It’s easy to forget the impact technology has in the field of home security. For some, security measures amount to a pet dog, a strong bolt on the door and a pair of good drapes, but CCTV systems and monitored wireless alarms are an invaluable use of technology for thousands of homeowners and businesses.
A rather attractive infographic produced by the UK branch of security specialists ADT has offered new insight into how technology is employed on an everyday basis to tackle the not-so-pleasant problem of house break-ins. The interactive data representation uses a slide bar to show when the most alarm activations occur in the UK and also pinpoints activation hotspots on a map of the region.
Accompanying the infographic is research carried out by the group that suggests UK burglars are taking a ‘more professional’ approach to burglary, with burglars scouting out properties prior to breaking in and targeting homes without security measures. And while secure doors, sensor locks, CCTV and monitored alarms can put burglars off, many of the old-school items we have in our homes can actually help burglars on their way.
One example of this is hanging a calendar in your kitchen or hallway. If this is visible from a door or window it can show a burglar when you will be out of the property and once they’ve gained entry, it can even help them schedule their next visit when they can come back and plunder goods you’ve replaced or were too heavy to move the first time round. Keeping an electronic calendar and closing drapes or using nets can help remove this risk.
Letterboxes are also a potential risk. In the UK most homes have a letterbox that drops straight through into their hallway and this can be used by burglars as a point of vantage and also an entrance point for fishing out spare keys on hallway tables or racks. Experts recommend using an inside mailbox to collect the post as it drops and prevent key fishing.
Data collated by ADT also reveals that 72 per cent of all residential burglaries in the UK occur between January and April. This data therefore comes at an appropriate time, highlighting the higher risk of a break-in during darker months and post-Christmas, when homes traditionally have a wealth of new electronic goods and other attractive pickings.
It is also interesting to find out about simple measures that help burglars alongside newer technology that puts them off. Hopefully it can give readers something they can take on board in order to become more security aware, but it may also spark ideas on other ways we can integrate technology more fully to provide peace of mind. How about an app that allows you to check your security alarm is set when you are away from home? Or even one that lets you check you locked the door on your way out?
This post is authored in association with ADT.co.uk, the home alarms and CCTV systems specialist.
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