Birmingham South: Don’t make 2015 a prosperous New Year for burglars! Burglary rates in the West Midlands have almost halved in the last five years but we are reminding residents to be on the front foot rather than relying on faith that it wont happen to me. Follow our top tips to beat burglars to ensure you have a secure New Year. Install and use an alarm Alarm options range from standard motion-triggered systems to ones that will take a CCTV image of the intruder and instantly send the photo to a computer or mobile phone. There are also good quality wireless alarms, so theres no need to have it professionally installed and people can take it with them if they move house, and fob-operated versions so no need to remember security codes. Locks - just think James Bond! Think James Bond when it comes to lock security...because the 007 is the best on the market to keep out criminals! The TS007 3-star rating is an anti-snap, anti-drill and anti-pick lock designed to frustrate any thief hoping for an easy entry to your home. Timer switches Most burglars will walk on by if they believe a home is occupied. Simple timer switches that will automatically flick lights on and off across the house will give the impression someone is home. TV magic trick! This mini-LED gadget makes it appear youre at home sat in front of the TV. Around the size of a credit card, its flickering light combinations when viewed through closed curtains give potential intruders the impression your television is switched on. Shed security Some people store hundreds if not thousands of pounds worth of equipment in a shed - but often its secured with the most flimsy of locks or no lock at all. And worse still burglars have been known to utilise equipment, such as tools or ladders, to help them break into the owners home. Secure By Design approved Synthetic sheds, with multi-point locks, may cost about £100 - 250 more than a standard wooden shed but make financial sense, 80 years maintenance free and as solid as concrete. Also look to alarm your shed. Shed alarms can be bought for as little as £7, look for shed alarms with no more than a 10-second activation time from the time the shed is entered, the louder the better...minimum decibel range of 130db. Protect your perimeter Around three-quarters of all break-ins occur at the rear of the property. Burglars want quick, easy wins. Make it difficult for opportunists to access the rear of your house: get a sturdy, tall side gate and lock it. Standard garden trellis could be your saviour; its weakness is its strength. Prowlers arent going to want to pull themselves up over fencing thats topped with trellis: not only does it increase the height of the fence but if climbed the trellis will break with a crack likely to arouse attention. Trellis toppings can be enhanced further by securing plastic pointed prick strips on the top or threading hostile, prickly plants through the trellis. Good house keeping Around a quarter of all break-ins are as a result of opportunists taking advantage of sloppy home security so make sure windows are locked, particularly in unoccupied rooms, and dont leave keys in window locks. And dont tempt offenders by leaving valuable items on display like, like phones or car keys on window ledges or by doors, as thats all some crooks need to chance their arm. Soup-er safe! In the unlikely event your home is burgled...make them work for your valuables! Store jewellery and personal documents in a secured safe, dont leave valuables lying around or in jewellery boxes where they can be easily seen. Safe Cans - mini safes in the shape of food tins, aerosol cans or even dictionaries - are a clever way of hiding car keys, house keys, small amounts of cash or personal papers. Make sure you put them in the right environment though. Secure by Design If you are buying anything for your home such as windows, doors, sheds or locks always choose Secure by Design certificated products. Secure by Design is an initiative run by the Association of Chief Police Officers which provides a minimum standard of security for such products that has to be achieved in order to receive the certification. Videos offering crime prevention tips can be found on the West Midlands Police YouTube channel: For quick tips youtube/watch?v=wmVo-NfixUg and for an extended home security tour youtube/watch?v=kDkIQggah2c.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 18:05:09 +0000
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