Home Security and Making Your Home Burglar Proof

Everyone wants to protect their home from the threat of burglary as best as they can, but unfortunately too many households have to experience the loss and distress of being burgled.

Most burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves, so with a few simple measures, home owners can help deter thieves from targeting their home.

There are numerous sources of conflicting advice and information on crime prevention available to home owners and sometimes these are provided by organisations or companies with limited knowledge and experience of crime prevention.

It is therefore understandable that many people either fail to appreciate the importance of such measures or feel overwhelmed by the variety and technical content of advice and information available.

These few hubs that I have produced, will help to arm you with the relevant information you need to help to protect not only your home, but your possessions and yourself too.

The following is a list of a few myths about burglars:

Myths About Burglars

Before getting into risk assessment, it's worth dispelling a number of myths about burglars, because the majority are not as clever as you may think. If you understand these myths and facts, then you will definitely be one step ahead of the burglar and on your way to making your home burglar proof.

Myth: Burglars can pick locks.

Fact: Unless a burglar is a skilled locksmith with a wide range of lock picking devices, and is prepared to spend considerable time outside your front or back door, manipulating levers and pins through the keyholes, it is extremely unlikely that picking a lock will be the chosen method of entry. Most burglars will simply kick the door in or smash glass to reach a key left in a lock.

Myth: It is clear that my burglary was planned, because they knew what time I left for work.

Fact: Just over 80 per cent of burglaries occur when there is nobody at home, but the vast majority are not planned. To discover if you're at home during the day, some burglars will simply knock on the door, having a ready excuse for calling if someone should answer.

Myth: The burglar slipped the lock with a credit card.

Fact: This method of entry through a front door can only be used on the sort of rounded bolt you find on an ordinary night latch. Even then, the door has to be loose fitting so that the plastic can be bent around the doorstop. In reality, if your door can be opened with a piece of plastic, it's a very insecure door, and you should do something about it.

Myth: Most burglars carry keys.

Fact: There are many lock manufacturers producing hundreds of different locks, requiring millions of different keys. An ordinary British Standard 3621mortice deadlock will have at least a thousand key differs, so the burglar would be wasting his time by carrying bunches of house keys — unless, of course, you've only got a two-lever lock on your back door, for which there will only be about 20 different keys.

Myth: Most burglars go 'tooled up' to break into a house.

Fact: Carrying house breaking implements with the intention to steal is an offence in itself, and a burglar risks arrest if stopped by the police. To get around this problem, a burglar tends to carry only one or two tools, such as a screwdriver or a chisel, with which to break through a poorly secured door or window. If they need other tools, they will usually find them in your garden or a poorly secured shed. A garden spade, with its cutting edge, makes an ideal lever for forcing open doors and windows. Make sure you lock these items away at all times.

Myth: There was so little mess in my house that the burglars must have been professionals.

Fact: Most burglars cause the minimum amount of damage at the entry point, and only as much mess as is necessary to find the things they want to steal, such as jewellery, cash, credit cards and portable electrical items. Wanton damage, such as graffiti and torn furniture, is uncommon. They simply don't have the time to hang around — by the way, burglary is not a profession!

Myth: The burglar was so clever that he broke in without leaving any sign of forcing.

Fact: It is most likely that the intruder found a door or window open.