POLICE at Warrington have issued a reminder that with summer on the way, burglars don’t go on holiday.
Many people become complacent about home security during the warmer weather – and this provides an open door to opportunist thieves…quite literally.
The most common cases of opportunist summer burglary involve offenders that:
*Enter an insecure front door while residents are in the back garden
*Enter doors that are closed but unlocked at night while residents are asleep
*Reach through windows to take valuable items
Police have plenty of advice to make life harder for burglars.
Ensure that windows and doors are closed and locked when you are out. Don’t leave small windows open believing them to be safe.
If you want to leave windows open while you sleep, fit window restrictors so they cannot be fully opened, or make sure they are not large enough to allow access to a burglar.
When out in your garden ensure that windows and doors to the front of the house are secure. It only takes a second for someone to get into your home and take things without you noticing.
Do not leave valuables on display in front of windows or in reach of open windows or doors.
Ensure that all barbecue and garden equipment and tools are securely locked up in a shed and out of sight. Tools can be used by the potential offender to break into your home.
Consider fitting outside security lighting or a visible alarm to help deter burglars. Even using pea shingle or gravel on a driveway and spiky plants in garden beds can help.
Don’t leave any keys near entry points where they can be “fished” or “hooked” out through the window, letter box or cat flap.
Ensure any internal handle-operated locks on UPVC doors are fully secured with a key.
