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Making the most of your Home

Protect Your Home against Credit Crunch Crime

May 3, 2009

For many of us, these are unsettling times with unemployment rising and consumer confidence waning. However, in times of economic downturn, one “business” that is on the rise is opportunist crime and recently published Home Office statistics bear this out. For the last four months of 2008, 31 police forces across England and Wales reported a rise in burglaries with 55,572 more cases of acquisitive crime taking place, more than for the same period in 2007. The last sustained rise in the burglary rate was back in the mid 1990s.

So, what can we all do to ensure that our homes and possessions are adequately protected?

• Whilst stating the obvious, please make sure your home is properly secured when you leave it with all windows and doors closed and locked.
• When working around the house, don't leave garage doors and side gates open.
• When working in the garden, try and lock the back door ad take the key with you.
• Think beyond the house. If you have a side or rear gate, consider measures of securing these. For example, a sturdy padlock will provide a good deterrent and will also demonstrate to the opportunist that you are serious about home security. If the gate cannot be secured in this way, don't simply ignore it but think about replacing the gate.
• Whilst most home insurance policies do not require the fitting of an alarm, how about investing in one? The fitting of an alarm can also reduce home insurance premiums but if you do have one installed, Please Use It. If you do not, your insurance company may insist that the policy is invalid in the case of a claim.
• Be proactive with your neighbours. If you are away, ask your neighbours to park a car on the drive for example to make the house looked lived in.
• Fit timer switches to light fittings and electrical devices such as radios.
• Invest in secure locks for your home - for example:
  1. Deadlocks for external doors
  2. Secure locks to windows

Yes, opportunist burglary is a concern but above all, we must not live in fear. By following some of the above steps, we can hopefully deter any potential crime and buck the statistical trend.

Let us know of ways that you have imaginatively deterred the opportunist burglar from entering your property by leaving a comment below.

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