Hints and tips to help keep your property secure this winter.

During the winter months, as the nights draw longer and the frost begins to show we all want to feel safe and secure in our homes. In this
blog we tackle some of winter’s ‘bites’ and show you how to help keep your home free from opportunistic thieves.

56% of burglaries occur during the night and increase by 20% in the winter months making this season a prime time of the year for burglars to target. Homes
can be targeted for a number of reasons, many of these are not planned attacks like many people believe but more likely when a burglar spots an
opportunity.

With this is mind there are many ways of deterring burglars by removing the opportunity for attack, below we have listed some helpful hints and tips on how
best to protect your home this winter.

· When going out, leave a light on or on a timer thus giving the impression someone is home.

· If you’re away for a weekend or a long period of time, ask a neighbour to park on your drive - a burglar is far less likely to target your home if they
think it is occupied and will move on.

· Outside lights on motion sensors are a great way to deter someone who is approaching your home as they will quickly be illuminated when moving closer to
the property.

· Weak locks can easily be picked or snapped so it is worth having a local locksmith attend your property to replace or upgrade any locks you may be
concerned about.

· There are many additional security items you can have fitted to improve the security on your doors and windows such as additional bolts, door chains and
window restrictors.

· Have a burglar alarm fitted; if you cannot afford a full alarm system then dummy alarms can be equally as effective, at a fraction of the price.

· At night and when leaving your property make sure all doors and windows are closed and locked and that all curtains and blinds are shut or that valuable
items cannot be seen by passersby on the street.

· Check the perimeter of your home for any weak spots.

· Lock all garages and sheds – Tooling could be used by a potential intruder to gain entry to your property so ensure there are adequate locks on all
sheds, garages or outbuildings.

Keytek Home Security Advice

According to Halifax Home Insurance, there is a 10% increase in domestic burglaries and a 40% increase in thefts during the summer. With this in mind, are you doing all that you can to secure your home and prevent it from potential intruders this summer and in the following months? The Metropolitan Police advise that the Top Ten tips for securing your home are as follows:

1. Don't leave your keys or ID documents within easy reach of doors, letterboxes or windows.
2. Close and lock all doors and windows. If you have multi-locking door handles, lift the handle, lock it with the key and remove it - LIFT - LOCK - REMOVE. Put the key out of sight but in a safe place in case of fire.
3. Lock garages and sheds so garden tools and ladders can’t be used to break into your home.
4. Keep side gates locked and wheelie bins stored behind them.
5. Use timer switches linked to lights and a radio so it appears that someone is at home.
6. Invest in a safe for valuables and sentimental items and securely fix it to a solid surface.
7. Install a visible intruder alarm system - burglars don't want to be seen or heard. 
8. Install low level 'dusk till dawn' lighting to increase visibility and deter burglars. 
9. Keep side and rear boundaries high to restrict access and front boundaries low to remove hiding places.
10. Photograph and mark valuables and sentimental items with your postcode and house number/name. Register items with serial numbers at: immobilise.com

Now that you have some great advice to help make your home more secure, are you taking precautions for your own personal security? Whether you’re out and about or surfing the web, personal security should always be carefully considered. Take a look at our personal security page for some great tips to keep you safe! http://www.keytek.co.uk/personal-security.aspx

Don’t forget about your garden security! This can sometimes be overlooked, so make sure you are doing all you can to make it safe from potential intruders. For more information and some handy tips take a look at our Garden Security Blog! https://www.keytekshop.co.uk/home-garden-security

Source: http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Top-Ten-tips-for-securing-your-home/1400031421159/crimepreventionhomesecurity http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/about_us/projects_campaigns/abssummerlockin

Summer Security

Stay secure during the Summer Holidays with our Summer Home Security Tips!

Whilst enjoying any holiday period whether it is summer, Easter or Christmas, one of the last things on your mind will probably be making sure that your home is secure. Whatever the time of year it is still very important to make sure that the security of your home doesn’t lapse whilst you are enjoying the holidays.

Don’t let a burglary ruin the summer holidays...

Unfortunately higher temperatures are not great for uPVC or wooden doors as changes in heat can often cause doors to swell or shrink. Potentially, these changes can unfortunately leave your property unsecure, as you may be unable to unlock or worse lock your door, leaving your home vulnerable to a break-in. When a door swells or shrinks it’s often a simple case of calling a highly skilled and trained locksmith to fix the problem for you, making ongoing accessibility much easier during those hot summer days, leaving you far less likely to find yourself locked out when you return from a day on the beach!

