According to the latest data from the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), burglaries and break-ins rose by 19 per cent in the last year in Victoria alone. Read about the top theft targets and some precautions you can take to deter burglars and increase home security.

Burglaries are often crimes of opportunity. Most intruders are looking for a house left open or unlocked, making entry easy. Doors and windows that are difficult to get in or break are your first line of defence. As intruders tend to avoid breaking glass due to the risk of injury, good framing and multipoint locking are important for security.

Popular stolen items

Apart from cash, burglars often steal items that are small, light to carry, and that can easily be sold. Such items include jewellery, mobile phones, power tools, laptops and tablets. Car keys are also on top of the list to steal your car from your own carport or garage. Passports and other identity documents are less commonly stolen but can be used to commit identity fraud.

Increasing security

Keeping your property well-lit with sensor lights acts as a burglar deterrent. So can an alarm system that goes off and alerts neighbours. Installing a home security system, which you can monitor while away, and advertising that your home has cameras with a sign on the fence, gate or wall can also help to increase security. Keeping desirable items out of view is another deterrent as thieves are usually looking for a quick grab and get away.

Doors, windows and locks

Doors with optimal security deter break-ins, whether these are solid doors or glazed doors. Concealed multi-point locking with pin-bolts and hook-bolts is featured in Paarhammer doors, while the energy-efficient windows offer optimal security by using multipoint metal-to-metal locking. This involves several locking points all around the frame, increasing security and discouraging burglars.

Conventional standard windows withstand experienced burglars for only a few seconds. This does not provide effective burglar resistance. Windows must withstand burglary attempts for much longer to achieve this aim. Because after two to three minutes, almost every perpetrator will give up. It is a decisive issue whether your windows are equipped with the necessary ‘power of resistance’. Therefore, the greater the number of locking points, the better the burglar resistance.

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For entrance doors, Paarhammer uses the patented German KFV locking mechanism. With this locking system, the door is not only locked via the bolt in the main lock, but also at the top and the bottom. These additional, robust steel round bolts and interlocking hook bolts make the entire height of the entrance door optimally protected against being prised open. Such locking is practical and smart, and can be key operated, fingerprint operated or integrated into a home security system, depending on the model. This makes a home much safer and the entrance door a real nightmare for burglars.

Glazing

Double or triple glazing is not only excellent for energy-efficiency, but also much harder to break than single glazing. Toughened or laminated glass can withstand considerable impact, which can delay or prevent entry.

Stay safe and reduce the risk of break-ins by making it as difficult and time-consuming as possible for a burglar to enter your home.

Ready to talk about secure windows and doors? Contact us.

This article was provided by Paarhammer Windows and Doors.

Architecture & Design Team

Paarhammer Windows and Doors

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