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Your home
A lot of burglaries can be prevented. Most are committed by opportunist thieves, and in one out of five burglaries the thief does not have to force his way in because a door or window has been left open.
Burglars like easy opportunities. They don't like locked windows because breaking glass attracts attention. They don't like security deadlocks on doors because they cannot open them even from the inside and they have to get out through a window. Simple precautions like these do work:
- Strangers: Be alert to people loitering in residential streets. If it is no one you recognise, call the police.
- Burglar alarms: Visible burglar alarms make burglars think twice.
- Front Door Porch Roof: A thief could reach first floor windows from this roof - so fit window locks.
- Gates and Fences: A high wall or fence at the back of a house can put off burglars. Check for weak spots where a thief could get in. A thorny hedge along a boundary can also be a useful deterrent. Make sure the front of the house is still visible to passers by, so that a burglar can't work unseen.
- Small Windows: Even small windows like casement windows, skylights or bathroom fanlights need locks. A thief can get in through any gap larger than a human head.
- Spare Keys:Never leave a spare key in a hiding place like under a doormat, in a flowerpot or inside a letterbox - a thief will look there first.
- Garages and Sheds: Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a connecting door to the house. Lock tools and ladders away so that a thief cannot use them to break in.
- Side passages:Stop a thief getting to the back of the house - where he can work with less chance of being seen - by fitting a high gate across the passage. If you share an alleyway with a neighbour, talk to him or her about sharing the cost.
- Home insurance: Does your insurance company offer discounts on home insurance if you are a member of Neighbourhood Watch? If not, try to find an insurance company who does.
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