Keeping Thieves At Bay

There are approximately 25,000 burglaries in Ireland every year and there is no sign of this figure coming down.

Burglars want privacy and quick access. They are normally most interested in small items that they can just pick up and walk away with quickly, such as cash, jewellery, car keys, sat navs, laptops etc. Do everything you can show them up, confuse them and to keep them out of your home for as long as possible. Don’t leave attractive items hanging around where they might see them.

Most burglars are opportunists and some advice was given on how to make things harder for a potential thief.

Lock Up
DO NOT HIDE KEYS UNDER POTS – you may as well hand them to the burglar!

Check the locks on your front and rear doors. If you don’t have a deadbolt (requires a key to lock and to unlock), get one – these are much more difficult for a burglar to get through.

Keep windows and doors locked and fit a security chain to your front door. Leave the chain off before you go to bed (for fire safety) but use it when answering the door to strangers.

Be wary of cold callers. Always ask for ID and written quotations for any work before letting them do anything.

If you have a patio door, consider fitting an anti-lift lock to ensure that a thief cannot lift the door of its runners.

Always lock garden sheds! There may be nothing of any value to you in a shed, but a burglar may be able to find everything he needs to access your home in there.

Don’t leave ladders lying about.

Close gates – do not make it easier for a potential burglar to move around the outside of your home checking for weak spots.

Light Up
Improve the lighting around your home.

For the exterior, consider installing sodium lights that come from dusk until dawn. These are often thought to be more expensive, but once a light has warmed up they are not as heavy on energy as some believe. PIR lights use as much if not more energy every time they are triggered, and they can actually create a sense of fear when they suddenly come on.

Try to remove dark spots around your home, thus reducing the number of places someone can hide.

Do be aware of light pollution – make sure that lights are angled so that they do not flood neighbours bedrooms etc!

Random lights going on and off in different rooms can also help deter burglars. Leaving lamps on timer switches or purchasing timed bulbs is an effective way of suggesting that there is someone at home, even if a house is empty.

Tidy Up!
Look after your home! If your grass isn’t cut or your hedges are not maintained, a potential burglar may assume your house is empty. Its also a good idea to get your grass cut before you go on holiday.

Keep hedges limited to 6 foot in height as this will maintain your own privacy but provide an extra risk of exposure to a burglar.

Consider Getting An Alarm
Alarms cost money but they are a great deterrent and a burglar is less likely to tackle a property that has visible security in place.

While monitored alarms may raise issues remotely, it is a good idea to insist on having an alarm siren on the protected property itself to raise the alarm with passers by.

Do ensure that the installer has a PSA license and that the alarm conforms to current standards.

Above all, remember that if you see a stranger hanging around your own or a neighbour’s property, you should call the garda immediately!

If your home does get burgled, leave everything where it is and call the garda immediately. The burglar may have left something behind that will help the subsequent investigation.

John Connolly
Crime Prevention Officer – Westmeath Division

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