Bunnies won’t be the only thing hopping about this Easter season, as my slightly paranoid friend always elegantly puts it, “criminals want an Easter too!” Many South African’s choose to unwind this time of the year because it’s convenient, school holidays and all. It’s also convenient for criminals, they have an eye for knowing who’s at home and who’s not.
Getting inside the criminal mind
Professor Zinn a senior lecturer in Forensic and Crime investigation at UNISA, conducted a study to understand how to improve one’s home security. He interviewed 30 convicted criminals and his findings showed:
•Almost all were experienced at breaking and entering.
•It’s popular to break windows, doors or gates to gain entry.
•The perpetrators aren’t afraid to use violence if necessary, that’s why 97% of them bring a firearm with them.
•Housebreaking is a favoured crime because it’s easy, there’s more money to be gained and little chance of being caught.
•65% of what was stolen was spent on luxury items such as cars, clothes and alcohol.
•74% admitted that they target a house based on ‘inside information’ letting them know this home has low security.
Focus on crime prevention
“Before breaking into the house, the perpetrators stated that they would try and identify the numbers and locations of everyone who was in the house. They would typically do this during the pre-attack surveillance and once they were in the property, by peering through windows preferably under the cover of darkness,” says Professor Zinn. Leave the criminals guessing as to what is happening in your house with window film. They won’t be able to sneak a peek to see if anyone’s home. Like the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind”.
Don’t leave your home security to chance
Since criminals rely on a surprise attack, put your trust in a furry friend. Guard dogs that raise an alarm or protect you from criminals can put your mind at ease, just be sure to train your dog not to take food from strangers. Criminals are more likely to suss out a neighbourhood that isn’t protected by neighbourhood watch and regular patrols by volunteers.
Electric fences tend to be a popular home security option, however this does not deter criminals, in fact they will use this system to their advantage. They will trip your electric fence by any means necessary and wait for you to cut the power, then make their move. Always check your perimeter before disarming any security feature.
According to Bassett Burglar alarms, a team was called to a scene in which they found a ladder placed against a wall. The criminals gained entry by simply climbing into a window that had been left open. If your windows are higher than your wall and can be easily accessed with a ladder, keep them closed, or better yet use window film to ensure that extra protection.
Windows are weak on their own, one slightly hard tap, without hardly any effort put into it and it shatters to pieces, leaving the criminals grinning from ear to ear thinking how easy it was. Our window film is shatterproof, they may eventually get in, given enough persistence, but criminals want to get in and out with the least amount of resistance. Stronger windows are an excellent deterrent. Always ensure that your locks and security gates are in their best condition. Don’t compromise, get ahead of the pack with quality home security.
Contact us today and we’ll help you do just that. We hope you have a blessed and crime free Easter!
Image Credit: http://www.avimarvin.com/
