EDIT Statistics psi aug21_PSI_mar15 26/07/2021 17:26 Page 1
SECURITY
Tips, tactics and statistics To take one positive out of the recent pandemic, spending the past year cooped up at home has led to a dramatic decrease in domestic burglary rates. What role does the installer have in keeping the numbers down? f course, with homeowners guaranteed to be present in their homes all day, every day, opportunistic criminals have taken a back seat, with a reported 28% drop in burglaries from March to May 2020 (Money Supermarket, 2020). But as government restrictions eased in June of last year, burglary rates quickly increased as people celebrated their freedom once more, leaving properties unattended and therefore at risk of opportunistic attacks. And with a similar situation being mirrored just one year on, experts are expecting a similar rise in burglary rates as we resume our normal lives out of lockdown. With this invaluable insight, it’s clear that it’s never been more important for homeowners to
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make relevant updates to their home security to ensure their home’s not a target. But how can installers help their customers to prepare their home for the return to normality? Well, it’s all about educating them on the latest burglary tactics so they can ensure their home security stands up to the mark, throughout the summer and beyond. Sharing insight into the most recent burglary techniques across the country, Gavin Kirk, head of trade for Yale, spoke to PSI to highlight the key tactics installers should be made aware of to ensure their customers’ homes are as safe as houses.
More from the door
"For burglars looking to make an opportunistic attack on a home, the front door can often be their first port of call," said Gavin. Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that 76% of household burglaries in England and Wales occurred when the culprit accessed the home through a door, highlighting how important it is for homeowners to make significant upgrades to their front door security. And these criminals don’t even have to use force to break into homes.
"Over the past year, there have been a number of new burglary tactics come to light where thieves are using distraction techniques to enter a property undetected" "Over the past year, there have been a number of new burglary tactics come to light where thieves are using distraction techniques to enter a property undetected," revealed Gavin. "The latest techniques involve a burglar posing as a door-to-door salesman or workman in a high-vis jacket, distracting the homeowner in their front garden, whilst another enters the property undetected. And, unfortunately, these opportunistic attacks are becoming far more sophisticated, tricking vulnerable individuals into thinking they can be trusted and entering their home without a trace. And with no need to break into a property, the thief can enter, take any money, jewellery, phones and car keys and leave in a matter of seconds."
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