Give burglars the summertime blues
As many residents will now be thinking about taking a summer holiday, Hertfordshire Constabulary is reminding people to make sure their homes are secure when they are away.
In the excitement of taking off for a few weeks or days, it can be easy to forget about less exciting things like home security. If you are planning to leave your home empty, even just a few days, you need to make sure that you aren’t advertising the fact to criminals.
Burglars love empty homes, as they can carry on undisturbed and know that the crime might not even be reported for days or weeks. Making sure that your home looks lived in is a great way to deter criminals. Remember that sharing your holiday plans on social media posts can also tip off burglars that your home is going to be empty, so make sure your security settings only let people you know see your posts.
If you are at home through the summer, make sure that you don’t leave doors or windows open when you leave the house, even when it is hot. Burglars will take advantage of insecurities in the home or outbuilding and garages.
Inspector Nicki Dean, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Crime Reduction Unit, warned: ‘Burglars will always prefer to target homes that are empty and will look for signs, like piles of newspapers or unopened letters at the front door, bins not put away or continually drawn curtains can attract their attention. So making it appear that your home is occupied can be the most effective deterrent against burglary.
‘It can be equally tempting to post pictures or information about your holidays on social media, but you can stop criminals finding out this kind of information on Facebook, Twitter etc by changing your privacy settings to make sure that only friends can see your posts and photos.’
There are many ways to give your home a ‘lived-in’ look when it’s unoccupied, so that any would-be criminals aren’t tempted:
- Close and lock all windows, doors and outbuildings.
- Don’t publish your absence on the Internet. Status updates, comments and photos can all give away the fact that your home is empty.
- Use timer switches for lamps so that they turn on as it gets dark in the evenings. You could also use a timer switch for a radio (always follow manufacturer’s instructions).
- Ask your neighbour to put your rubbish or recycling bins back if they’re being collected whilst you’re away – if they’re left out after collection day it could indicate to a passing thief that your house is unoccupied. Be a good neighbour and do the same for them.
- If you aren’t leaving your car at home, ask a neighbour/friend to park their car on your drive.
- Don’t forget to cancel deliveries of milk, newspapers etc.
- Consider moving enticing items, such as laptops and mobile devices, so that they are out of sight.
- You could store valuables in your loft when you go away.
- If you are away for a longer period of time in the summer months, ask your neighbour to cut your grass. This helps to show that the house may be occupied.
- You could also ask someone you trust to help give your home the lived-in look by opening and drawing the curtains, taking in any free newspapers and moving your mail away from the letterbox.
- All these tips can help to give your home the ‘lived-in’ look.
You can find further advice on securing your home at www.herts.police.uk/protectyourhome.
You can report information about a crime online at herts.police.uk/report or speak to an operator in the Force Communications Room via online web chat, which can be launched here: herts.police.uk/contact. You can also call the non-emergency number 101.
You can use the community voice platform ‘echo’ to let police know what you think they should be prioritising in your area. Your feedback will help towards shaping local policing priorities, initiatives and campaigns. Visit bit.ly/herts-echo and give your thoughts.
Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.