Problems with your door can be caused by a variety of other factors during the summer; a common cause being simple wear and tear especially when everyone is more partial to popping in and out of the back garden to top up the tan. This can also cause security issues for your home, especially if you’re unable to lock up due to the lock being damaged by continuous use. This problem can also be solved by calling a local locksmith to your home who will be more than willing to fix or replace any locks that have been damaged by wear and tear.  

Also, don’t forget to secure your home even when just popping out to the garden, this includes the window you have left open to catch the rare breeze. Leaving any doors or windows open during a sunbathing session in the garden could leave your home unsecure and pretty much a burglar’s dream of entering your property undetected whilst you’re in the garden.  According to statistics provided in this fantastic UK Burglary report provided by Tesco Compare 73% of burglars use a door to gain entry and in 3% of cases the door was open.   

Master Suites, new office and business security resolutions!

It’s time to be more security conscious...

 

As part of your New Year’s resolutions for 2015 it may be worth thinking about being more security conscious when it comes to the security of your business or office.

Why not upgrade your office and business security by having a Master Suite system fitted by a local locksmith!

What is a Master Suite?

A Master Key suite is a state of the art system designed for operational convenience. It gives designated key holders access to specific areas or buildings, and the master key holder access to all locks on the suite.

How does a Master Suite work?

 

Alternative options...

Construction Master Keyring

This function enables constructers (builders) to issue a construction key that will operate all the cylinders under the system, once the property has been handed over to the tenant/owner the construction key is locked out once the cylinder is operated by the tenant/owners key. This system
eliminates the need for multiple keys during the build process.

Key Life or Landlords Systems

This system is designed to minimise the changing of door cylinders when tenants leave the property (for whatever reason) but do not return all copies of the key to the landlord. Key changes are designed into the cylinder so when a tenant leaves, the next tenant key once operated in the cylinder will lock out the previous tenant's key. Up to 4 key lives can be built into the cylinder. This type of arrangement is not normally under a master key as most landlords are not happy to hold master keys to tenant's properties.

All systems or suites described on this page will come with restricted keys therefore any additional keys required will need to be cut by the initial supplier. Anyone in possession of these restricted keys will not be able to get any additional keys cut unless they have authorisation to do so, giving you added peace of mind when it comes to the security of your business.

Business and Office Security Tips

• Be aware of anyone who visits your office or business. Install a visitors book in your main reception or entrance and ask anyone who isn’t an employee to sign in and sign out, you may want to consider time of
  arrival/departure and car registration.
• Check the ID of any tradesmen/suppliers.
• Ensure all valuables such as purses, wallets or mobile phones are not left in plain sight of a passerby.   
• Never leave a laptop in an unlocked office, meeting area or anywhere that is not secure.
• Keep your key fob or card on your person at all times and don’t loan it to other members of staff.
• Lock your computer when you are away from your desk to avoid being a victim of any fraudulent activity.
• Back up and encrypt any data that may be important and sensitive.
• Ensure all staff are using strong and multiple passwords.
• If your office or business has a staff car park ensure no valuables are left in any vehicles. 
• Draw any blinds or curtains once everyone has finished for the day to ensure any valuables/office equipment can’t be seen by any passersby.
• Make sure that all windows and doors are locked before leaving.

Tip 12 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Call a local locksmith to book in a home security and insurance compliance check!

Call a local locksmith to book in a home security and insurance compliance check, they will be more than happy to upgrade the security of your home for your peace of mind over the Christmas period.

Tip 11 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Check the locks on any gates or sheds and upgrade/replace if necessary. 

Make sure anything that can be used by a burglar to gain entry to your property i.e. garden tools is safely locked away.

As part of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s ‘The Top Five Operation Guardian Tips’ they recommend securing your garden by shutting and locking any gates and making sure you lock away any garden tools as these can be used by burglars to break in.

For more information on the security of ‘your garden and outside the home’ see Hertfordshire Constabulary’s advice here.

In 2012 the Guardian even reported that thefts in garden furniture and accessories had soared as the value of what we buy for the garden has increased, a survey by Confused.com showed that the average value of a British garden’s contents was £825, this included garden tools, lawnmowers, patio furniture and barbecues. All of these items are easy pickings for an opportunistic burglar, so lock them away!

