Tag Archives: Burglars

You May Find These Statistics About Burglaries Of Interest…..

BurglarTo come home and find that your property has been broken into and items damaged/stolen is a terrible situation to find yourself in and one that you could do without. It is an invasion of your privacy and will no doubt take up quite a bit of your time such as informing and meeting with the police, making a list of your stolen belongings and replacing them as well as contacting your insurance provider.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) obtained data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) entitled Nature of Crime: Burglary covering the 12 month period to the 31st March 2017 that we think you may find of interest. We highlight some of those statistics below relating to domestic burglary with entry but full details can be found on the ONS website.

About the burglars

  • 81% of the offenders were males, 9% were females and 10% were both.
  • 0% were under 10 years of age, 3% were between 10 to 15 years of age, 33% were aged 16 to 24, 49% were aged between 25 to 39 and 18% were 40 years of age and over.
  • 42% of the victims were burgled by strangers, 16% were broken into by people that they had either spoken to or seen in the past and 42% were burgled by people that they knew well.

When did the burglaries take place?

  • 65% of the burglaries took place during the week.
  • 35% of them happened at the weekend.
  • .45% took place in the morning/afternoon
  • 55% happened in the evening/night

Which side of the property did they gain access through? 

  • 49% front
  • 41% back
  • 8% side
  • 2% more than one way

Method of entry

  • 75% through a door
  • 24% via a window
  • 3% through other ways

What were the major items stolen?

  • 35% tools/work materials
  • 31% garden furniture
  • 11% bicycles, bicycle parts
  • 9% sports equipment
  • 5% children’s toys/baby items

Cost of items stolen

  • 35% £1,000 or more
  • 14% £500 to £999
  • 24% £200 to £499
  • 5% £100 to £199
  • 8% £50 to £99
  • 9% £20 to £49
  • 4% £1 to £19
  • 1% no cost

Contact with burglars

  • 54% somebody at home
  • 46% no one at home
  • 60% violence or force used or threatened
  • 40% neither violence, force or threats

We trust that you found the above statistics of interest. If you own your own home then you will no doubt wish to make sure that it is adequately insured along with the contents and personal belongings or, if you rent a property, you will wish to make sure that your personal belongings and any furnishings/white goods etc that you own are insured. In that respect, why not get in contact with us here at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351 to discuss your requirements and obtain a quotation.

Protecting Your Home Against Burglars

BurglarWhilst it provides homeowners with peace of mind to have home insurance, should there be the need to claim on the policy in the event of the likes of a fire, it is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience to say the least should such a thing happen in your property or perhaps worse still should you suffer a break in by a burglar. Well, Co-op Insurance has done some research to find out some effective things that can act as a deterrent to a thief.

The insurer made contact with twenty five ex-burglars who were able to suggest a number of measures that homeowners could put in place to possibly reduce the likelihood of them being burgled.

Apparently, 26% of those ex-burglars that took part in the research felt that movement activated security lights provided the greatest deterrent to burglars here in the UK. No doubt, it would be sensible to consider having such lights coming on that would light up the front and the back of the home as well as the sides to provide the best overall potential protection against a burglar breaking in and stealing your valuables and possibly causing damage to your property.

The research revealed that 22% of burglars were of the opinion that CCTV cameras acted as the biggest deterrent to burglars. Again, presumably it would be a good idea to have such cameras located in positions that provide complete coverage of all the doors and windows and the surrounding area of the property.

Interestingly, 15% of ex-burglars that took part in the research felt that the major thing that would stop them trying to break into a home would be a barking dog. It just shows such a pet is not only something to love and care for but a dog also provides some useful practical benefit to a family.

Now, you may have thought that monitored burglar alarms were high up on the list of things that would act as a deterrent to a burglar trying to break into a property. Well, only 11% of the ex-burglars taking part in the research were of the opinion that such alarms were the most effective deterrent.

Also worth noting is that it is not a good idea to shut your curtains or blinds prior to departing on holiday as this may suggest to a burglar that the property is presently unoccupied. It is also not a good idea to leave post sticking out of the letterbox so why not ask a neighbor to check this out whilst you are away and push the letters through the letterbox onto the hall floor.Burglar

We do hope that you have found the above to be of benefit. If you are interested in arranging home insurance then why not give us a call on 02380 268 351 and speak with one of our team who will discuss your requirements and arrange a quotation without any obligation. We have an extensive panel of insurers at our disposal so we should be able to provide a quality, competitive quote for most sorts of property, contents and personal belongings.

How To Reduce The Possibility Of Being Burgled This Christmas

Christmas is an occasion for families to meet and exchange presents before enjoying a slap-up Christmas lunch together. However, not wishing to put a damper on things but the lead up to Christmas is also a popular time for burglars to break into homes with a view to stealing those lovely gifts.

Christmas TreeAccording to research carried out for Co-operative Insurance, around 42% of people will have already bought their Christmas gifts by the 22 November. During the period 23 November to 6 December about 33% of people will be doing their Christmas shopping. That means three-quarters of us will have done our festive shopping with still more than two weeks remaining before Santa comes down the chimney.

On average, we spend in the region of £437 buying Christmas gifts for our friends and relatives and up to 6% of people anticipate spending in excess of £1,000 on them this festive period. That presents a burglar with a wonderful opportunity to upset a few families by breaking into their homes and stealing those items.

So, what can you do to reduce the likelihood of someone getting into the house and removing those gifts?

Well, you will be pleased to hear that the Co-operative Insurance actually went to the trouble of speaking with 25 ex-burglars with a view to finding out what would make them think twice about trying to break into a particular property. Below are some of the major deterrents: –

1. 26% of burglars would avoid homes that are protected by security lights that are motion activated.
2. 22% of burglars would not go near a property that has CCTV cameras in place.
3. 15% of burglars are put off by dogs barking in homes.
4. 11% of burglars would not try to break into a property that has a burglar alarm that is professionally monitored.Security Camera

Very kindly, these ex-burglars also pointed out some things that homeowners do that leave them vulnerable to being broken into: –

a. Not taking the post out of the letterbox.
b. Curtains always being open.
c. Leaving the curtains shut and then going on holiday.
d. Items inside the home being left on display.

We trust that the above has been of use to our many customers and let us hope that none of you are faced with having to make a claim on your contents insurance over the Christmas period. In this respect, why not check how much cover you have to make sure that it is adequate. Some insurers increase the level of cover leading up to and shortly after Christmas with a view to insuring those presents that you have kindly purchased for family and friends. If you do require any guidance in respect of your home insurance why not give us a call here at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351.