Christmas Burglary Prevention

Don't let thieves steal your Christmas. Make sure Santa is the only person sneaking into your home this Christmas by reading some burglary facts and following our advice.

As Christmas approaches, homes will be filling up with gifts and gadgets. Just as much as you are looking forward to giving and receiving gifts, burglars are looking to steal them from you. Generally, there is a 25% increase in burglaries in December, which is down to homes been filled with expensive goods, homes being empty and businesses closed.

Security Direct wants to make you aware of the facts and give you some crime prevention advice to keep you safe over the Christmas holidays. Security Direct can provide you with free advice and no-obligation quotes on burglar bars for securing your windows and doors.

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Don’t leave presents under your Christmas tree if they are visible from windows or doors.

Never keep large amounts of cash at home.

Make sure you keep your doors and windows locked at all times.

Keys should always be kept out of sight and not left in doors or in view of windows.

Make your house look occupied, use a timer switch to operate lamps as it starts to get dark, leave a radio on.

Don’t open the door to anybody you don’t recognise. Not sure? Don’t open the door!

After you have opened your Christmas gifts, burglars and robbers know that many households have new and often expensive, items in their homes following the December holidays especially items such as new tech such as tablets or laptops, mobile phones, music systems, televisions, cameras and other electronic equipment. In many cases, residents make it easy for burglars to figure out which homes to target by putting boxes that identify their new gifts in plain view with their other rubbish.

Avoid becoming an easy target for post-holiday burglars/robbers by not leaving boxes for new electronics and other items outside your wheelie bin.

Break down any boxes you are throwing out and put them in rubbish bags and place them inside the wheelie bin.

With computer equipment, you might consider keeping the boxes for safe storage, shipping or moving in the future. Would they be useful as storage boxes?

Think about keeping broken-down boxes inside in a garage or loft.

Register your property securely and free of charge on the national property marking database www.immobilise.com

To speak to our Crime Prevention Unit about protecting your property and reducing your chances of becoming a victim of crime, email [email protected]