Spring cleaning? Make your property secure too

If you’re planning on getting out and about over summer, remember it’s an active time for burglars too. Now is a good time to be doing a few things around your house and garden to make your property more secure.

With spring upon us and summer not far away, lawn mowing, hedge trimming and water blasting have become the weekend norm for kiwi households. Spring is in the air, and so is spring cleaning!

House burglars are also getting ready for the summer. It’s a busy time for them, as they prepare to make the most of good weather and good opportunities – the sun is out, householders are often out and about, and attractive items are often left out in the yard!

So, while you’re cleaning and mowing and making your house and garden more attractive for visitors and whanau, think about how you can make your property less attractive to criminals!

Neighbourhood Support New Zealand has some excellent tips and advice on a range of security and safety topics for households, including ‘vacant home tips’, ‘reducing burglars’ opportunities’, and ‘who burgles a house and why’. It’s worth taking a look at their online resources.

According to Neighbourhood Support, burglars typically risk averse, and they tend to look for low-hanging fruit. They like houses where:

it looks like no one’s home (lights on or curtains closed during the day, or mail accumulating in the letterbox)
a window or door is left open or unlocked (including the garage)
trees or shrubs are blocking the view from the street
items of value are left outside overnight (such as bikes, gym equipment, etc)
they’ve been before (may have burgled the property previously)
there’s no apparent security (cameras, alarm, sensor lights, or dog!)

Neighbourhood Support suggests several practical steps you can take to make your place less attractive for would-be burglars (for a complete list, view their tip sheet), including:

Join a Neighbourhood Support group in your area and display Neighbourhood Support signs and stickers on your property perimeter (if there’s no group in your area, start one!).
Ensure doors and windows have good quality catches and locks, that they are working properly, and that you are using them. Use deadbolts where possible.
Lock doors and windows at night, if you’re in the garden, or out and about. Don’t leave a key hidden outside - burglars know where to look!
Keep sheds and garages secure and lock away tools, ladders, bikes., etc
Consider having an alarm system professionally installed or have your property monitored by a security company.
Install sensor lights on the approach to doors.
Install a peep-hole in your front door so you know who’s there before opening the door.
Trim and/or remove trees and shrubbery which might ‘hide’ a burglary or their activity.
If you’re going away, ask neighbours to collect your mail and make your place look occupied. They could turn on lights, park their vehicle outside, hang washing, or mow your lawns.
Mark valuable property such as electronics and tools with identifiable details, and keep a record of their serial numbers.
Place ‘Beware of Dog’ signs around your property as a deterrent.
Never confide in anyone you don’t trust that you’re away from your home or live alone.
Report suspicious or unusual activity to the Police

These are all simple and practical steps you can take to strengthen your property’s security and make it less attractive to thieves, and spending a few hours over the weekend to tick off a some items on your security checklist may well make all the difference.

To find out more about joining Neighbourhood Support New Zealand, check them out online. If you’d like professional advice in relation to your residential or commercial security needs, feel free to contact us.