What Makes Your Home a Target for Burglary?
I meet many people who after a burglary says “I have been burgled but I was just unlucky”. As a London Locksmith I have another perspective on things. In most burglary repair situations I notice something that has made the property a burglary target. You can read my post about how thieves break into houses here.
My number 1 tip to all home and business owners is to have the most secure property on your street! This means being aware of the security measures required in your area.
To a professional burglar home security which has clearly been well considered and planned is off putting. A burglar will survey the area and select the property with the weakest security systems. These are the properties which will be specially selected burglary targets. Some security measures are visible from the outside of the property and these are the ones that will deter an intruder from even attempting a home burglary.
Visible Security Measures That Deter Burglars
- High security locks
- Multiple locks
- Lock guards
- Window locks
- Security grilles
- Domestic roller shutters
- An alarm
- CCTV
Less Visible Security Measures That Make Intruder Access Difficult
There are other security measures which are not visible but will ensure that if an intruder does attempt a burglary, they will find it more difficult to gain access to your property.
- London bars
- Birmingham Bars
- Hinge bolts
So if you want to make your home look less appealing to intruders add visible security measures as a deterrent. If you want to make sure they can’t get in if they do attempt a break-in then investigate adding the less visible security measures in addition to the visible ones.
Security in Different North London Areas – Requirements Vary
As a Locksmith in London I can tell you that anti burglary home security levels vary depending on the area of London or Hertfordshire. When it comes to security this is one scenario where is pays to “keep up with the Jones”.
The lengths you need to go to in order to keep intruders out in Barnet versus Islington, as an example, are significantly different. Certain areas require much higher levels of security. If the neighbours have higher security levels it raises the bar. Your aim should be to have the most secure property on your street!
Main image courtesy of Alastair Rae
Basic Security Measures Which are a Must in Any Area
As a minimum there are basic security measures which are a must regardless of the area you live in.
- 5 lever British Standard deadlock lock on external doors
- Key operated window locks
Once you have basic security in place you need to establish what additional security measures are suitable for the area in which you live.
As a locksmith in North London I would recommend the following in addition to basic security to everyone regardless of the area you live in;
- Multiple locks
- Lock guards
- An alarm can also be a good deterrent. Read here about choosing the right alarm.
London Burglary Rates by Borough
This link to the met police website shows London crime rates by borough. The crime rate is the number of crimes per 1000 residents. We have sorted the info to show burglary rates from Jan 2019 to October 2019 with the following results for burglary rates in North London boroughs;
- Brent 6.47
- Barnet 7.4
- Enfield 7.51
- Haringey 8.54
- Islington 9.39
- Hackney 10.24
- Kensington and Chelsea 11.15
- Camden 11.38
- Westminster 15.07
The burglary rates are higher closer to central London. In my experience as a locksmith higher security levels are required in areas like Haringey, Islington (you can read more about burglary rates in Islington here), Camden, Kensington and Westminster than more suburban areas like Brent, Barnet and Enfield.
High Security Measures for Areas with Higher Burglary Rates
It can depend on the property and the area but additional security I recommend to people in high crime areas or customers that want to feel more secure are the following;
- Security grilles – collapsible or fixed grilles provide high security and when done well can look good.
- London bars – strengthen the lock side of your door
- Birmingham Bars – strengthen the lock side of your door
- Hinge bolts – prevent the door being lifted off the hinges
Security grilles provide extremely high security and are very popular in North London areas like Islington, Hampstead (read more about burglary rates in Hampstead here) , Muswell Hill and Crouch End. In Hertfordshire security grilles are commonplace in areas like Bushey, Cuffley and Hadley Wood, Radlett, Brookman’s Park and St Albans. Certain parts of Barnet and Enfield tend to choose security grilles.
How to Know What Security You Need?
Our blog is packed full of advice on how to secure your home and prevent burglary. You can read our ultimate guide to burglary prevention tips here.
A free security survey with an MLA approved locksmith will help you establish how to ensure you are not an obvious target for burglary.
We are MLA approved Locksmiths covering London and Hertfordshire. Don’t hesitate to call us in a burglary emergency, we operate a 24/7 emergency service. If you would like some advice on how to avoid becoming a target of burglary, we would be happy to carry out a free security survey and provide you with our professional recommendations.
