Why Working From Home May Put You At Higher Risk From Theft
With so many millions of people working from home in 2020, you’d expect that burglars would have been thwarted in their efforts. You’d think that most thieves would wait for the occupants to leave the property and then have free reign to pillage as they see fit with some degree of freedom, however this is not strictly true. A study by the ONS showed recently that nearly two thirds of burglaries taking place in England and Wales actually happened when there were people in the home. But even though burglaries overall have dropped significantly in the last year because of lockdowns and more people working from home, there are still those chancers willing to take the opportunity presented and commit theft whilst the home is occupied.
Why is this the case?
There are a few good reasons why burglars would seek to do this when you’re working from home, we’ll take a look at some of them here in this article, so you can take reasonable steps to secure your home and possessions.
One of the first reasons that people can choose to break in when you’re at home is that they don’t actually have to break into your home – simply because the door is already unlocked. Studies have shown that about 30% of homes are unlocked when there are people inside during the day, but we think this is probably much higher unless you are elderly. Three quarters of all burglaries happen through the door as it’s the easiest access point, and the simplest way to just walk out with the stolen goods.
Windows opened or unlocked too, especially during the summer months, are a draw for burglars. Many of the thefts that take place are done opportunistically, so walking past a home with an open window with a wallet sat on the ledge inside is a prime target. The theft can be done in seconds and not even noticed.
Double storey homes are also prone to burglaries as you could be on the second floor working from your dedicated home office, in the bathroom, ironing, caring for children, and you wouldn’t know someone was sneaking around below you stealing your belongings. If you are working from home and have set up a garden office or have converted a garage or loft space, then make sure when you go to these places to work you lock the front door and backdoor, or garden gate. In elderly communities, young and able burglars have no problem walking into the home or entering through a window because they know they will easily be able to overcome the resident due to their age and frailty. Many burglars take the step to tie up elderly residents, however more often than not they are just asked to sit down whilst the robbery takes place right in front of their eyes because sadly they do not have the strength or power to stop it. We understand that burglaries are life-changing events that can lead to homeowners living in perpetual fear of being burgled or what may happen to their family during a violent break in. CCTV can help to deter would-be criminals from targeting your property just by having cameras in a visible place, and if you are burgled then everything is captured on video to aid police investigations. Call us today to see how CCTV Galway can give you the peace of mind when you’re working from home.