Well the darker evening are on their way now, so its gearing up for becoming miserable and cold again. People will be picking up stuff for Christmas. So they can spread the cost. Buying expensive presents and gifts. Electrical goods, Jewellery, designer clothing. Thieves are aware of this and with the dark evenings will start coming out of the woodwork to ruin peoples Christmas. So we are trying to help people keep as many steps ahead of the criminals as possible.
Avoiding putting presents in view of people walking past. Avoid leaving bags with their branding on show in view. This is a good insight to a thief as to what you may have in the house. Keep a light on if your not home to give impression someone is home. Don’t leave curtains drawn all day as that is a great advert that no one is home. If on holiday see if a neighbour, friend or another family member will attend your home to make it look occupied. We also advise making sure your windows are securely shut. Not only shut but locked also. Don’t leave the keys in the locks or even on show. If they get in, your giving them the easy exit needed. Hide keys to all doors and windows. Don’t leave expensive items on show. Watches, Jewellery, keys, iPads laptops etc. Invest in a safe it will save a fortune in the end. It doesn’t need to be a huge safe. It can be put in a cupboard under the stairs or out of view and bolted down.
Making sure your locks are the correct type needed and fitted. Also that they conform with your insurance company requirements. If they don’t your claim could be voided. You may then of given your insurance company money for nothing. Sadly just assuming they conform will not help if the worst was to happen.
I was contacted by a lady in Crayford, Kent. They were due to go on holiday within a few days and required a spare set of keys to be cut for a neighbour. Whilst there I spotted a few of the things mentioned above that were potential threats. I went through them with the customer and advised accordingly. They were things they hadn’t thought of. Mainly because they and no one they knew had been burgled. Me on the other hand see it on a daily basis.
I also noticed that there locks would probably not conform with todays insurance standards. They over very little in resistance to the attacks used more commonly today by thieves and burglars. So I showed them alternatives as well as the benefits and they decided to go with them.
The family went on their holiday and never worried once how secure their home was as they now knew it was as secure as it could be with what they had in place. I have since seen them due to the lady asking me to go to her sisters property and carry out a survey of their security.