The emotional impact of burglary begins before it happens. Many people are fearful of becoming a victim and do something about it.
Thankfully, many of these people ensure their home is anything but an easy target for a burglar. Locks on doors and windows, exterior lighting, tidy garden without tools lying around. Strong fences and gates. Garden tools locked securely away in the shed. Nothing left on display if a burglar peers in through a window…
So their home looks secure. A burglar can easily see that this house has an owner that takes his/her security seriously.
Added home security really makes the point
To really make sure, many people will invest in modern security technology. A modern alarm system and HD CCTV can be easily monitored on your Smart phone. Or you could use an ARC monitoring company to keep an eye on things for you.
There’s no peace of mind like receiving a notification that a loved one has got home safely. Complete with pictures of that person as s/he arrives home!
UK burglary statistics illustrate that poor home security hurts you while helping the burglar…
Sadly, other people don’t believe the risk is real. They wait until they become a victim before making any serious attempts to stop the bad guys breaking in.
Our Infographic highlights some of the risks and shows how deterring burglars is not difficult. Right from the horses mouth!
Perhaps the saddest stat concerns the emotional impact of a burglary. UK burglary research shows that as many as 60% of victims find the experience so distressing that they never feel safe in their homes again. Never!
The saddest thing is, taking some common sense measures like those listed above will deter the bad guys!
But often it doesn’t stop there. As many as 17% of burglary victims don’t do anything about it. Or certainly not enough. Because that’s how many victims are burgled three or more times! And many in the same property.
No wonder burglars often come back to the scene of their successful crime. If the victims fail to improve their security, it’s easy pickings!
And as Police Force resources are so stretched, more than 4 out of 5 burglaries reported are closed without a suspect being found! It has been widely reported that Police ‘need’ to prioritise carefully which ‘low level’ crimes to investigate.
Prosecutions are pitiful. As few as 5% result in a summons or charge…
UK Homeowners need to do what they can to keep their homes secure. The common sense measures mentioned above should be par for the course. But, sadly, the latest England and Wales crime survey suggests that many people are not taking note. Two thirds of homes burgled had poor security.
How to keep the bad guys out!
In a report for Co-Op Insurance, a panel of 12 ex-burglars reported that the biggest deterrent was CCTV. Followed by the sound of a barking dog.
If you don’t have a dog or feel concerned about relying on Fido to keep your home secure, CCTV might be the answer. If burglars say it is effective, it’s worth considering.
With only 14% of UK adults installing CCTV in their homes, not many people are acting on this advice. To reduce the odds of being targeted by a villain, CCTV is a great choice.
It’s much more affordable than ever these days and it can provide evidence for Police. If you have footage they are much more likely to investigate the burglary.
So rather than become a sorrowful statistic isn’t it time you improved your Home Security AND made it less desirable to burglars?
UK burglary statistics sources
The statistics in this Infographic were taken from the following sources:
