TIPS: How To Secure Your Home From Robbers

• Not leaving items on view through your windows – i.e. laptops, phones, keys, bags.
• Putting your vehicle in the garage if you have one and not leaving valuables on display.
• Being cautious about what you post online as it may be used to identify or locate you offline.

Reducing the Means

Removing items that may help commit an offence.

• Not leaving tools and ladders in the garden.
• Keeping wheelie bins out of reach, as they may be a climbing aid or help transport items.

 

Reducing the Payoff

Reducing the profit the criminal can make from the offence.

• Security marking your property (engraving) ,
• Marking your property in such a way that others will not want to buy from the thief.
• Not buying property you believe or suspect to be stolen.

 

Access Control

Looking at measures that will control access to a location, a person or object.

• Locking your doors, security gates and windows to both your house and your vehicle
• Ensuring that fencing, hedges, walls and other boundary treatments are in a good state of repair.
• Putting a security system in place – beams, access control, cameras.

Surveillance

Improving surveillance around your home to deter criminals.

• Removing high hedges/fences at the front of your home that allows an offender to work unseen
• Consider adding good clear image CCTV to your home.
• Neighbour’s are usually the first ones to spot unwanted elements on your property, stay on good terms with yours.

 

Environmental Change

• Ensuring your property and wider community looks cared for.
• Reporting issues such broken street lights to the relevant authority (municipality).
• Attending your local ratepayers meetings so issues concerning the area can be raised and addressed.

Rule Setting

Changing our habits by setting rules and positioning signage in appropriate locations.

• Introducing a rule that the last person entering/leaving should lock the door and remove the keys.
• Last person leaving or retiring for the night to check all windows are closed and the alarm is set.
•  Make sure the security company boards are clearly on display on your fence and house.

Increase the chance of being caught

Increasing the likelihood that an offender will be caught to prevent crime from occurring.

• Making use of dusk to dawn security lighting is in place and in working order.
• Using good quality CCTV and alarm systems.
• Upgrading security to delay an offender, meaning they have to spend more time to gain access (beams).

Deflecting Offenders

Deterring an offender or deflecting their intention.

• Using timer switches to make our homes look occupied if vacant after the hours of darkness.
• Using your home alarm system when you are home and out.
• Make your home look more secure than the one down the road.