Home Safety Tips – Preventing Theft

We often talk about keeping your data safe so that you don’t lost it, however given it’s Christmas time and many people go away and leave their home unattended for a week or so, I thought it might be a good idea to lend some ideas/tips from our friends the Police to cover how to reduce the threat of being burgled during the holidays.

Burglars are opportunists. Once they break in they look for small items to take that can be easily moved and exchanged for cash. However if they have realised that you are away, they may just stick around for a little longer taking larger items like TV sets and PCs.

Laptops are a particularly popular item to have burgled from your home and even car. Light weight and easy to sell they are a goldmine for a burglar. When you lose your laptop, it’s not only the hardware that goes missing, it’s also all of your personal information, documents, photos, videos etc. Leave your hard drive next to your laptop, and you are also likely to lose it.

Whilst visiting an Officeworks store recently, I found a hard drive that was hidden within a book. So once you had finished backing up your data or transferring it, you could return the book/hard drive back to the bookshelf. Great idea, something straight out of GetSmart.

Let’s look at some recent ABS stats on the likelihood of suffering some form of theft. In December 2008, Australia had 8.2 million households. It was estimated that in the 12 months prior:

• 267,800 (3.3%) households were victims of at least one break-in to their home, garage or shed
• 251,300 (3.1%) households were victims of at least one attempted break-in to their home, garage or shed
• 91,000 (1.1%) households had at least one motor vehicle stolen
• 369,200 (4.5%) households were victims of at least one theft from a motor vehicle
• 912,500 (11%) households were victims of at least one incident of malicious property damage
• 362,400 (4.4%) households were victims of at least one other theft.

The break-in victimisation rate for Australia was 3.3%. The victimisation rate for the Northern Territory (7.7%) was higher than any other state or territory.

BREAK-IN VICTIMISATION RATES

Offenders stole property in 67% of the most recent break-in incidents, with the most commonly stolen items including money (18%), personal electronic equipment (14%) and garden tools (13%).

Below are some tips for preventing a burglary to your home. They come courtesy of the Tasmanian Police website:

Neighbours

Neighbours are your first line of defence against crime. Get to know them and ask them to keep an eye on your home when you are out or on holiday. Offer to do the same for them. Consider joining Neighbourhood Watch.

Home number

Make sure your house number is clearly visible from the street so that police and emergency services can find your home quickly. If your home is situated on a corner the number should face the street named in your address.

Don’t leave messages on your door

Messages left on doors tell burglars you are out. Request your friends and relatives not to leave notes on your door and pay them the same courtesy. Parcels sitting on the doorstep can also let a burglar know that no one is home. Arrange for a neighbour to collect goods if you plan to have them delivered while you are out.

Keys

• Never ‘hide’ your home key under a doormat, in the meter box, in a pot plant or any other obvious place. Instead, leave a spare key with a relative or trusted neighbour
• Don’t mark your keys with your full name or address. If you lose them a prospective burglar who fi nds them will be able to identify your home. Instead, mark your keys with your initials and date of birth
• Don’t give keys to tradespeople regardless of how long they will be working in your home. Instead, arrange for a neighbour to let them in and lock up after them when they leave
• If you move into a new home it may be advisable to change the exterior locks because you never know who might have a duplicate key, and
• If your home has been broken into and your keys (or spares) are stolen you should change the cylinders in the locks or fit additional locks.

Ladders and tools

Make sure that you don’t leave ladders and tools lying around. Burglars may use them to break into your home. Store household equipment in a locked garage or shed. Ask your neighbours to do the same. If you don’t have a shed or garage then padlock your ladder to something secure. Avoid leaving loose bricks, rocks or other objects around that could be used to break windows.

Going out at night

When going out at night, leave a light and the TV or radio switched on to make your home appear occupied. Automatic timer devices can be used to switch the lights or TV on after dark.

Keep doors locked when working outside

If you are gardening, working in the back yard, or an isolated part of your home, make sure your home is secure. Homes have been burgled while the owners are present and working out of sight.

Telephone directory

List only your initials and surname in the telephone directory and on mail boxes. Also consider listing your suburb only, rather than your full address. Burglars sometimes try to identify homes which are unoccupied by making phone calls to homes in the area they wish to target.

Pet doors

Some pet doors are large enough to enable a small person to enter your home. Pet doors should be small enough to permit only a cat or small dog to gain entry. Make sure it is not possible to manipulate the inside locks by reaching through a pet door.

Garbage

Empty garbage bins lying on streets can be a signal to a burglar that no one is home. Where a wheelie bin is required by your local council, arrange for a neighbour to bring it in after the rubbish is collected. When your wheelie bin is not in use, lock it in a garage or shed, or chain it up to prevent it being used by a burglar to reach a window.

Cash and valuables

Keep cash and highly valuable items such as jewellery out of easy reach and out of sight. Consider purchasing a quality home safe if you require your valuables to be within reach at all times. Alternatively, use a safety deposit box at a bank for especially valuable items.

Electrical goods packaging

After purchasing new electrical goods, don’t leave the empty boxes and cartons (packaging) outside with your normal rubbish, particularly for popular items like TVs, DVDs, Stereos and PlayStations. Dispose of the packaging in some other way (by taking it straight to the rubbish tip or storing it somewhere until you can dispose of it at the tip). The presence of electrical goods packaging outside your home can signal to potential burglars that you have some new, highly desirable goods in your home.

Holidays

A home left empty for a long period of time is a prime target for burglars. When you go on holidays, try to make your home appear occupied and reduce the risk of burglary by:

• Making sure your home and garage/shed are secure. Check all windows and doors are locked
• Cancelling milk and paper deliveries. Arrange for your mail to be collected by a friend or neighbour, or have it held or redirected
• Arranging for a neighbour, friend or relative to remove junk mail and mow your lawn
• Turning down your telephone so burglars can’t hear it ringing for a long time unanswered. Consider having your phone diverted to a friend or relative or to your mobile while you are away (ask your phone service provider about the cost of this service)
• Informing local police and a trusted neighbour of your absence and leaving a contact name and number
• Having a light and the TV or radio connected to an automatic timer set to switch on at night
• Locking away all tools, ladders and anything else that could be used to gain entry to your home, garage or shed
• Leaving a key with a relative or trusted neighbour and asking him/her to enter your home while you are away to check on your home and make sure that it stays secure, and
• Asking a friend or relative to house-sit for you while you are away.