| 06 August 2012
Don’t forget that the summer months are a popular time for burglaries as people spend more time away from their property. If you’re jetting off this summer, do follow our simple holiday security tips:
- Hide or lock away any visible valuables – go outside your premises, see what’s on view through the windows and then remove anything that may tempt an intruder
- Avoid a build-up of post if you're going to be away for some time. Ask a friend or neighbour to pop in and clear this. If you are due to have anything delivered whilst your away arrange for someone to collect it of cancel it before you go.
- If possible, leave a car in the drive and invest in timer switches for lights, which give the impression you are in when you’re out.
- Lock all side gates and switch your alarm on. Burglars love properties with easy exit routes. For added protection, why not get automatic gates?
- Consider CCTV - not only is it a great deterrent, new advances in technology mean you can view your home remotely over a secure web connection (even on your mobile phone) and check things are as they should be.
Protecting vulnerable or elderly neighbours
As a matter of grave concern, Surrey Police have alerted us that there have been a number of burglaries recently where offenders have gained entry to pensioners’ homes by claiming to be police officers. The Force is asking friends, family, and neighbours to pass on advice on how the more elderly and vulnerable in our communities can protect themselves against these distraction-style burglaries and also to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously in their neighbourhood.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Rymarz said: “This is not about alarming people, but we would ask that if you live next door to someone who is vulnerable or have elderly relatives living alone that you remind them to take precautions when answering their door to strangers – no matter who the caller claims they are".
DCI Rymarz added: “If they are not expecting the caller, they should keep their door locked and ask to see some identification - perhaps through a window or letterbox. If they decide to open the door, they should engage the chain and keep it engaged until they are completely sure the caller is genuine. A genuine police officer will not mind waiting outside whilst you phone the Surrey Police switchboard on 101 to confirm their identity".
If you are worried about a vulnerable or elderly relative, please do pass on this advice. We have certainly heard of at least 4 instances locally recently where the intruders have been more persistent and determined than usual. These included:
- climbing up drain pipes or using flat roofs to gain access via first floor windows
- cutting telephone lines
- pulling off external sirens and dumping in water to silence
Fortunately, despite these determined attacks, the property’s intruder alarms still operated and (where remote monitoring was connected via a secure dual path unit) the police were called and losses prevented. In fact, cutting the phone line acts as an early warning alarm signal to the monitoring centre to increase the speed of calling the police.
Customers with older single path communication systems should consider upgrading to dual path equipment, such as Dualcom GPRS. Contact us on 01483 791550 for more details. In addition to intruder alarms CCTV, panic buttons and access control systems also act as a good deterrant. We can chat through the options with you if you are worried about this rise in burglaries.