The likelihood of a burglary at your property varies according to a range of factors – where you live, prevailing economic and social conditions, deterrent measures you have in place (locks, security gates, alarms, CCTV) and overall trends in crime (amongst other things).
Trends – crime rates
The amount of crime in the UK has consistently decreased from a high in the mid-nineties, with burglary being one of the crimes that has declined. In 2013-14, break-ins fell to their lowest level in over thirty years (according to the UK Crime Survey) with levels expected to continue low in the following year due to developments in home technology. Recorded crime to in Scotland in 2020 was at its lowest level since 1974.
This should be no reason for home security complacency however. According to Home Office figures, one break-in occurs every forty seconds in the United Kingdom. The current cost of living crisis has led some commentators to suggest that property crime and theft may increase during 2022 and beyond as a result of growing financial hardship due to increasing food and energy costs.
Despite the improvements, home security remains a major worry. Money is the most often taken item during house burglaries, accounting for about half of all thefts from residential properties, followed by jewellery, laptops, and other devices.
Because most break-ins are opportunistic and quick, money is always the most usually taken item — it’s simpler to flee with cash than it is to flee with a television. The proliferation of portable devices like laptops and cellphones has made them appealing targets for thieves, resulting in an increase in the number of stolen home computers during the previous 10 years.
Home security measures
It’s no surprise that homes without window locks and double locks or deadlocks on exterior doors are up to six times more likely to be broken into, and urban areas have always been more vulnerable to house burglaries than rural areas, with statistics indicating that inner-city properties are at nearly twice the risk.
The London area typically has the largest number of burglaries each year, with almost three times as many as Manchester or the West Midlands.
There are many strategies for protecting your house against burglary, with a combination of these approaches proving to be the most successful. From the most basic (keeping doors and windows closed and locked, leaving lights on while away, keeping valuables out of sight, etc.) to the more advanced (door entry systems, CCTV, security alarms, etc. ), knowing where your property’s weak points are and taking steps to strengthen them is the best defence against a break-in.
In Glasgow or west central Scotland? Protect your property with a home security system from Ultimate Alarms – professional installers of home alarms & CCTV systems to help minimise the likelihood of a break-in. Contact us today for ultimate home protection.
