Home alone? Insurance company warns of spike in burglaries over festive season

There is likely to be a spike in home invasions during the festive period, with more criminals gaining entry through front or back doors.  

That’s according to Auto & General’s claims statistics, which show that there is an approximate 33% increase in home invasions in the week between Christmas and New Year.

Ricardo Coetzee, head of Auto & General, said they have seen a significant shift in how criminals gain entry — with more gaining access through a front or back door, rather than through a window.

“This could indicate that with more people opting to stay at home, criminals would rather pounce on doors that are left unsecured or use tactics like impersonating a delivery person or technician to gain easier entry.”

Coetzee added the crimes were mostly committed between 6pm and 6am.

“Though we’d all like to take a break and just forget about our responsibilities for a while, we must remember that criminals don’t take holidays and we cannot afford to let our guard down. We have to make sure that every precaution is taken and every security measure is in place,” he said.

Tyron Powell of Marshall Security said break-ins were a common occurrence during the festive season. 

“We attend to a lot of incidents where people have an alarm system but they haven’t armed it. They think they can quickly pop down to the shop and when they come home someone has broken in,” he said.

Auto & General offers the following home safety tips:

• All in, always: Use every security measure available to you every time, even when you’re home. Leaving a perimeter fence or alarm unarmed, a second door unlocked or a window open — even if you go out very briefly — creates the perfect opportunity for a criminal to strike.
• Keep an eye: Look out for suspicious vehicles or individuals when travelling, leaving and entering your property, especially when you return from a festive shopping spree. Shoppers perceived to be high-value targets are often followed home. Know your neighbours’ routines so that you can identify suspicious activity.
• Bag the boxes: Don’t pile up empty gift boxes where they are easily visible to criminals peeking into your property. Instead, tear up the boxes and hide them in bins or bags.
• Don’t showcase: Don’t tempt criminals by leaving new items in plain sight. Draw the curtains at night to keep them from seeing what’s inside and monitoring your movements.
• Mix it up: Mix up your daily routine to make it less predictable for criminals to know when you’ll be home.
• Call for backup: Notify your security company when you won’t be at home for extended periods of time. Also ask someone you trust to check on your home, collect your mail and switch on different lights to create the impression that somebody is at home.

Eight lines of defence that every home should have, according to Auto & General:

• A sturdy perimeter wall or palisade fence offers privacy and acts as first defence.
• Secure and sturdy access gates and garage doors. Ideally, these should be operated remotely and opened and closed quickly to limit the window of opportunity for criminals. Ensure that gates can’t be lifted off their rails with a crowbar and that gate motors are well hidden and can’t be easily accessed.
• An electric fence offers an extra security barrier and serves as a further deterrent to criminals. Make sure yours is installed by a certified professional, in accordance with electric fence compliance regulations. Be sure to check for vulnerable spots where the fence can be bypassed by, for example, stepping on part of the wall, or using a nearby tree for leverage.
• Security beams around your home and inside your home should be set up in such a way that different zones can be activated as needed. This serves as an early warning system, allowing you and your security company more time to react.
• An alarm system that is linked to a reputable armed response company, including a panic button.
• Burglar bars on windows and security gates on all doors — made of rigid materials and fixed in such a way that they can’t be easily bypassed, broken or pried open. Some older homes are especially vulnerable if the weld that fixes burglar bars to the window frame isn’t sturdy.
• A clean act. Identify possible hiding places and clear them. Cut away tree branches and remove objects such as garden tools that could be used as leverage for getting into the house.
• CCTV systems are becoming increasingly affordable and offer an easy way for you to keep an eye on your property. You can even monitor your home remotely via a smartphone app. This can provide valuable footage if your home is broken into.

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