Tip 10 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Use a UV pen to mark any valuables so if the worse does happen it may help to make recovery easier.

Many Police Forces and Home Insurance Providers will advise marking any valuables especially those that are more mobile i.e. a laptop or tablet. 

A burglary infographic from Tesco Compare showed that the top 5 most stolen items included...

• Mobile Phones (6%)

• Jewellery and Watches (11%)

• Cameras and MP3 Players (13%)

• Laptops (15%)

• Money (17%)

Marking your valuables will usually deter thieves from stealing them as an item that is clearly marked will be more difficult for a thief to sell and will often reduce the items value (Devon and Cornwall police). It also helps to increase the chance of your property being identified if the worse did happen and it was either lost or stolen.

Norfolk Constabulary recommends the following ways to effectively mark your property:

• Electronic marking – Use property register website Immobilise to electronically register your valuables details. This helps Police Forces across the UK to identify the owner of any lost or stolen items.

• UV pen marking – Use a UV pen (invisible to the naked eye) to mark your valuables ideally write your postcode, house number or house name. Usually stickers are supplied with any UV pens which indicate that the valuables are marked; these can deter a burglar from stealing your property in the first place.

• Photography – Taking detailed photos of your valuables will help to prove they are yours if they are stolen.

• Permanent Marker Pen/Paint – This is recommended for marking large items such as machinery, garden equipment and tools.

• Postcode Stencil – This is literally a stencil of your postcode, which is applied with paste and etches your details onto your valuables.

• DNA Technology - There are several products available that use DNA technology to mark valuables. They contain microdots with unique reference numbers that are linked to your home. These are detected with a UV light and the information is then obtained from the microdots.

• Inventories – Inventory all of your valuable items either by listing them, taking photographs or videos.

Tip 9 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Light it up!

Lights with sensors in the garden and at the front of your property will help to deter a burglar as they are more confident when working in the dark.

As the nights draw darker, during the winter months it is really worth considering installing motion detector lights externally to your home.

Considering that the majority of burglaries take place during the night, (56% of recorded burglaries happen at night according to Tesco Compare), it is definitely a good idea to have security lights fitted to your property as these can help to deter a burglar from breaking into your home, as they are less likely to feel confident breaking into a property that is well-lit. The majority of Police Forces will advise this as an additional security measure, “consider fitting outside security lighting or a visible alarm to help deter burglars” (ThamesValley Police). ThamesValley Police also advise “using pea shingle or gravel on a driveway and spiky plants in garden beds”.   

Tip 8 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Keep out any unwanted guests!

It is always a good idea to have a spy hole or door chain fitted to your front door especially in the holiday season where you are more likely to receive more visitors to your home.

When evaluating the security of your home it is important to consider that you may need additional security such as a spy hole or door chain, which will not only improve the security of your home by allowing you to keep out unwanted guests but will also add to your peace of mind. The Metropolitan Police advises that a spy hole and door chain or even a limiter should be fitted for added safety and security as “these will enable you to deal with callers to your front door whilst retaining a level of security.” 

Tip 7 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Store all sets of keys away from the front door! 

Whatever time of year it is, it’s never a good idea to leave your keys anywhere near your front door. A letterbox cage or guard can be fitted; burglars will often use the letterbox to retrieve keys stored inside the house.

When thinking about the security of your home, it is always a good idea to think like a burglar!

Look for any potential security risks that may be used to the advantage of a burglar i.e. spare keys under the mat. In a recent survey by Keytek™ it was found that over 20% of Britons were still leaving spare keys hidden in an unsecure location such as under a plant pot in the garden.

Many will advise against this, including the Charity Age UK who advise on their website not to leave spare keys in “obvious places such as under a flower pot or doormat or hanging inside the letterbox”. For a relatively small cost it is advisable to have a Key Safe fitted in a hidden location on the outside of your home by a local locksmith.  A Key Safe is a secure box where you can safely and securely store your keys without having to hide them or to rely on a neighbour or family member to look after them.

It is also advised that you don’t store any keys or ID documents near to a door or window that is accessible externally to minimise the risk of what is sometimes referred to as ‘fishing’. Insurance provider Aviva explains that “thieves will use props such as coat hangers and fishing rods to hook keys”. Key ‘fishing’ can be minimised not only by storing your keys away from any doors or windows but also by having a letterbox cage/guard fitted to your door by a locksmith. Letterbox brushes can be fitted to avoid a burglar seeing where your keys are stored. 

