Understanding the motivation of a burglar

Although the cover of darkness is certainly an attractive prospect for burglars, they're also aware that many people are at home during the evenings — which is why the majority of burglaries actually occur between 10am and 3pm.

Unless you have a particularly notable property, it's unlikely thieves will have been scoping it out or monitoring your movements before attempting to break in. They're more likely to have chanced upon your home and seen various signs that suggest an easy job: no security devices on show, perhaps an open window, no sign anyone's home.

Visual deterrents that actually work

Since burglars tend to operate based on opportunity rather than preplanning, putting visible security measures in place is the most effective way to dissuade an attack. Each layer adds friction — and most opportunist burglars are looking for the path of least resistance.

Automated security gates

You're looking to make a robbery of your home as difficult as possible, which is why starting at the property boundary makes sense. Automated security gates at the front entrance are strong, durable and very challenging for thieves to get over without attracting unwanted attention.

CCTV surveillance

Coupling security methods together creates a stronger barrier — which is why security gates work so well alongside CCTV cameras. A panel of experts from Coop Insurance named CCTV as the number one deterrent for both home thieves and car thieves.

When burglars see CCTV cameras are in place, they don't want to take the risk of their actions being monitored. Modern CCTV systems can zoom in to provide close-up detail of car licence plates or a person's face, making it more likely a burglar would be identified if caught on film. See our CCTV installation page for more on the systems we install.

The appearance of being home

Burglars are concerned about the possibility of being disturbed or caught red-handed, so make your property appear occupied even when it's not. Setting lights on automatic timers when you're away and having a dog that barks when someone approaches are both simple measures that work. If you don't have a dog, a sensor-activated barking-dog alarm achieves the same effect.

Keep valuables out of sight

Modern-day burglars are less interested in bulky items like televisions — they'd rather not be seen smuggling those down the street. They're more interested in passports, credit cards, personal data and small tech like mobile phones that slip into a pocket. Keep valuables out of sight from windows, ideally secured in a small domestic safe.

Burglar alarms

As a final layer of defence, a contemporary burglar alarm system means that if all else fails and a thief still attempts to target your property, the alarm will raise the alert. Thieves don't want to operate with a loud alarm sounding in the background — especially knowing that modern monitored systems are connected to response units that can be on their way in seconds.

The honest summary

No single measure deters every burglar. The point is to layer the deterrents so a would-be thief walking past your property sees gates, lights, cameras and visible alarm signage — and quietly moves on to an easier target. We're happy to come and assess your property and recommend a sensible combination for your home.