave such equipment for burglars to use and to lock up garages and sheds that might contain such tools, trim large trees, and take care of any such blind spots.

The most common entry point is through your door, and a lot of the time burglars don’t have to ‘break-in’, as they are carelessly left open, and the burglar just walks in. Windows are also at risk so remember to lock all your doors and windows properly when leaving your property. 

Other useful facts to know include, young people being more vulnerable as they are deemed to be more careless when it comes to security, the summer months tend to be a more popular time for burglaries due empty properties as people are away for longer periods and windows tend to be left open more, and finally in the modern world we live in today, burglars are after your data. Therefore, password protect computers and laptops, shred anything confidential lying around and lock away valuable information such as passports, birth certificates and bank statements. 

You’ve worked too hard to own your property to have someone break into your house and steal it from you. Here’s a few safety measures to help you prevent a burglary taking place:

• Keeping the doors and windows always closed and locked with sturdy locks that don’t break easily. Get any faulty locks replaced by a local locksmith if you’re concerned. 

• Leaving the lights on indefinitely might do you more harm than good, which is why it is best to use timers to make your house look occupied – even when it is not.

• Do not post about your travel plans or daily schedule on social media. Burglars look out for such information and use it to break into your property. Check your privacy settings on your social media while you are at it as well.

• Cut large trees and bushes that might be good hiding or climbing spots for burglars.

• Always keep your sheds and garages locked.

• Most importantly, consider investing in a good security system.

We all know Ring doorbells and security alarms are a useful deterrent these days and will help a burglar lose interest if they see a basic security system in place. Any good locksmith will offer advice if they see security is being compromised. At RLM Locksmiths we are always happy to visit your property to give you some helpful advice around safety and security as this is all part of the service!