Seven Strategies Burglars Use To Break In
Data from the Office of National Statistics UK states that 181,617 home burglaries were reported across England and Wales in the year ending 2024. What’s alarming is that in more than half of domestic burglary incidents, someone was at home whilst the offender gained entry.
Our local professional locksmith in Doncaster has found out that the best way to approach this is to think like a burglar. Specifically, putting yourself in their shoes in order to understand the techniques they employ to carry out their burglaries and what you can do to prevent those methods.
If you want to learn about the strategies burglars use to break in and how to foil them, read on what professional locksmiths have studied when it comes to burglary cases in the UK.
Targeting vacant properties
An unoccupied home makes the despicable act of stealing much easier for burglars. There are fewer chances of being seen or caught and less pressure to act quickly and escape with the loot. Burglars look for certain signs that indicate there’s no one around in a house they plan to break into such as a letterbox overflowing with uncollected mail. Checking social media for posts announcing upcoming travel or current vacation pictures from a distant location is another common surveillance technique burglars use.
To counter this, minimise online posting, especially anything that could attract burglars’ attention. Be extra mindful of who has access to your profile and if you must post, set your account to private.
A professional locksmith will always advise that employing the help of trusted neighbors can go a long way in preventing break-ins especially when you’re away or in vacation. To do this, your neighbour should know how to arm and disarm your system rather than leaving your key under the doormat and ensures that your house remains protected. Moreover, since they will use a different pin, you know it’s them.
Isolated properties are preferable
A house with an overgrown garden can be very attractive to burglars, especially if it is surrounded by a shielding fence that prevents it from being seen from the street. When it comes to fencing, what expert locksmiths do is to install a low fence on the front coupled with a shrub then only put high hedges on the side or rear of the property.
A lower front fence can make potential burglars visible and eliminates their hiding spots, while a high fence or hedge on the rear and sides can prevent them from breaking in on other blind spots.
For areas that need close monitoring, such as your driveway or porch, consider installing an outdoor camera for 24-hour security. Its140° ultra-wide view ensures that potential blind spots are effectively covered and any break-ins will be detected.
Dodging security systems
Burglars target homes that don’t have a security system in place so the obvious solution is to install one. Before you purchase one though, it’s best to get a free home security assessment from locksmiths like Lock & Key [LOCATION] as they can identify where best to place your security cameras and what kind you should look for.
Once this is done, make it known that your property is fully protected. In addition to visible security cameras, put up signs and stickers stating that the premises is protected by a security system.
Planning the break-in
Break-ins can be either planned or carried out on a whim. Planning a burglary involves observing and obtaining information about a property by posing as a friendly neighbour, handyman or sales representative to prepare for the actual break-in.
To protect yourself from such unscrupulous individuals, always be cautious of strangers who show up at your front door, especially those without a prior appointment or proper identification.
Avoid forced entry
According to statistics, 74% of intruders enter homes through the front door, making it the most commonly used entry point. They gain access either by kicking it open or simply slipping through an unlocked one. This is why locksmiths often suggest doors like aluminium which are lightweight but sturdy against break-ins. Alongside this, doors with anti-snapping properties is ideal as these prevents burglars from easily opening your doors. Lock & Key locksmiths explains that anti-snapping locks can be identified when it has a SS312 Diamond label.
Needless to say, homeowners must always lock doors and windows before leaving and make sure that there are no issues with the opening mechanism. Fitting these openings with an entry sensor that works as an alarm when triggered enhances their security. Another practical security device is a glassbreak sensor which gets activated when it detects the distinct sound of glass being shattered.
Using outdoor tools
Burglars may use your own tools to break into your property. For example, they might use a ladder propped against your garden shed to reach a second-floor window and smash the glass using a hammer left in your outdoor area. Locking your tools in a secure garage or keeping them inside your home can go a long way in making your home more secure and less attractive to burglars.
Sifting through your rubbish
Burglars can go through your rubbish and obtain information about you that they may use to access your home. Therefore, it’s wise to shred documents that contain sensitive information. It’s also important to remember that when you purchase expensive items, you should keep the cardboard boxes they came in inside your house until they can be collected. Leaving those items where they can be seen, such as in your driveway, is like telling burglars, “There’s loot to be had here.”
How To Protect Your Home: The WIDE(N) Method
Neighbourhood Watch UK developed an anti-burglary strategy called WIDEN, an acronym that stands for: Windows, Interiors, Doors, Exterior, and Neighbours. The method, developed based on research done by criminologists and police forces, focuses on practices that people can adopt to ensure the security of their homes. The components of WIDEN are explained explained as follows:
WINDOWS: Lock your windows
INTERIOR: Put your interior lights on a timer
DOORS: Double or deadlock your doors
EXTERIOR: Put your exterior lights on a sensor
(N)EIGHBOURS: Keep an eye out for neighbours
On its website, Neighbourhood Watch UK explains that studies show that a specific combination of security actions provides up to 50 times more protection for homes as against having no security at all. It further states that the combination of actions prescribed in WIDE is the most effective and recommended by police across the country.
Alongside this, having the expert advice for locksmiths in securing your property BEFORE any burglary happens is incredibly helpful. Knowing the vulnerable entry points in your property and reinforcing them can increase the margin of your security.
Crime should never happen at all, therefore the best way to deal with it is through prevention. Making simple security measures part of your daily routine (locking your windows, leaving indoor lights on a timer, double- or deadlocking your doors, and having exterior lights on sensors) can greatly lessen your risk of being burgled.
