Gardaí warn householders to burglar-proof their homes

Nearly €15m worth of jewellery and €7.8m in cash was stolen from Irish homes in the past year. In total, property worth €35.1m was stolen between July 2013 and July 2014.

Gardaí have appealed to householders to ensure they do not become a burglary statistic. Home break-ins typically rise by approximately 25% in winter, with most taking place between 5pm and 11pm.

Based on data which shows the likeliest points of entry into a property, gardaí said people could take precautions to lessen the likelihood of burglaries taking place.

Thieves tend to target entry through the front door (29% of cases), a rear window (26%), or a rear door (22%) while access is gained in one-in-five burglaries via an unsecured door or window.

Sgt Kelvin Courtney of the National Crime Prevention Unit said: “The longer evenings can help burglars spot if people are not home. For instance, they can easily see if a house is empty if rooms are unlit, curtains are open and there is no car in the driveway. It also makes it easier for them to enter a residence without being seen.

“Lock your windows and doors, and try and make them tamper-proof locks. Light up your house – use timers on lamps inside if you’re going to be out, and make sure you have an outside light that is tied to a motion sensor.

“When burglars are in your house they are looking for items that are concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable and disposable (CRAVED). That is why jewellery made up 40% of all property stolen from residential properties in the last 12 months. So keep valuables out of sight and don’t keep large amounts of cash at home.”

Gardaí warned that burglars use items such as adapted fishing rods to “fish” car and house keys from hall tables via a letterbox — a practice that led to more than 200 such cases in the past year.

Other key safety tips include:

- Secure all doors and windows

- Light up your home and use timer switches on lights when unoccupied

- Store keys safely and away from windows and letterboxes

- Record details of valuables and don’t keep large cash amounts at home

- Use your alarm, even when you are at home.