ADT's Guide to Avoiding Daylight Robbery

As the clocks go forward here’s how you can avoid daylight robbery

It’s easy to assume that burglars are creatures of the night, skulking in the shadows waiting to make their move under the cover of darkness. In fact, research paints a very different picture. According to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics, almost two thirds of burglaries in England and Wales occur between 6am in the morning and 10pm at night.*

Breaking into a house during the day actually appeals more to many criminals. Homes are more likely to be empty and, if challenged, it’s easier to explain away your presence in the day time (burglars will often check if a house is occupied by simply ringing the doorbell and pretending to be a salesman if anyone answers).

With many of us still associating burglars with the dark there’s a risk of letting our guard down as the days get longer and evenings lighter. As the clocks have recently gone forward, now’s the perfect time to have a think about whether you’re doing everything you can to dissuade burglars night and day.

Monitoring makes sense

If your home’s unoccupied during the day there’s a significant chance your alarm will be ignored if it’s activated – three quarters of Brits admit to having done just that† - but there is a way to guarantee a response. A monitored alarm means that a signal will be sent to a specialist centre. What happens next will depend on the package you choose, but options include notifying a nominated keyholder (usually a friend or family member who lives nearby), calling the police, or even sending a private security professional to investigate. It’s an excellent way to ensure that someone can respond to an alarm even when you can’t.

Don’t be camera shy

Motion detecting cameras are a great way to keep an eye on your home when you’re out of the house. Modern systems like ADT Smart Home alert customers to movement in and around the home via their smartphones or tablets. Which means it’s easy to see exactly what’s going on at home, wherever you are.

Avoid open invitations

Thieves relish an easy opportunity and 5% of all burglaries involve entry through an unlocked or open door or window*. That might not sound like a lot but in 2017 that added up to well over 16,000 break-ins that could have been prevented. It may be tempting to leave patio doors open while you’re upstairs, or a window ajar while you pop to the shops but it’s an open invitation to opportunist thieves. As we approach the summer months we’ll spend a lot more time opening doors and windows so don’t forget to spend a little longer checking that everything’s firmly secured when you leave your home unoccupied.

Outdoors, out of sight

Lighter nights and (fingers crossed) warmer temperatures mean we’ll be dusting off our barbecues and making more use of our bikes soon. That means being extra security conscious when it comes to looking after them. It might be tempting to leave bikes or gas barbecues in the garden overnight after a long day but they’re an easy target for thieves. What’s more, if thieves think you’re relaxed about outdoor security they’ll assume your home is probably an easy target too. Keep everything locked away and they may well move on to an easier target.

There’s lots to look forward to as summer approaches and these handy tips should help you get into some good habits. If anything here has made you think about how you could improve the security around your home our team of experts are always on-hand to give you help and advice as well as a free quote.