Reduce Your Risk of Robbery Over the Holidays

Sydney, NSW, 27 November 2007 - Criminal statistics across all states show increased break and enter, burglary and vandalism during school holidays, and especially over the Christmas break when more people take vacations away from home.

Chubb Australia, a leading home security and fire services company, has put together a checklist for consumers to make their property more secure this holiday season.
There are three main areas in which the activities of consumers can have a direct impact on reducing their risk of attack.

1. Make crime more difficult to commit
2. Be vigilant
3. Report all crime

Firstly, making crime more difficult to commit is something everyone can do. It means “hardening the target” by:
• Ensuring locks are current technology deadlocks (that can’t be picked);
• Ensuring there are locks on all your doors and windows;
• Ensuring you shut and secure all doors and windows before you go away, including small laundry and bathroom windows;
• Closing off access via laneways;
• Improving garden lighting;
• Installing a simple timer on lights to make it look like someone is home;
• Ensuring all doors are strong and stable,
• And controlling access – by secure phone entry to a block of units, or from the front gate of an individual residence.

Vigilance is also something in which we can all take part. It means:
• Installation of formal surveillance with monitored (back-to-base) alarm systems;
• Informal surveillance – telling the caretaker of the block of units, or your neighbours (either side, front and back at least) that you are going away, for how long and how to reach you in the event of an emergency;
• Agreeing to look out for your neighbours’ property if you are staying, whilst they are away;
• Cancelling your newspapers for the period you are away and arranging for someone to empty your letterbox regularly;
• Or arranging a trusted house-sitter (either friend or from a reputable house-sitting company) – and ensure they know how to operate your alarm system;
• Notifying your security alarm company that you are going away, and telling them about any other key holders staying in the area in the event of an emergency, including the house-sitter’s details.

Report all crime;

Police report that, the more people get away with petty crime, the more they do it.  There will sometimes be a spate of robberies in a suburb. One robbery of small items may not seem much to one household, especially if it is not worth claiming the insurance. However, this one robbery may have been one of many in the area, or one similar to another in which much higher value items were stolen, property was damaged or someone was hurt. It could also contain vital clues for police investigating other crimes. So, report all crimes.

Chubb also recommends that if you do have a security alarm, test it before you go on holiday, but notify the monitoring centre first.
It is also wise to check all smoke alarms, clean up the yard of debris (which in the event of fire or storm could cause unnecessary damage or be used for burglary), and mow the lawn so the house will not look unattended.