With so many families heading away, here are our top tips on how you can make your home a less obvious target.
Not to intentionally cause alarm but according to the most up to date statistics from the CSO, there are approximately 25,000 burglaries of homes in Ireland a year.
It's now a time when so many Irish families will be away and we thought it best to put together our top tips on how you can make your home a less obvious target.
When you go away, you may have a neighbour call to collect your post or you may even set your lights to a timer - but there are other indicators that reveal your home is vacant or where easy spots to break in undetected are. Let’s not make it easy for them!
Bins are out on show — days before scheduled collection
If the green bin is out on Friday and it’s not due to be collected until Monday this tells burglars that you're gone away for the weekend.
If the green bin is out on Friday and it’s not due to be collected until Monday this tells burglars that you're gone away for the weekend.
What we leave at the bins
Be wary of leaving boxes from a new flashy electrical purchase (example; a new flat-screen TV). These indicators depict your home as a more enticing prospect for them to rob and portrays that you have money to spend and possibly have other expensive things worth taking.
Be wary of leaving boxes from a new flashy electrical purchase (example; a new flat-screen TV). These indicators depict your home as a more enticing prospect for them to rob and portrays that you have money to spend and possibly have other expensive things worth taking.
Trees, Bushes and Grass
Entrances sheltered by trees and bushes could provide burglars with the shelter they need to jimmy with a lock or force open an entrance.
Cut your grass before you head off. Overgrown grass suggests you’re away.
Entrances sheltered by trees and bushes could provide burglars with the shelter they need to jimmy with a lock or force open an entrance.
Cut your grass before you head off. Overgrown grass suggests you’re away.
You make it known you’re a cat owner.
Strange as it may sound, but if you’ve got a car sticker that says “ I love my cat” thieves could assume that if you have a cat, you'll leave windows open so that your furry friend can come and go during the day.
You live in a high rental area
These areas are more vulnerable to burglars than those with majority homeowner dwellers. In a homeowner neighbourhood, there’s more community spirit. People have a stake in everybody's safety and they're more likely to pay attention to who's coming and going, and are often more proactive about calling the gardai if they see something suspicious.
Shine a light on it
Even when you're home, keep a light on. When everything is dark burglars can more easily prowl around and peek in the windows without being detected. Although many robberies do occur in the daytime when people are typically out, it pays to prevent moonlight recognizance. Motion detected exterior lights that can suddenly illuminate a burglar will encourage them to flee.
Other general tips:
- Leave the curtains open, this eliminates the curiosity effect
- Ensure your alram is set
- Don’t forget to cancel deliveries like milk etc if you are going away
- Do not advertise your travel arrangements to others using social media and ensure to disengage location services for social media apps
- If you own a shed, lock it. Thieves will make use of tools found outside your home or in unlocked garden shed!
