Burglary

This section of the website is about burglary and how you can reduce the chance of becoming a victim by following a few simple steps.

Operation Accurist has been launched across the Vale to make homes more secure in the winter months. View the Operation Accurist leaflet below for some crime reduction advice you'll be able to implement instantly, and for free.

You are probably very disciplined about locking doors and shutting windows when you leave your home. But what about your garage or garden shed? Lawnmowers, bikes, DIY tools and garden furniture are easy pickings for burglars. Research also shows that thieves often take garden tools such as ladders and spades to help them break into the house. This section of the website includes practical advice on how to avoid becoming a victim, what changes you can make to your property and how AVDC can provide free items to reduce the chance of you becoming a victim.

On average, just 1.5 houses in the Vale are burgled per day. Nevertheless, many burglaries could have been prevented by considering 3 key principles.

• Lock your doors and windows regardless of if you are in the property or not. The point of entry in more than 75% of the time is through a door or window.
• Keep valuable items out of view. Leaving a laptop on view is an open invitation for a thief. Even less valuable items can be used to gain entry and is the most common way to force entry.
• Property mark your valuables with ultra-violet marking kits or Smartwater (contact us to receive one free). When goods are marked it enables recovered property to be returned and improves the chance of conviction.

Some more general security advice would include:

• Get a free light timer switch from us. In the winter months when it’s dark and nobody is at home the timer can be set to active a light giving the impression that someone is at home. The timer switches are also ideal when you’re on holiday.
• Use good quality locks to secure gates, doors and windows. If you have been a victim of a burglary or are over 60, you can receive such security improvements for free. For more information follow the link below.
• Replace ordinary screws on outbuilding doors with non-return screws or coach bolts (the latter have smooth heads that cannot be undone with a screwdriver or spanner).
• Secure up-and-over garage doors with padlocks through the inside runners, or fit a padlock (with hasp and staple) on either side of the door.
• Add a mortise deadlock to existing latches on double wooden doors and fit strong bolts to the top and bottom of the adjoining door.
• Consider fitting an alarm.
• Thorny shrubs growing under windows or against access routes such as drainpipes, walls and fences create an effective natural barrier. Berberis, blackthorn, rubus and pyracantha are all good for this. They are easy to grow and readily available from your garden centre.
• Fix a grill to steel plates inside garage and shed windows. Chicken wire is a good low cost alternative and may slow a thief down.
• Keep your buildings in good condition. Burglars looking for an easy way in will target split, rotten or warped doors and window frames.

Protect your possessions

• Put away tools and equipment and lock sheds and outbuildings when you're not using them.
• Mark all your property with your postcode and house number or name. Make a note of serial numbers. This will help prove ownership if your property is stolen and then recovered.
• High value items such as bikes and lawn mowers should be shackled together, ideally to the fabric of the building or to a metal post cemented into the ground.
• Don't leave cash, spare keys or other valuables around the house, or on display.
• Don't leave keys in doors, but let everyone know where they are in case of an emergency.

Make life difficult for burglars.

Date Updated: 31/10/11

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