Learn green skills with Groundwork’s training programme
25th January 2023
Great community safety partnership event held this week
26th January 2023Advice from NHWN on securing your homes against burglary
This January the Neighbourhood Network is supporting the National NHWN with sharing their burglary campaign, with advice and tips on making your home more secure against this type of crime.
WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING YOUR THINGS, TAKING THESE SIMPLE ACTIONS CAN MAKE YOUR HOME UP TO 50 TIMES MORE SECURE*
THINK WIDE(N)
- W – WINDOWS: Keep your windows locked
- I – INTERIOR: Put inside lights on a timer/smart bulb
- D – DOORS: Double or deadlock your doors
- E – EXTERIOR: Put outside lights on a sensor
- (N) – NEIGHBOURS: Keep an eye out for your neighbours
Ensuring your home has a combination of the WIDE features is proven to be most effective – and can be done in any home on a variety of budgets. At Neighbourhood Watch we also believe neighbours keeping an eye out for each other is key to reducing burglary, so we’ve extended the WIDE acronym to WIDE(N).
Leaving your home? For peace of mind download our THINK WIDE(N) Home Security Checklist.
WINDOWS – Keep windows locked
Ensure all windows are locked, not just closed, every time you leave home. Remove keys and keep them out of sight in a safe place. Most burglars will attempt to break in through the quickest, easiest, least visible and noisy route – usually a ground floor rear window. Other at-risk windows are those upstairs with access from a flat roof or drainpipe.
Fit all vulnerable windows with locks that use keys and make sure you use them. If you can, fit inexpensive window locks to your (wood or metal) windows or ask your landlord to. You can also add inexpensive window sensors or glass break sensors. They sit on the window frame and alert you as soon as the entry point has been broken.
Need a new window lock? See ERA locks here
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER IDEAS AROUND SECURING YOUR WINDOWS
INTERIOR: Put inside lights on a timer/smart bulb
See ERA smart home alarms here
One of the most effective ways to prevent burglary is putting your inside lights on timers when away from your house.
Set the timers so they come on and off in different rooms intermittently. Make sure that the whole place is not left in darkness at any one time. Having lights come on and off gives the impression that someone is moving about inside, and a light has not just been left on in one room. You can also use smart bulbs for this function. Affordable timers switches and smart bulbs can be found at high street stores like Screwfix, Toolstation, B&Q, Wilko, Argos or online at Amazon.
Additionally, smart home alarm systems can be effective in keeping your home safe. Especially, PIR motion detectors and indoor cameras can help you keep an eye on your valuables.
https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/media/oembed?url=https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Doj3OpHLRmKY&max_width=0&max_height=0&hash=eQ0H88_uNqXL71xW0Q8L30G_sIjJGaKKovNcc-C9aRc
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER IDEAS AROUND SECURING YOUR HOME INTERNALLY
DOORS: Double or deadlock your doors
Double or deadlock all doors whether you are at home or out.
Deadlocking the door with a key, bolt, or turn means the door can only be opened from the inside or the outside using the correct key. Remove the key once you’ve locked the door to prevent a burglar from reaching through the letterbox or catflap or breaking a window and grabbing your key.
Depending on the type of door you have fitted and the materials it is made from, it will likely require a different type of lock. On PVCu or composite doors fitted with a multi-point lock, the act of pulling up the door handle or shutting the door will not secure the property; you must deadlock using a key or turn.
Need a new door lock?
See ERA locks here
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER IDEAS AROUND SECURING YOUR DOORS AND GATES
EXTERIOR: Put outside lights on a sensor
Need an external sensor light?
Click here for an ERA floodlight camera
Good exterior sensor lights can be an effective burglar deterrent, especially when combined with other measures. They ensure that anyone approaching the house will be automatically illuminated, as well as the area around them, making them more conspicuous.
An efficient way to deter opportunists and catch them red-handed is to install a floodlight camera. This handy device looks like any other spotlight, which makes it perfect to discreetly monitor outside your home. The best floodlight cameras have a built-in PIR motion detector, which triggers a 950 Lumen light and recording. Thanks to the bright light and night vision, the device is perfect for the darker periods of the year.
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER IDEAS AROUND SECURING THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME
NEIGHBOURS: There’s safety in neighbours – keep an eye out for each other
We have added an N to the evidenced WIDE burglary prevention measures as we believe neighbourly communities are a key part of preventing burglary. Active Neighbourhood Watch schemes can be an effective crime prevention tool by:
- increasing awareness
- altering offenders’ perception of risk, if an area is clearly marked as a Neighbourhood Watch area
- giving members handy, quick tips to protect themselves
- encouraging residents to consciously consider their own home security
- promoting social interaction and neighbourhood cohesion and inclusion
Download a useful burglary prevention leaflet here to share with your neighbours or find out more about joining Neighbourhood Watch.
CLICK HERE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BEING GOOD NEIGHBOURS
#neighbourhoodwatch
#neighbourhoodnetwork
#saferhull
* Research published in the Security Journal in 2017 about the effectiveness of burglary security devices concluded that combinations of security devices, in general, afford up to roughly 50 times more protection than no security.