Have Home Break-Ins Really Declined?

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), the percentage of households that have fallen victim to burglary has dropped from 6% in 1995 to 2% for the period 2011-2012. However, according to The Crime Prevention Website, there are discrepancies between the numbers of burglaries estimated by the CSEW and those reported by the police.

Why is this? Well it could be down to general apathy – the police won’t catch them, and there’s little chance of recovering lost valuables, so why bother reporting it? Of course a crime reference number is needed for an insurance claim, but not everyone is insured so again another reason not to bother reporting the crime.

Insurance Claim Concerns over Undetected Break-Ins

And this brings us to another factor that could be affecting the statistics: even if the victim does have contents insurance, if the burglar has entered or left the property undetected, it’s unlikely the claim will come to anything unless there is hard evidence such as CCTV footage – so again, another possible reason why the crime may not be reported.

Statistics aside, without a doubt, break-ins by burglars who seize opportunities to enter a property without force are extremely common, and it’s during these warm summer months that they become much more of an issue.

Summer Home Security Advice

We can’t stress enough the importance of being extra vigilant at this time of year, especially during this particularly warm weather. To help you make your home as secure as possible this summer, we’ve written a dedicated blog post where we take a tour around the home, pointing out the most common ways an opportunistic intruder will find ways to enter without force and leave undetected and offering advice, tips and solutions to help prevent something like this happening to you.

Read the post:  How Not to Fall Victim to an Undetected Break-in This Summer