Calls to ‘lock up, light up’ homes to deter burglars

Three out of 10 burglars gain access through the front door, and a quarter do through the back door.

In most cases, the criminals use “body pressure” to force their way in, though in 25% of cases the door is either not locked or is actually open.

Jewellery, cash, and electronic goods are the most common objects stolen, at a value of €5.7m, €3.4m, and €1.1m, respectively, last year. There were 163 cases of “fishing”, involving theft of car keys through letter-boxes, in a 12-month period.

Launching the gardaí’s Lock Up, Light Up campaign, Sergeant Kevin Courtney of the National Crime Prevention Unit said: “Burglaries have traditionally risen during the longer winter nights. Locking up and lighting up, over the coming months, could be the difference between making your home safe and making your home vulnerable. It’s as simple as that.”

Almost half (46%) of all winter burglaries occur between 5pm and 11pm.

Figures from the campaign show:

• Through the front door is the most common entry route for burglars (29%);
• Back doors are next (26%), followed by back windows (24%);
• In 25% of cases, the doors are not locked or are actually open
• Front windows are used in 8% of burglaries.

“As the days get shorter, I would urge homeowners to make sure their home looks occupied,” said Sgt Courtney. “Use time switches to turn on lights; lock all doors and windows; store keys away from windows and letterboxes; and use your alarm. Lock up and light up.”

He said: “Taking these simple steps will lessen a home’s vulnerability, deter burglars, and protect homes.”

Figures compiled by the Garda Analysis Service, from June, 2015 to June, 2016, show that jewellery and cash remain the most common items stolen, with €600 being the average amount taken. Electronic goods, such as computers, mobile phones, TVs, and games consoles, are also targeted.

Sgt Courtney said that more than €10m worth of goods have been taken from homes in the last 12 months, comprising €5.7m in jewellery, €3.4m in cash, and €1.1m in electronic goods.

He recommended against storing large amounts of cash in the home, and said people should use a modern safe, if they keep expensive jewellery in their house.

He suggested using UV-markers (which can be purchased in many hardware stores) to mark bigger items, such as computers, tablets, and consoles.

Sgt Courtney advised people to light up the front-door area and cut back any shrubbery in front yards to limit cover for would-be burglars.

Burglaries are down 25% in the first-half of 2016, thanks in part to Operation Thor, which targets organised crime groups and repeat offenders. “Operation Thor has resulted in a substantial decline in burglaries, but we will not be complacent,” he said.