Burglary in the UK at its Peak During the Autumn Period
As the leaves start falling and the nights grow longer, the threat of opportunistic burglars and intruders starts to rise.
Darkness is a thief’s best friend, and when the clocks go back and the sun goes down earlier and earlier each day, it’s time to avoid making your home an easy target.
Keeping doors and windows securely locked, fitting an effective alarm system and putting your lights on timers so that they come on after dark are all common sense ways to put off burglars. However, sometimes that’s just not enough.
Crime Stats
Recent statistics from UKCrimeStats, covering England and Wales in the last four years, show that burglaries rise noticeably during the autumn months – up to 10% in some places.
In 2013, burglaries and reported break-ins totalled 35,798 in September, before leaping to 39,953 in October and peaking at 40,391 into November. Similar figures from the year before put these totals at 40,684 (October) and 42,428 (November) – an even greater contrast with the summer months.
Autumn even sees higher break-in stats than December, dispelling the assumption that Christmas time is period with the biggest threat to property.
While all property crime tends to spike around this time, burglaries present a significant increase (along with vehicle crime). With less daylight hours and insufficient vigilance from homeowners to blame, there are a number of steps that we can all take to keep our homes and cars safe from intruders.
Don’t be an Easy Target
Many police forces and local authorities introduce campaigns to reduce break-in figures around this time of year, encouraging people to keep homes locked and well lit, whether they are occupied or not.
Alarm systems and CCTV cameras, particularly visible ones, will act as deterrents to opportunists, while keeping valuables and keys out of view should be a standard activity. Lighting has long been an important weapon in the fight against intruders, so leave lights on (or attach them to timers to save on energy consumption), and close your curtains when out at night.
If you can try to see your property through a burglar’s eyes, it will help you to spot the vulnerable points that may be targeted.
AAI Security Systems are on hand to help ensure that your security is at its tightest in the run-up to autumn and winter, calling on over 25 years in the industry to provide first-rate products and services to customers throughout London and the UK.
Our expert team are available to carry out free site surveys, determining your security needs and designing a system that meets them fully. Whether you require a commercial or residential intruder alarm or an extensive CCTV setup, you can be sure that you’re receiving the highest quality from an NSI and BSIA accredited company – all installed and tested to Grade A standard.
For more information, or to request a free quote, get in touch with AAI Security Systems today.