Tip 6 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Don’t share your holiday plans!

 

Don’t discuss any holiday plans on any type of open forum i.e. Facebook. I’m sure you have all heard the horror stories where over a thousand people turned up to a party that had been made public on Facebook, it would be like that but a party for... burglars!

According to online etiquette blog ‘Netmanners’ social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter are accessible by anyone although you are letting your ‘friends’ know what you are up to there is always the underlying issue that anyone can access your information and find out what you are up to i.e. burglars.

An interactive Facebook App was developed in 2011 to highlight the dangers of posting too much personal information on the internet called ‘Take This Lollipop’. The short horror film takes personal information from your profile through the use of your pictures and messages and shows a ‘Facebook stalker’ typing on a computer with your personal information appearing on his screen and then eventually he uses Google maps to pinpoint your position then he is seen driving to your location, therefore demonstrating to you the dangers of sharing personal information on the internet. 

Tip 5 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Window shopping for burglars!

Remember the Grinch who stole Christmas... never ever leave any presents or valuables where they can be seen by a burglar i.e. in view of a window.

The majority of home insurance providers will advise that you keep any valuables out of sight. According to Aviva you should be aware of any ‘top pickings’ for burglars; “consoles, games and DVDs make up 62% of belongings stolen”, “other favourites include cameras, computers, mobile phones, MP3 players and jewellery” (Aviva). 

Christmas presents and valuables can be safely stored away in a lockable cupboard or drawer.

Tip 4 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Join your local Neighbourhood Watch! 

As part of our home security advice we recommend that you either join or start a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. 

The Neighbourhood Watch works to bring neighbours together who want to look out for each other, creating strong, friendly, active communities where crime and antisocial behaviour are less likely to happen.

To find your local Neighbourhood Watch, or for information on how to start a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, please visit www.ourwatch.org.uk/

Alternatively if you don’t have a Neighbourhood Watch in your area and are going away for Christmas, inform a trusted neighbour that you are doing so, so they can keep an eye on your property.

Tip 3 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Going away during the Christmas Holidays?

If you are going to be away for a long period of time ask Royal Mail to hold your mail - they will do this for up to 2 months. 

The Royal Mail operates a Keepsafe™ service during the Holidays. This service literally consists of the Royal Mail holding onto any parcel and letters whilst you're away for up to 66 days and will deliver them to your home once you have returned.

The service is supported by The Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee as it reduces the risk of identity fraud when you are on Holiday as the service ensures that you do not leave any obvious clues to your absence such as a mountain of letters piled up on your doormat (Royal Mail).

Tip 2 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

If you’re going to be away from your home for a long period of time leave a light on or on a timer. Leaving a television or radio on is also a good alternative to leaving the lights on.

 

As the Holidays approach the majority of us will be frequently out of the house for longer periods of time whether that is due to attending an office party or just simply doing the Christmas shopping. In order to deter a burglar from breaking into your home it is regularly advised that if you are planning on returning when it is most likely to be dark, “lighting up your home is a useful deterrent of burglary” (Metropolitan Police). 

Tip 1 of The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas...

Don’t give a burglar a leg up!

Store all bins and ladders away from your property. These could be used by an intruder to gain access to a 1st floor window.

The majority of leading home insurance providers will recommend that it is always a good idea to lock up anything that can be used by a burglar to gain entry to a first floor window or climb over a fence i.e. wheelie bins and ladders. 

Home insurance provider Saga advise that all ladders should be securely locked away in a garage or shed. If you are using a garage or shed with windows to store anything that can be used by a burglar to gain entry it is also good to have curtains fitted to stop anyone from seeing in!

The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas

‘Tis the season to be home security conscious!

 

In the lead up to Christmas each day we will be posting a home security tip, so look out for our ‘The 12 Home Security Tips of Christmas’.

As the nights draw darker and colder, it is important to evaluate the security of your home and take measures to ensure your home isn’t an easy burglary target. During the winter period your home can be seen to be more vulnerable by an intruder, especially in the lead up to Christmas when you are more than likely to have unopened items of high value.

Although the risk of burglary does differ according to the type of property and level of security that is already in place it is worth taking the necessary precautions in order to best protect yourself and your home from a break-in.  

Each of the home security tips we share in the lead up to Christmas will help you to make sure your home is best protected during the Holiday period! 

In the meantime watch our home security video with tips and advice from our local locksmiths...