Crime in the home: when do most burglaries occur?

Over 400, 000 homes in England and Wales became a target for burglaries in the period between June 2018 and June 2019. So, what do we know about how and when these burglaries occur? What time of day is your house most likely to be a target for crime? How can you more effectively protect your property from a burglary, even while you’re away from your home?

How much do you know about the habits of burglars?

It’s incredibly difficult to gather statistics about the habits of burglars. But, there are some general points to bear in mind when you’re attempting to effectively protect your home from burglaries:

• Most burglaries take place during the day, rather than at night

Burglars are likely to target a house when you’re away from home. So, it makes sense that they’d commit a crime during your regular work hours, when they know that the property will be standing empty.

• Burglars monitor when you’re in and out of your home, taking advantage of times when the house is standing empty to commit a crime uninhibited

If you notice suspicious activity around your home, make sure that you report it to the police.

• A house is often more at risk of a burglary than an apartment

Often, this is due to easier access to doors and windows around a house that are more difficult to get to in an apartment.

• Burglars often use a special code to mark up homes that they’re planning to target for burglaries

Inform the police of any suspicious code symbols you see on your home, or your neighbours’ houses. This could help to avert future potential burglaries.

• Burglars will often use the doors of a house to gain access – including the front door itself. Windows around your home will also provide a point of vulnerability for potential burglaries.

Doors and windows are obvious targets for burglars: they’re often the easiest points to force entry, or they’re simply left ajar by unwitting home owners.

Burglars most often get into a home through its doors and windows – they’re easy and obvious targets, of course. That’s why Netatmo developed Smart Door and Window Opening Sensors, so you can be notified of anyone even attempting to open your home’s doors and windows. Our Smart Door and Window Opening Sensors pick up on even the subtlest vibrations, so you’ll know that someone’s attempting to commit a potential crime before they even break in. Then, you can remotely trigger your home security alarm to deter the burglar, before the crime takes place.

If it’s obvious that you’re away from the house, it’s likely to become a target for burglary

Burglars are very likely to scope out your house before they attempt to commit a crime there.

As well as looking for doors and windows that could provide them with convenient entry points into the property, they’ll monitor your timetable so they know when the property is likely to be standing empty. Of course, it’s far easier to carry out a burglary when the burglar won’t encounter any resistance from residents.

If you install a smart home security system around your property, you’ll be able to remotely control how these devices take care of your house while you’re away.

For example, smart home security cameras could live stream video footage from your home straight to your portable devices. If you view any suspicious activity on the footage while you’re away – anything that indicates there might be a burglar on your property – you could remotely trigger your home security alarm to attempt to avert the crime.

Plus, smart home security technology allows you to simulate your presence in the home, even while all the inhabitants are away. For example, pre-recorded audio sounds can convince a burglar that there are people in the home, even while you’re absent.

The same goes for pre-prepared lighting functions that will turn on during the hours of darkness to simulate the presence of people in the home.

While these high-tech options are extremely effective, don’t forget the basic giveaways that signal that a home is standing empty! If you close up all your shutters and let your post accumulate in your letterbox, that’ll show burglars that there’s no one in the house.

Why not leave some shutters strategically open, or ask a trusted neighbour to collect your post for you occasionally while you’re away from home?

Is your home security effective enough to protect your property while you’re away from the home? Give yourself peace of mind about your home security, even while you’re out of the house at work or on holiday. Why not check out Netatmo’s Door and Window Opening Sensors and Smart Indoor and Outdoor Security Cameras? Use these devices to monitor your home – especially its vulnerable doors and windows – wherever you are and whenever you like.

What happens when there’s a burglary at your home, but there hasn’t been a break-in anywhere around the house?

Many home owners are totally perplexed when it looks like there’s been a burglary at their home, but there’s no sign of a break-in anywhere around the property.

Theft with no break-in can easily happen to a home: the explanation is very simple. Most of the time, these burglaries occur when the burglar is able to simply walk into the house, as the residents have forgotten to close its doors or windows. So, if it’s a warm day, make sure you still remember to safely shut any doors and windows that you’ve left ajar around the home when you head out!

So, a burglar has got into your house and has committed a crime. But, there’s no damage around the house that points to a break-in. So, is it possible to prove to the police – or your home insurance company – that a burglary actually happened in your house, even with no real evidence of a break-in?

Installing security cameras in your house could provide the answer. Footage showing a burglar entering your house, or leaving with something they’ve burgled from the house, could provide the evidence you need to effectively bring charges against the burglar.