With burglaries on the rise as recession bites, how can you make sure your house - along with your cash and valuables - don't become targets? Alanna Gallagherreports
IT'S NOT PARANOIA, but a proven fact. House burglaries increase in times of recession - and if your home has been broken into once, it is more likely to happen again.
Forensic psychologist professor Ken Pease has identified a burglary phenomenon called "Repeat Victimisation" through research he has undertaken over the past 20 years. He concludes that if your home has suffered a burglary you are highly likely to be targeted again and usually within a short space of time. Being burgled twice makes a third more likely, and so on.
One Scottish thief he interviewed summed it up by saying: "big house, small van". Which means, once a burglar has been inside a house, it becomes easier to repeat the break-in because he is familiar with the layout and can get out quicker.
Pease , who is visiting professor of crime science at the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, University College London, advised Eircom Phonewatch on its recently published annual burglary report which highlighted the back door and window as the two main entry points for thieves. October, December and February are the months in which most burglaries take place.
The survey also shows that semi-detached homes are the property type most targeted, with apartments the safest form of permanent dwelling accounting for only 1.2 per cent of all thefts.
Crime figures published by the CSO last week show that general burglaries were up 10 per cent to 25,198 cases, and general thefts were up 4 per cent to 77,040, between October 2007 and October 2008.
All burglars are opportunists, says Pease. "They see things differently. A burglar walking down a street where he has never burgled before sees two types of house. Those presumed suitable and those presumed unsuitable (the latter identified by the existence of an alarm, presence of barking dog and so on)."
The thief burgles one of the houses and is successful. "The next time he walks down the street, he sees not two but three types of house - the presumed unsuitable, the presumed suitable and the known suitable. It would involve the least effort to burgle the house know to be suitable."
The average loss per burglary in Ireland is €3,996, according to the Eircom Phonewatch survey of goods stolen from residential households between June 2007 and June 2008. That's approximately €100m worth of goods.
Cash and jewellery are top of the thief's list. "The first place they look is the hall table and any jackets and coats hanging in the hall, says security consultant Liam Brady. "They're looking for money, car and house keys. The next place they tend to look is the master bedroom."
Colin Crothers of Crothers Security has noticed an upsurge in break-ins which he attributes to the economic downturn.
"Petty crime and standard break-ins are far more prevalent during recession," he remarks. "In addition the recent spate of videos showing how to bypass certain lock systems readily available on the internet has given people real security concerns."
THE HIGH LEVELof consumer goods in homes is a lure, and many of the items are now extremely portable. Cash is god and carries little if no risk, Crothers says. "Thieves are looking for anything mobile and easy to sell, iPods, mobile phones, GPS systems and laptops. Jewellery is always attractive but is difficult to sell."
An analysis by Hibernian insurance of its loss adjusting shows that top of the list for thieves who break into houses is jewellery, followed by cash, digital cameras, laptops, DVD players, and iPods, TV / Entertainment equipment, Golf clubs and Silverware and crystal.
Prevention is better than cure. Simple measures such as installing timer switches, keeping keys and handbags out of the hall and enclosing the letter-box all help put off burglars, he says, adding that the best deterrent is an alarm.
The calibre of windows and doors you use in your home are as important the type of locks you choose, according to Liam Brady, who says there is no point in spending money on expensive locks on the left hand side of the door if you leave cheap insecure hinges on the right hand side.
Door intercoms with cameras that capture the image of everyone who rings the bell are a great device, he adds.
Brian Smith of EPS security says as well as an alarm, it is important to have it monitored, and to leave a key with someone who lives nearby to disarm it if necessary.
Burglary is as old as Methuselah, laments Garda Sgt Edward Daly of the Crime Prevention Unit, with burglars preferring easy opportunities. "If they have to make a lot of noise, and risk being seen, the chances are they won't bother," he adds.
The three-minute delay test is a good rule of thumb Daly adds. "If you can delay entry for three minutes or more chances are the burglars will go elsewhere."
Essentially there are two ways into your home, he says - through the windows and doors. Most burglaries occur through windows. Delay tactics include proper strength doors and windows, adequate locks and having an alarm on.
Develop the habit of routinely checking all the doors and windows before leaving the house and also at bedtime. "At night remember to bring your mobile phone up to bed with you and hide it beside the bed," advises Brady. He says key in the numbers 991 before you go to sleep so all you have to do is press send if you believe you're being robbed.
A panic button hooked up to the main alarm system is another good way to ensure you sleep safely at night. There are schools of thought that believe you should have one in every room but this seems extreme to Crothers. Don't bring your handbag to bed, adds Brady. "I'd say let them have it."
The downturn has resulted in an increase in the number of domestic house safes Crothers Security are fitting as people are taking large amounts of money out of the banking system and storing them in safes.
He stresses that while the bank or post office are safer options for storing cash, you can get insurance cover for money stored on the premises if the safe is rated for the purpose. "The safe will be insured for a total cumulative value."
Other questions you need to ask are: first, are all your valuables insured and second, when was the last time you checked your home contents policy?
The Garda website has a 44-question Checklist Challenge which offers further practical advice on how to secure your home.
BURGLARY IS MOSTLYa daytime occupation with peak times for thieves between the hours of midday and four in the afternoon.
Houses with multiple occupancy, housemates and/or students are most vulnerable, says Pease. Every student owns a laptop, as well as an iPod, mobile phone and other electronica.
A burglar seldom comes equipped to steal, Sgt Daly points out. They will avail of anything you leave on your premises, from ladders left outside to tools in the garden shed so people are advised to alarm their shed and garage, as well as the house. They should also put a lock on their oil tank with reports of an increase in the number of thefts of oil.
The location of a house also influences its burglarbility. The safest place is the centre of a horseshoe-shaped terrace, in a road or estate with only one way in and out.
