As a householder, you can do a great deal to reduce the risk for a small outlay. Improving home security might also help to reduce insurance premiums for household contents protection so speak with your broker or insurance company. It may help to know something about the average burglar and how he operates. Most crime is committed by young males under the age of 21. In fact, the average age of a criminal when they first come to police notice is only 15.
Thieves are expert at identifying homes which are in some way vulnerable.
The householder may have left telltale signs that the home is temporarily unoccupied, or perhaps the dwelling is the end house in a terrace and therefore more attractive to the burglar. Domestic burglaries usually take place between 11am and 5pm, when the burglar can reasonably expect the house to be empty. A burglary can be committed in a just few minutes, with many offenders all too aware of where most of us keep our valuables. Burglary levels can increase by a third during December and January, with thieves taking advantage of the cover provided by the longer dark afternoons, evening and nights. This is also traditionally a period when householders leave their homes unoccupied.