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You never expect it to happen to you… but it does happen! Being burgled is amongst the worst experiences someone will encounter. Not only is it a massive practical inconvenience having items or money or documents stolen, but as well as a financial blow – it has an emotional and psychological impact. Victims feel worried and vulnerable and it can have a big negative affect on a persons mental health (e.g. increased anxiety, lack of sleep, stress, etc.). So this article is going to look at the most common ways a burglar will gain access and how to prevent them.
Lock Guy is a professional locksmith based in Essex and has attended after many burglaries and attempted burglaries.
In order to prevent a burglary, it is important to get in the mind of the burglar and to understand their techniques and strategies. This article is based on personal locksmith experience (specifically in Essex).
Lets have a look at the types of burglaries that can happen and then some of the methods burglars employ to gain access to your property.
Firstly it is important to understand that there are two broad categories of burglars.
The Opportunist – This is where a person suddenly identifies a situation that tempts them to commit a burglary. For them, it is finding a good combination of having an easy way in and being likely to get something that can earn them quick money. These situations are the most common and the easiest to prevent.
Targeting Burglar – This is when a burglar specifically targets a property. This is normally because they perceive that they will get a high value benefit. These burglaries involve some degree of investigation and planning. Burglars in targeted burglaries will still try to identify weak/easy points of entry, but they will be more prepared, determined and will normally be less easy to deter.
If a burglar is looking for an easy way in, then there is no easier way than to walk through an unlocked or even an open door. Homeowners can get complacent and may be too trusting of people and the area they are in. They can get in the habit of not always locking the door. Opportunist burglars have been known to randomly walk down a street just trying all the doors waiting until they get a door that opens.
Resolution: Be vigilant and always lock the door.
People of course open windows open and some leave them open for prolonged periods of time, especially in hot weather. Unfortunately, this can be an invitation to a burglar to jump through a window, grab what they can and depart.
Some windows can also be opened from the outside if they are not locked (e.g. some sash windows).
Resolution: Use the appropriate security device so you can let air in, but not a burglar. Read more in my article about Window Locks.
Double locking means, if you have a multipoint locking mechanism that you typically lift the handles and turn the key. If you have a separate rim cylinder (‘Yale lock’) and a deadlock (‘Chubb lock’) – then both locks should be engaged. If not, there is just one point of resistance in the door and it can potentially be relatively easily bypassed if you know how.
Resolution: Make sure door is double locked. It is much harder to get through a door that is double locked.
Quite often a ‘burglar’ will manage to get hold of a key to the property. The key could be obtained a number of ways, e.g. former tenant, finding it under pots or mats, stealing it, removing it from a key safe, etc.
In the end it is the owner that is responsible for managing the amount of keys there may be in circulation. Often insurance companies will therefore not cover burglaries made using a key. For more information read my article about burglaries with a key.
Resolution: The only way to be sure who may have a key to your property is to change the locks and be very diligent about where you keep them and who you give them to.
If you keep keys in a key safe, then make sure it is a good quality one. I’ve written an article on the types of key safes that are available and that can be used to secure your keys rather than placing them in a “safe” space like under a plant pot, an easy find for the experienced burglar.
This normally involves someone coming to your door and using deception to trick you into letting them in to your home so they can steal things or scope out the property for valuable items and weak points of entry. Often these people work in pairs under the guise of some fictitious official capacity (e.g. utilities company workers) and whilst one distracts you, then the other commits thefts.
Resolution: Do not let anyone into your home unless you are certain that they are genuine. Ask for ID and then contact the company for verification.
Often burglars are not that sophisticated. Based on personal experience, burglars do not have the skill or patience to learn how to pick locks. Burglary methods tend to be quite crude. Using crow bars, hammers and other similar tools some burglars will happily just smash/force their way in.
Resolution: It is difficult to stop a determined person that wants to use force. Composite doors and multipoint locking mechanisms with hook bolts are very difficult to force open. Again a double locked door is much stronger.
Euro cylinder locks are the most common type of door lock in the UK. The older and/or more basic locks have a weak point in that they can be broken in half and removed to gain access to the locking mechanism.
Resolution: Make sure your euro cylinder lock is an anti-snap lock.
Burglars may look through the letterbox to see if they can see anything of value. Typically, they are looking for keys that they can ‘fish-hook’ with a long wire. They will look for car keys or house keys to gain entry that way.
Resolution: Do not keep keys or anything of value near the door or visible through the letterbox. Get a security cowl fitted to the inside of your letterbox. Or, get a door without a letterbox and have a separate wall mounted mailbox.
Apart from the ‘resolution’ tips already covered in this article, please also refer to this previous article about prevention tips.
Other tips:
Whilst there is never a 100% solution to prevent a burglar from getting into your property, you should still do everything possible to make it as difficult as possible for a burglar. If a burglar perceives that it is too difficult, will take too much time, or they might be noticed, then they are likely to move on to another target.
For more information, or if you want to upgrade your lock security in Essex (or any other locksmith requirement), then contact Lock Guy
Got a question about a lock issue you may have? Why not have a look at the FAQ page or one of the helpful advice videos on the Media page.