With glass crunching underfoot….

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A long hard shopping expedition completed and the well-worn key of the door slips into the old Yale lock. It squeaks its welcome from the homely wooden frame, creaking out the normal reassuring groan you’re accustomed to, as homely smells assail your nostrils from the warmth of the hall. The sound of the tumble dryer chugging away greets you too, with the dog casually sitting in his basket gnawing his old chew toy.

You’re home. But something is immediately amiss.

The keys you left on the mantle near the door are missing…

The drawer in the hallway is hanging out, belching and spewing its contents onto the floor.

The rear window has been wrenched open, a crack scarring the single pane of glass.

With glass crunching underfoot, the feeling of dread hits like a freight train. You stumble through the scene checking for valuables, the iPad you left on charge on the kitchen table, the MacBook in the lounge, the holiday money in the wallet on the kitchen side…

All gone…

You’ve been burgled…

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Burglary is a terrible thing to happen to anyone and us attending one, is one to many for our officers. In most cases burglaries are opportunistic in nature and residents living in one of the quieter boroughs in the Met, believe (or hope) that it couldn’t happen to them. So, what can you do to help prevent this happening to you?

The first thing we’ll say is that there’s no one magic item you can purchase to achieve this. But there is light at the end of the torch. When you read the opening story, you hopefully read it with emotion and your heart pounding, the feeling of dread growing with the homeowner as what had happened became clear. This brief account, although fictitious, does go to highlight a few preventative measures that can hopefully help and prevent you from becoming a victim of burglary.

Now read this version…

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Unlocking the Mortice lock and the new Chubb one, you walk through the safety of your doorway, happy with the security the newly fitted door provides. Waving up at the HD CCTV camera above the doorway you wince, remembering the time you did the same wave and got blinded by the motion sensor lighting. The normal homely smells assail your nostrils, and the warmth of the hall washes over you, and you place the door keys in a secure place, away from the letterbox. The dog snores his welcome, casually sitting in his basket with his old chew toy.

You’re home.

The drawer in the hallway is closed…

You contemplate giving the rear double-glazed window a polish…

You mutter under your breath about where you left your iPad and remember it’s in the drawer upstairs with the MacBook. In the lounge you settle down, munching crisps, fondly remembering the holiday money locked away in the safe, when you look down to the packet in your hand.

All gone…

You’ve run out of crisps…
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Two very different stories - one of a burglary and one with a lack of snacks. Having your home secure is the main thing you can do to prevent yourself being burgled. As a task for all readers, think about this; “How would you get into your home if you forgot your keys?” This will highlight the weak spots you can cover in your own security review. Here are some further ideas too.