Gavin Kirk, Head of Trade at Yale UK, shares his insights into the latest burglary tactics, alongside the solutions that can keep your customers’ homes secure.
The winter months bring cold weather, short days and darker nights, something which all homeowners prepare for each year. But one area these same homeowners forget to consider is that the arrival of winter also brings an increase in domestic burglaries.
According to research from Aviva, 55 per cent of burglaries occur when it’s dark, so with January being the month with the shortest daylight hours, it’s no surprise that homes are a prime target during this vulnerable period.
Locked up
Although homeowners would consider that they are more vulnerable to burglary when their home is left unattended, it’s not always the case. Research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that in nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of burglary incidents, someone was at home, suggesting that homeowners need to be vigilant both when they’re at home and away.
And this comes after recent information that ‘sneak in’ burglaries are on the rise this year. Whether this is during the day or at night when the occupants are asleep, burglars will enter the property through an unsecured door or window, entering and leaving undetected in a matter of minutes.
And there are a range of ways to prevent this type of burglary attack method. Firstly, a home security upgrade is an effective deterrent to ensure that a homeowner’s property isn’t an easy target.
Tradespeople can recommend installation of a range of smart security solutions including security cameras, CCTV and a new generation of smart home alarms. These smart security gadgets not only provide the ultimate convenience for homeowners, but are also effective deterrents in stopping opportunists from targeting properties.
Allowing homeowners to check in on their home anytime, anywhere via a smartphone, smart security products are currently in high demand, making them a particularly profitable area of investment for trade professionals. A recent survey from St Modwen Homes even revealed that smart security, particularly smart security cameras, are one of the ‘must-have’ new features for homes, making stocking up on a range of these types of solutions a worthy investment.
Alongside these recommendations, further statistics showed that 21% of people admitted to leaving an external door unlocked when they’ve gone to bed4, highlighting how homeowners are still not fully prioritising the importance of protecting their property. By educating your customers and informing them of this this type of burglary tactic, homeowners can easily prevent an opportunistic attack by always locking windows and doors securely.
Lock snapping
Alongside the ‘sneak in’ burglary tactic, it’s also worth considering that a locked door or window won’t always provide sufficient protection against some determined opportunists.
Seasoned criminals can easily spot weakened or low-quality security solutions a mile off, so it’s worth trade professionals recommending the necessary door hardware upgrades to provide heightened security against the recent trend for ‘lock snapping’.
Criminals will use this tactic to gain access to a home through a door, trying to break the cylinder to allow for easy entry into a property. The one and only solution to prevent this type of burglary attack is by investing in high-quality cylinder products.
The trade can spot these superior cylinder products as they will have the British Kitemark seal of approval, in particular the TS007 standard, an improved version of the Kitemark specifically created for cylinders.
The TS007 security standard is the highest level of certification available for a cylinder lock and has the backing of the hardware industry to ensure the product can withstand such burglary attacks.
Yale’s Platinum 3 Star Cylinder was developed in response to these attacks, offering superior strength to secure a door across numerous lines of defence including Anti-Snap, Anti-Pick and Anti-Bump. As a trusted brand name in the world of security, tradespeople recommending Yale products will give homeowners the peace of mind that their door will have superior protection against these types of attacks, providing heightened security over the vulnerable winter months.
With a number of burglary tactics, including distraction burglaries which continued to be a popular method throughout 2021, it’s essential that tradespeople not only educate homeowners on these prevalent techniques, but also ensure they are recommending the necessary security solutions to protect their customers’ homes. So, by suggesting a new superior strength cylinder, or recommending a smart security upgrade, the trade can make the most of this profitable winter period, whilst also offering high-quality security solutions from a brand name they can trust.
For more information on the range of security products from Yale, www.yalehome.co.uk
