Christmas Day ‘lucrative for burglars’

CHRISTMAS morning is a popular time for visitors to quietly pop into strangers’ houses with a big sack, but not all of them are wearing red coats, they’re unlikely to have white beards and they’re more inclined to take goodies rather than bestow them.

A new survey pinpoints the hours between 3am and 6am on Christmas morning as the most lucrative for the common burglar during the seasonal period, but if he overdoes the celebrations after a successful smash and grab, he tends to sleep it off over the new year.

According to incident reports recorded between December 24 and January 1 by security company Netwatch, the most attractive time for criminals is Christmas morning, with 30% of all yuletide incidents at private homes and businesses taking place then.

Meanwhile, only 5% of the total number of incidents recorded took place on New Year’s Eve, with nothing untoward happening on New Year’s Day.

Those who can still afford to keep properties abroad should also note that continental burglars don’t snooze during the new year, with 60% of attempted robberies in Spain and Portugal taking place between December 30 and January 1.

Irish criminals’ habits are in direct contrast with their American counterparts, with 62% of seasonal attempted burglaries in the US taking place between December 30 and January 2, and little activity on Christmas Day. According to the Carlow-based security company’s managing director David Walsh, there are several things people can do to protect their assets over the Christmas period.

Businesses should check that all alarms are working; avoid leaving high-value stock on display or close to the outer perimeter of their property; use night-drop facilities; don’t leave cash on site and limit the number of keyholders. “Most importantly, people should be mindful that just because they are off work it doesn’t mean that the criminals are too,” said Mr Walsh.