Keeping Your Home Safe

We are seeing more reports like these in the news at present.

“Wide Bay residents reminded to LOCK UP after increase in break and enter reports

Police are urging residents to LOCK UP after increased reports in criminal activity, particularly break and enters into motor vehicles and homes, across the Wide Bay Region, including Bundaberg, Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Gympie.

Most of these home and car thefts are the result of opportunistic thefts, where offenders are noticing homes and vehicles that have been left unlocked and allowing easy access.

Upon gaining access to homes, offenders are locating vehicle keys in insecure areas and as a result, are stealing occupants’ vehicles. 

Residents are being urged to review their current home and vehicle security habits to help prevent opportunistic thieves.”

When we experience an increase in crime people start looking for ways to make their homes and businesses safer. There are a number of things you can do yourself and a other precautions that require professional assistance.

Gympie Security Screens is often asked to inspect homes and quote on ways they can help with your security.

Over the past few months police have observed an increase in break and enter/property offences involving offenders entering victim’s homes while they are still in the house, unit or apartment and removing property such as mobile phones, wallets, car keys and cash that is lying around. In all cases the victims didn’t even know that a person/s entered their home until they could find their property missing and in every case I can tell you the front or rear door of the dwelling was unlocked.

Let’s focus for a moment on Safety in the Home strategies which should be habits that people develop to increase their feelings of safety and security and reduce the likelihood of having their safety threatened.

You may or may not have heard a member of the police service use the term ‘Sneak Offence’, it’s when offenders enter your home, daytime or night-time (they aren’t fussy), while you are home. It doesn’t matter if you’re cooking, watching TV, on the computer, reading on the couch, attending to your family or that you are sound asleep in your bed.

Opportunistic theft from homes, units, sheds, businesses and motor vehicles are on the increase in the Gympie area.

Reduce the risks of becoming a victim – please be aware:

• Thieves’ main method of entry is usually open or unlocked doors/windows, jemmying poor quality security screens, removing or cutting fly screen to gain entry and entering unlocked vehicles
• Thieves are targeting items such as car/motorcycle keys to steal your vehicle, laptops, cameras, mobile phones, money, wallets, passports, gaming systems, jewellery, gardening equipment, tools and bikes
• Thieves also target open patios, verandas and sheds, removing insecure property items from those places

Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious persons or vehicles seen in your area to police.

Good home security can be achieved by following these tips:

• Ensure doors are always locked with a key even when you are home
• Consider fitting Crimsafe security screen doors, designed and installed to Australian standards
• Consider installing perimeter security lighting including sensor lights and CCTV cameras
• Ensure trees and shrubs are trimmed to allow visibility to your property and your house number is clearly visible