A Locksmith’s Tips to Deter Burglars

Norfolk is a pretty safe county to live in. A quick glance at the statistics on offer from the UK Crime Stats website shows that the chances of a Norfolk resident being burgled are significantly lower than those of our near neighbours who live under the auspices of the Essex and Leicestershire Constabularies. Nevertheless, there were still 3,685 burglaries in our county between June 2017 and May 2018 so we mustn’t be complacent. Here are some tips for making sure your home or business is secure.

1. Working Locks. Let’s start with the obvious. All doors and windows should be lockable. When everyone is out, they should all be shut and locked. At night, you might want your bedroom window open, but ensure that all ground floor doors and windows are locked. If you think a lock may be broken or if you want to improve your security with stronger locks – speak to a locksmith.
   
2. Bright Lights. Security lights that come on when someone approaches your house are handy for when you need to delve in your handbag to find your keys, but also act as a deterrent to trespassers who prefer to act under cover of darkness.
   
3. Use the Safe. Retail business owners should empty the till register after every shift and keep the contents in a safe until it can be banked. It’s good practice to leave the empty till drawer open so that any nefarious characters peeking through the window can see that there is no cash in it. If you buy a bigger or more secure safe and need transportation, we have a dedicated safe removal van.
   
4. Get a Dog. Pet ownership is not for everyone but, if you have the time to devote to walking and looking after a person’s best friend, then getting a dog can reduce your risk of burglary. Burglars are as risk averse as any of us and are less likely to target a house where they may get bitten.
   
5. Grow a Hedge. Garden walls and fences are scalable, but you’d have to be a pretty dedicated burglar to push your way through a traditional mixed English hedgerow of holly and hawthorn.
   
6. Secure Vehicles. Strictly speaking, burglary is theft from a property not a vehicle. But thieves know that there are often more valuables to be had out of a van than a house. We fit Thatcham-approved deadlocks and slam locks that will prevent thieves from gaining access to valuable tools and other possessions that may be stored in your van overnight.
   

For more information about our locksmith services, please get in touch. You can call us on 01603 812613 or email admin@ptlockandsafe.co.uk. 

Follow us on Facebook for the latest company news.