Property
Protection
To reduce
the risk of property within your house from being stolen you
can take some simple measures:
Outbuildings and Gardens
Garages,
sheds and other outbuildings present easy pickings for the
burglar. Reduce the risk of this by: Appropriately locking
doors and windows. Fit blinds to windows to hide attractive
items from view. Place high value portable items such as electrical
equipment and tools within locked containers. Lock away mowers
and cycles. Walls, hedges, gates and fences should be in good
repair. Don't let hedges and shrubs become so tall that they
conceal intruders by blocking your neighbours' view of your
property. Put gravel on the paths and driveways because it
can help alert you to the arrival of a burglar.
Holidays
and Going Away
Burglars
are usually opportunists and are attracted to any house that
appears empty. If you're going away, here are a few things
to bear in mind: Ask your neighbours, friends or family to
call in regularly. Ask them to remove post from the letterbox
and to close the curtains at the end of each day. Relocate
the waste bin after emptying and invite your neighbours to
park their car on your driveway. Leave your lights on in various
rooms on timer switches. Remove expensive or attractive contents
from windows so that they are not on view. During Christmas
holidays don’t leave presents on display. Do not store
empty boxes and packaging outside. This advertises that the
items that have been recently purchased and is likely to draw
attention. Store ladders in garages or outbuildings or lock
them up if left outside. Make sure that all outbuildings are
secured with machinery and tools stored out of sight.
Your Valuables
Jewellery,
silverware, fine art or antiques and some electrical
equipment present an increased risk of theft because
of their value from within the home. These items are
can be readily sold on once removed. If you have any
high value items, here are some suggestions Don’t
leave high value items on display, and when you are
away from the property, move your valuables to discreet
locations out of general sight. Jewellery and cash should
be stored in a Safe or other lockable container. Get
a photographic or video record of all your valuables
and these should be labelled and stored securely once
catalogued. Make comments on values, sizes, colours,
manufacturers and distinctive marks could also be added.
Consider security marking for certain items. You can
use a UV marker pen with name, postcode and house number.
Suitable window stickers should also be displayed warning
that the property is marked. Record serial numbers and
the make and model of all valuable electrical items
within your home. Make sure your valuables are insured
with up to date valuations in place. Retain all your
receipts for future reference.
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