For when the unwanted intruder wins – a few helpful hints
The less than perfect end to a less than perfect day – you return home from work stressed, fed up and shattered and your day is just about to get a lot worse – one look that’s all it takes – the door that should be securely locked is standing open the door has been forced open and the damage to the lock and frame is immediately obvious – “you have been burgled” – so what do you do next –
Rush in – if we are to believe the title of the song – “only fools rush in” and this holds good here for after all your home is now a crime scene and if at all possible the Police will want to inspect it before you touch anything.
So rather than panic try to stay calm and follow these useful guidelines
- Call the police.
2. File a report with the attending officer and ensure you get a record of the crime number (you will need it for insurance purposes)
3. When cleared to do so by the Police – document what’s missing or damaged. - Check with your neighbours or anyone else who could have been around as to whether they saw anything.
5. Notify your Insurance Company (if you have lost articles of value it is always useful if you can provide receipts)
When you have compiled your list of what’s missing, it may be useful to check the classified ads in your local paper, online auction sites as well as resale stores and pawn shops in your area, because someone may just be trying to get a quick sale on your property. If you should get lucky and find someone that you suspect is trying to sell selling something of yours, make sure it’s on missing possessions report and notify police to handle recovery.
Your insurance company will probably employ a local locksmith to make your home temporarily secure but when the cold light of the following day dawns you may wish to consider a new front door or at the very least a new lock.
At this point the GFD Group could become your new best friend because through our web sites Timber Composite Doors, Global Door, Fusion Door, Composite Door Prices not only do we sell excellent ranges of front doors but we can also arrange both finance and speedy and professional installation services or if it’s just new locks and security accessories your budget runs to our Eurosecure web site has everything you would need including the “Ultion” cylinder lock acclaimed by the industry as the most secure cylinder lock currently available for domestic use.
Whilst you are pondering your next move here are some interesting facts about burglary –
- Although the common belief is thieves strike at night a robbery during the day, usually between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. is actually more likely
• The most common months for burglary – July and August, and the least common February (seems burglars are also not too keen on the cold.)
• The time the average burglar spends in your home – 10 minutes - Their preferred entry point – back doors or windows where they are out of the public sight.
and what are they after
1. Cash
2. Electronics
3. Jewellery
4 Car Keys
5. Prescription drugs
and where do they commonly look first – well anywhere really it depends upon the individual and what they are looking for – but-
- master bedroom, living room or dining room are favourites for cash electronics and jewellery
- Kitchen worktops/ drawers and Hall dresser units are the favourite for Car keys
• Medicine cabinets for prescription drugs
So what preventative measures can you take – amazing as it may seem the majority of us have limited knowledge of what we own or relative values – in order to ensure that you miss nothing from your list of losses it may well be worth considering – taking a video camera or smart phone and walking around your home documenting items in each room noting any distinguishing marks, make, model and serial numbers, keeping the video in a safe and secure place along with any receipts you possess will at least make processing your claim that little bit easier.
That takes care of the after event requirement – but what other than visiting the GFD Group of companies web sites Timber Composite Doors, Global Door, Fusion Door, Composite Door Prices or Eurosecure changing your doors and locks can you do to protect your home
It now becomes a question of budget –
install a safe
Install a camera monitoring system
Install a new alarm system
They all sound good but they are generally the second line of defence and the best will always be to install a new solid and secure front door with an approved locking system – and all Timber Composite Doors, Global Door, Fusion Door, Composite Door Prices are accredited to “Secured by Design” and come with “Ultion” locks as standard
Secured by Design is a Police-backed scheme supporting products that offer an exceptionally high standard of security, the official definition for which is –
“Secured by Design focuses on crime prevention of homes and commercial premises and promotes the use of security standards for a wide range of applications and products.”
A product will only be granted SBD status once it has passed a series of rigorous tests and proved that it is secure enough to resist any burglary attempt.
We cannot guarantee that we can beat the burglar but here at the GFD Group we can certainly help you try.
