Police Authorities have issued a warning about the increase in domestic burglary over the bonfire night period. Typically this is a period when many homes are left empty as the occupants visit bonfire night festivities.
Across Police Forces of the UK, average increases of 26% for domestic burglary are experienced and increases of up to 50% in respect of malicious damage incidents.
Simple measures can be taken to reduce the risks of home owners becoming part of the worrying statistics, these include;-
Leaving a number of lights on in the house when you go out
Leave a radio or television on
Close your downstairs curtains / blinds, maybe leaving the upstairs room curtains half closed with the light on
If possible, leave a vehicle in the driveway to the property
Keep the doors and windows closed and locked (make sure you remove the keys from the locks)
We are continuously encouraged to save energy, switch off the lights and appliances etc, but when the security of your home is at increased risk at a more vulnerable time we feel it is better to spend a little on lighting an empty property than have the horror of discovering an intruder has visited your home.
Long term unoccupied property is also at a heightened risk of a break in or malicious damage. In addition to insurer’s usual requirement of visits to the property periodically, an additional visit to inspect the property and prepare for a few nights of increased risk would be beneficial. The same precautions of a normally occupied home can be taken, additionally you should remove the post, and perhaps even seal up the letterbox for a few days to ensure no combustible material is placed through the letterbox, even more important with fireworks being in easy reach of most people. If you decide not to seal the letterbox then remove any post that may have accumulated to give the impression to the less than casual observer that the property is occupied.