Residential Security

How good is your home security? As well as opportunistic burglaries, some burglars scope out a property beforehand, sometimes working with others. So some proactive thinking can be important. Stolen items and damage property can be replaced and repaired. But it's the psychological damage that a home invasion does that can last for a long time. Think about measures to ensure your home looks occupied at all times and ask yourself:

• Is it obvious when you're on holiday or away from the home?
• Are windows and doors left open, even if they're not easily accessible?
• Do your windows and doors have visible locks?
• Is there a spare key that’s easily visible, or easy to find, such as underneath a plant pot or above the ledge on the door?
• Do you have high walls and hedges, which could give burglars protection from being seen?
• Is accessing your house noisy for a burglar? For example, is there gravel around the property?

It's so easy to become complacent and think that burglary or other crime is something that happens to other people, or you read about it in the newspapers.